The Mad Hobbit's Review

Rating: 8/10 (20 May 2005)

I loved it! Let me begin by saying that in my mental order of preference for the films, "Star Wars" remains separate and beyond compare. Therefore, I judge the sequels against each other. My order of preference from best to worst goes like this: Empire Strikes Back, Attack of the Clones, Return of the Jedi, and then  way down at the bottom, Phantom Menace.
So where do I rank "Sith"? I feel it gives Empire a good solid run for the money, but Empire still remains tops. But what a run Sith gives it!!!
I enjoyed Clones for the action sequences and Obi-Wan Kenobi. But I really feel that Anakin was miscast, the romance with Padme forced and without chemistry. And so I went into Sith with no small amount of trepidation.
I tried  hard  to stay "spoiler free". An amazingly difficult task, and yet with the effort I employed, I still "knew too much". However, as much as I did know (aside from the obvious  example "Yoda survives, all the Jedi die" etc) I found that my efforts had paid off and I was able to view this last installment as pure as possible. I am SO glad I did so!!!
The first twenty minutes of the film were "scary"  scary in that it appeared that my fears of another "disappointment" were true. But then, surprisingly subtle and yet shocking, the movie begins to get darker and darker. This becomes one very intense and grim film.
What was NOT good?
The acting for the most part remains as wooden as I have come to expect with these newer films. McGregor does very well as usual. Hayden Christensen remains high school drama class level. I find his portrayal of Anakin to be whiny and wooden. He seems to be trying and at times actually can be passable. I still think Lucas was temporarily insane or drunk when he cast Anakin in the first three chapters of the saga. His casting of McGregor as Obi-Wan really balances it out  I love his interpretation and talent.
The dialog is sometimes stilted and at times cheesy. Christensen and Natalie Portman continue to do their best to portray a deep, intense love and yet seem to have all the passion of American Gothic in the process. Thus, I just decided to allow Lucas a "gimme", suspend disbelief and accept that they must love each other so powerfully that it transcends demonstration and perception. As it turns out, this will be critical in truly recognizing the depth of the tragedy that unfolds. This is the one true missed note, unfortunately a rather critical one as everything hinges on the love of Anakin and Padme. Portman has a critical scene towards the end of the film where she really shows her talent and I believe HER love. It is a testament to her acting rather than the chemistry. Too bad her stellar performance is opposite a wooden actor.
The plotting/story flow can be choppy at points and the pace uneven. There is even a definite lull early on that slows down the movie needlessly.
What was great?
The action, the STORY, the special effects, Ewan McGregor, and  IMNSHO Lucas' forte, the THEMES. This is POWERFUL stuff thematically, at times brutal to watch  not for the shown violence, but the inferences. We know that the Jedi die and yet I was unprepared for how it unfolded. Quite honestly I found myself tearing up during certain sequences. This is the true power of this film  it literally changed how I feel about ALL the other chapters in the story.
Lucas delivers on the promise he made to "complete" the series. Sith not only "fills in" the gaps and sets up the second (first?) trilogy, it ADDS to the overall epic.
The settings, the special effects, the attention to detail are a delight. There is eye candy, action and light sabers galore. General Grievous is a great bad guy, though he is no Darth Maul or Jango Fett.
So while Sith begins somewhat stilting, it gathers speed and becomes the film I so desperately hoped it would be and more. I did not expect the change that would occur because of this chapter. I am a huge Han Solo fan, but I also liked Darth Vader. I dug his look and his bad guy coolness. Not any more. After Sith, I hate the b_st_rd. Sith transforms Vader from the super bad guy of the latter trilogy into a truly evil villain. I love that!!! Sure Vader has a scary cool mask, but now he is truly a monster. Far more evil and loathsome than I was ever led to expect in Chapters 4-6. A villain worthy of hating.
On a similar note, I have always been a non-fan of Yoda, and was actually hoping to see him get his comeuppance in this film. Not any more  I definitely respect and care for the character now.
And Obi-Wan Kenobi??? Second in my preference ONLY to Han Solo, Obi-Wan kicks _ss. Ewan McGragor acts the hell out of his role and really shines.
The end result is a masterwork saga.
I can't wait to see it again. More importantly, I can't wait to get it on DVD and watch all six in proper sequence!!!