Did the critics watch the same movie?

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 2005)

My first Star Wars experience was in the first week of the original (now Episode 4). It was in a grand theatre in San Francisco on a Saturday afternoon with a charged crowd. It was marvelous. Last night/this morning, I saw Episode 3. It was marvelous. But different. Had this one appeared at the same time as Episode 4 so that the impacts were equivalent, then Episode 3 would have won hands down for both technical finesse AND depth, but not fun. Episode 4 was for fun. So Lucas wasn't shooting for fun this time. He told anyone who was listening. He was telling his myth, as he has said for 20 years. Go see the movie to see THIS movie. If you want to see the original Star Wars, rent it or buy it. This episode is crafted to explore how a sweet and earnest boy can become Darth Vader. This is the story teller's job and Lucas has acquitted himself well. Sweet earnest boys (and girls) do become Darth Vaders. That's what episode 3 is about. Lucas has competently woven the threads of the origin myth contained in Episodes 1 and 2 into Episode 4. It was not cheesily done. Go see Episode 3 because it is a well-crafted movie which is part of a myth worth retelling until we internalize it.