Mixed Thoughts

Rating: 8/10 (28 September 2006)

I came to this movie, like the rest of America, with great expectations. This movie did reach them, but i left this movie with very mixed feelings.
The lightsaber fighting was excellent, especially the Yoda/Sidious fight, but some of the villains were killed way too easily. Count Dooku, who is only surpassed by Yoda, was killed in about 30 seconds by Anakin. The greatest jedi killer of the Clone Wars, General Greivious, who had 4 lightsabers, ended up running away from Obi-Wan after about a minute of getting 2 hands chopped off and generally getting owned. Even though he didn't die a bad death, the fight left me feeling a little disappointed. However, the way Mace Windu is killed really ticked me off. The baddest jedi (after Yoda) who ever lived should at least be able to defend himself from a cheapshot! Also, surprisingly, the space battle is easily the biggest and most spectacular that I've ever seen.
The acting also left me with mixed reactions. Ewan McGregor, as Obi-Wan, and Ian McDairmid, as Sidious/Palpatine, were excellent. However, the two main actors, Natalie Portman and Hayden Christianson, left me wincing in pain. The overacting is pathetic, and i see none of the promise that Portman showed in Episode 1.
The film has several emotional moments, but most of them were depressing. When Order 66 was carried out, I was indeed saddened to see the jedi who i had spent a year reading into the back story to die. Also, the whole seduction of Anakin came off as poorly planned. For some reason, Lucas remains untouchable, but the start of perhaps the greatest villain/tragic hero since Shakesspear could have just a little less whining from Anakin, and more suspicion for the jedi. How does he go from loyal jedi to slaughtering younglings? And why doesn't Lucas show any fights between Anakin and other Jedi in the temple? And most of all, in case you didn't know, the four jedi that fight Palpatine are, besides Yoda and Anakin, are perhaps the greatest lightsaber fighters in the galaxy. After about 5 seconds of fighting, the only one alive is Mace Windu. Go figure.
Despite what you think, i did like this movie, and don't think it is as bad as people say it is. However, the only way some of this makes sense is by reading the book, which happens to be excellent.