The Fourth Star Wars Classic

Rating: 4/10 (19 May 2005)

If there's one thing I've heard about Star Wars since 1999 it's been that Episode I and II don't even come close to the greatness of the original trilogy. And this is very true, those two movies pale in comparison on all levels to episodes IV, V and VI. I had high hopes for Episode III anyway.
Wednesday night - 10PM. I arrive at the theater two hours early to hook up with my friends already in the screening room for Episode III. Yodas, Obi-Wans, Padmes and other strange creatures weaved through the aisles. Lightsabers poked up above seats. Anticipation was heating up the room. Literally.
It was safe to say that Star Wars fandom had not been swayed at all by the previous two disastrous episodes. Sure, most of the people thought the last two films were epic, but there were typical movie-goers - such as myself - who were lucky enough to come across an opening night ticket. And so, after two and half hours of waiting, a 30 oz cherry coke and some previews, the screen went black. "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." And the next two and a half hours were equally or more pleasing than finally seeing those words. This movie's mass approval to fans and regulars alike is somewhat due to the fact that Star Wars is one of the biggest things to ever happen in American cinema, but this movie is truly far more superior than the previous two installments, and is a very worthy addition as a prequel to the original trilogy. Every time a situation in the movie would come up that would bring back awful memories of terrible acting in Phantom Menace or Attack of the Clones, the cringe would wash away as Sith would perform it ten times more brilliantly than the previous two films.
Christensen as Anakin and Portman as Padme finally replace the wood planks that acted in their place in Episodes I and II. Their relationship seems more real and trivial like it should be. Christensen's path to darkness, although predictable in some way, is perplexing in its own sense because you want to know how exactly it happens. And it is interesting and dark. Most of Anakin's journey to the dark side is attribute to this movie's PG-13 rating, and it is disturbing as it is moving. I found myself clenching my fists and even almost to tears at one point in the film.
Ewan McGregor stays strong as he has in all films as Anakin's master Obi-Wan Kenobi. As Anakin distances himself from Obi-Wan throughout Sith, you can see the mix of frustration, sadness, anger and sense of defeat and loss Kenobi feels. And everyone else delivers a strong performance. The CG in Sith is incredible as well, and even an improvement from Clones. The fight scenes are breathtaking, and the animated characters, from the ones we know like Yoda and Nute Gunray, to the new ones like the light saber-collecting General Grievous, are all visually stunning and have strong voice acting to back them up.
Everywhere that Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones failed, Sith succeeds. It is as good a movie as any of the original, even the most critically acclaimed Empire Strikes Back. You could show this movie to a person who hasn't even seen any of the Star Wars and might find this movie a winner. That's what separates Episode III from I and II. It's a great movie because it does not depend on its cultural value to make its way in the box office. That will attribute to the success of Sith, but anyone will agree that this is definitely a better movie than what we have been seeing lately from Lucasfilm.
No, the movie isn't perfect, and I'm not glittering this up in all the hype. This movie deserves 10 out of 10 stars for a lot of reasons. You can't hate this movie unless you force yourself to. It really is excellent. Do yourself a favor and forget about the shortfalls of Episodes I and II when you go see this. It's not worth being nervous for, because Sith will correct everything you think is going to go horridly wrong.
In the future, I can see parents showing their kids Star Wars III through VI for a fun movie day, and maybe saving I and II for a day when they're bored and have nothing better to do. This movie also succeeds at bridging the gap between the two trilogies, which will make the movie a worthy addition for those new to Star Wars in the future. And finally, the fans that have been around longer than anyone will probably find themselves with tears in their eyes at the end. Sith is a worthy addition to the Star Wars saga, a fantastic and triumphant ending and a new, true sci-fi classic. 10/10