blockbuster entertainment

Rating: 9/10 (5 June 2005)

Only looked at my watch once, during a quiet bit shortly into the movie - otherwise the time flew by. The FX and smooth editing hold the attention of the viewer.
I have nothing but praise for all the actors; with the exception of one, they all patiently submitted to the director at the risk of what many perceive as 'bad acting' They aren't acting badly at all; they are taking direction well - it is the director who is acting badly! If you want to see any of the cast act, check out their other movies. This one belongs to George Lucas. In the case of Ian McDiarmid, he is a skilled stage actor, and with a long relationship with the Star Wars saga, I suspect Lucas didn't use any of his director-spin. That would be good, because, suitably, McDiarmid's character, Palpatine, has the best development. 'Revenge' is the progression of Anakin to Darth Vader, via the machinations of the 'dark side' prompted by Palpatine. His costumes rival even those of Padmé (but not quite; he can't compete with the hair).
This movie is 'big' - with huge cgi scenery and sets, a fast-moving story, drama, several of the best duels in film history (including Obi-Wan vs. quadruple-threat Grievous), and a great score. I would give it a 10 but a point fell into a plot hole, so 9, it is.