Star Wars is officially back...too bad it's a little late.

Rating: 9/10 (22 October 2006)

'Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith' will go down in history as the rebirth of a franchise, finally bringing the fans of the classic series what they wanted in the second trilogy: the charm and brilliant storytelling of the originals. It is not even close to any of the originals, but it is in a galaxy far, far away from the first and second episodes. From its phenomenal special effects, to intriguing storytelling, 'Revenge of the Sith' is what Star Wars is all about.
Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is experiencing the problems of life. Keeping his marriage to Padme (Natalie Portman) a secret from his master Obi Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) is getting to him, affecting his ability to fight the evil sith lord Dooku aka Darth Tyranus(Christopher Lee), a new enemy known as General Grievous, and their mysterious master Darth Sidious. As time goes on, he realizes that he has another friend in Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), causing other Jedi such as Yoda (Frank Oz) and Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and politicians such as Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) to worry that he may be transferring to the dark side...into the most ruthless and villainous character in the history of film: Lord Darth Vader.
The film is very good looking. There are no ugly people or scenes in the film, despite the supreme darkness of the movie. This is by far the most graphic and intense of all the Star Wars films, as it contains scenes of stabbing, beheading, torture, live burning bodies, and disturbing scenes involving children. A very strong PG-13. The special effects are simply breathtaking and beautiful. Perhaps the best duel scene in the history of film takes place in this film, lasting over 10 minutes, non stop. It is awesome how George Lucas can create so many new worlds that look so great and appealing with such little effort. The sets and planets are just gorgeous. Lucas obviously saved the best for last in this new trilogy, because 'Sith' is so far in front of 'Phantom Menace' and 'Attack of the Clones' in terms of pure entertainment value.
The acting in 'Revenge' is stellar, short of one actor, and unfortunately, it is the most important character who falls short. Hayden Christensen is simply not believable as a villain. He tends to overact or underact as Anakin...sometimes he doesn't seem to know what he's doing. One thing Hayden does have is the ability to scare the audience with his eyes, as they are piercingly deep. This is nearly ruined by the fact that hearing him scream or try to talk angry is almost as funny as watching 'Animal House' or watching stoned people run a race. It's a shame, really. Ewan McGregor's Obi Wan is awesome. He is so true to the character, and I love him as Obi Wan. He captures the essence of this legendary hero and displays what makes the character so alluring and lovable. Natalie Portman's Padme is good, but not great. She tends to overact at times as well, but it is very infrequent. She is likable as Padme, very likable. You'll love the character, even though she might overdo it a bit, especially near the end. The best performance of all is Ian McDiarmid's Palpatine, and it simply stuns me that he didn't receive a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his work on the film. His character is the most layered, mysterious, and intriguing character in the entire Star Wars universe, and McDiarmid nails it with deadly accuracy. His voice seems perfect as Palpatine, a role McDiarmid was born to play. Throw in some good shows from Christopher Lee as Count Dooku and Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu, and you'll find that the acting in this film is pretty damn good.
As I've said before, while episodes I and II were not especially fantastic, the ability of George Lucas to create a brilliant story and create never-before-seen worlds is undeniably excellent. He is without a doubt one of the greatest story tellers of our time. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is the best film of the new trilogy, and can hold its own against the originals, and it is a bittersweet film in that as much as we love it, we can't help but think how we just watched the end of possibly the most legendary series in the history of film.
10/10 --spy