'Sith' does not disappoint

Rating: 10/10 (18 May 2005)

It's the final instalment in the prequel saga and George Lucas certainly doesn't disappoint. If you thought 'The Phantom Menance' and 'Attack of the Clones' were terrible, then you're going to knocked out of your socks by 'Revenge of the Sith' because it is absolutely awesome! Clearly good Ole George was saving all the best stuff until last.
'Sith' sees the final descent of Anakin Skywalker into the Darkside of the Force and finally becoming Darth Vader. Heavily influenced by the sinister Chancellor Palpatine and dreams of the untimely death of his beloved wife, Padme, Anakin questions his role as a Jedi. When his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Jedi Council start showing signs of mistrust in Anakin, he begins his final journey into darkness.
This movie is dark. Really, really dark. It's darker than 'Empire' and far more emotionally charged. There were several points in the movie when I was actually sympathising with the Sith! I thought the Jedi were being unreasonable and I was really rooting for the Sith Lords.
Hayden Christensen plays the role of Anakin/Vader brilliantly. Considering his somewhat lacking performance in 'Clones', the lad has redeemed himself here. I was most impressed. I really believed his performance going from humble Jedi Knight to psychotic Sith Lord. The emotions that come across are amazing. The worst acting has to go to Natalie Portman. I'm actually a fan of Natalie Portman. She's a great actress, but this time she came off as a bit of a wet blanket. She didn't have many scenes this time round, but in the ones she did, she seemed like a nagging house wife. The romantic scenes between her character Padme and Christensen's Anakin were some of her better moments. Maybe if she'd had a bit more screen time, she might have made more of an effort.
The problem with 'Sith', as with all prequels, is that with those who are familiar with Star Wars will already know what's going to happen. Finding out how and why it happens is the interesting bit. We know what's going to be the outcome, but we want to know how the characters get to that point. 'Phantom' and 'Clones' weren't, in all honesty, that good. They were just the back stories leading up to this sensational climax.
It's a little saddening when I think about it. Apparently, this will be the last Star Wars movie made, unless Lucas decides to make another three movies set after 'Jedi'. Now that 'the circle is complete', it's a bit of an anti-climax to see the end of such an awe-inspiring series.
The fight sequences are amazing, and there are so many favourites to chose from. Anything with Yoda or Anakin is guaranteed to have you sitting on the edge of your seat.
I'm so glad I had the opportunity to experience the pre-movie atmosphere with a lot of like-minded people, to laugh, and cheer along with the rest of audience during the movie, and to join in a standing ovation at the end. This is a truly enjoyable movie, and one of my favourites of 2005!