Like I and II: Good entertainment, plenty of frustration

Rating: 7/10 (16 May 2005)

OK, let me quickly give my credentials: Indie filmmaker, saw Star Wars at 9 and know every line and every note of soundtrack music to all five movies. And I attended the $250-per-ticket charity premiere of Revenge of the Sith to see it a week early. Now that that's out of the way, let me give the biggest complaint: Anakin's reason for turning to the dark side is wrong. All wrong. I won't explain as those who haven't seen it will want to see it for themselves and those who have already know why he did. The reason I always imagined he turned is because of the "power of the dark side," which he reminds us in V and VI. In Revenge, Anakin does not turn to the dark side for power in and of itself but for an alleged power that he needs to save Padme, and it's a power only obtainable through the dark side. Somehow, his quest for this makes him a complete idiot: He is easily persuaded by the Dark Lord of the Sith (who was part of Qui-Gon's death, remember) that the Jedi, who raised Anakin like a family, are suddenly evil and trying to take over the Republic. And a second later, Anakin is suddenly slaughtering children, even as his own wife is pregnant. Come on, George! "Vader was seduced by the dark side of the force." Not anymore. The line should now read, "Anakin was easily duped by the most evil person who ever lived that someone like a brother to him was his enemy out of the blue." It just doesn't ring true. After the fact, I liked Anakin's handling of Obi-Wan and Padme, and I certainly understood his desperation to get the power he needed to save his wife. But not at the expense of all sanity. Palpatine subtly admits that he engineered the creation of Anakin. But why on Tatooine? Why didn't he go and get the boy as soon as he was born? The bottom line is he becomes Darth Vader too easily. Close but ultimately, wrong. I completely expected during their duel, that Anakin would say to Obi-Wan, "You don't know the power of the dark side, Master!" Not only does he not say this but we NEVER see Anakin, in any of the movies, use any of this so-called extra midi-chlorian power to do anything but win pod races and make fruit float around. He NEVER uses any dark side powers at all (whatever they may be). I expected Palpatine to be giving him little tastes of power. For me, this almost ruins the movie. We never learn who Jedi Master Sifo-Dious is, who ordered the clone army at the time of Phantom Menace. After telling us in 1999 that the whole Jedi disappearing when they die thing will be completely explained, it is NEVER explained! It is alluded to in the worst throw-away line I've ever seen in a movie: "Oh, by the way, Qui-Gon though dead, has figured out how not to be dead and will be getting in touch with you while you're hiding on Tatooine." This wasn't the exact line but it could have been. What an outrage! And no connection whatsoever to Anakin's "One day I will keep people from dying" line. Unless that line was just a line of frustration that we can turn to to justify his "turn to the dark side." He also spoke of being frustrated that he wasn't "all powerful." By giving him tastes of the dark side, including use of Force lightning, he could have shot the lightning at Obi-Wan in their duel. Obi-Wan could have riffed Luke in RotJ by saying, "Anakin, there is good in you," since Vader said, "Obi-Wan once thought as you do," to Luke in RotJ. Does this mean they meet again between III and IV, where Obi-Wan tries to convert him back? Dooku is completely wasted. Padme literally does nothing but sit around her apartment waiting for Anakin to show up so they can have expository scenes without passion. It's embarrassing as a writer that Lucas thought it was fine to have her sit around and do nothing until the end of the movie. As always, Portman is amazing and, along with Christenson, who is a good actor, rises above the material. I really believed her heart was broken, although the script didn't give us reason to. OK, those are the negatives and they are not dismissible by any stretch. But like with even the worst Star Wars movie, it's still a great piece of entertainment. Most important was what I've waited 22 years to see: The Emperor in all his naked evil once more and this does NOT disappoint! Ian McDarmid is the best thing about the sequels, is the true villain of the saga and a great actor. The character to me is far more interesting than any other, and I was glad to see his sadistic laughter as he battled the Jedi and delivered the best line of the film: "Unlimited power!" I like all the actors and there was plenty of disturbing imagery, especially of Anakin burning and defeated. Vader screaming was memorable, as well. Of course, the action was all awesome. So, all in all, this movie has most of the same frustrations of the first two prequels but because it is the story we've all waited 28 years to see, it is more interesting and unfortunately, more disappointing. Anakin should have been 16 or so in Episode I and we could have had the whole forbidden Slaveboy/Queen love story, THEN when they met again in II, it would have meant more. Why did there need to be 10 years between I and II? Just so Ani could get 10 years older? Dammit, George, you blew it!