Better than expected. Best of 1-3

Rating: 6/10 (28 May 2005)

After Episode 1, I had nearly written off the Star Wars series. When I saw Episode 2, I found myself interested again. However, after 2, I have to admit that I dreaded the release of Episode 3. I knew that what I felt was the weakest and most irritating aspect of Episode 2 - the love story between Anakin and Padmé - would become a major theme in episode 3. While I understood then, as I do now, that this was an important element of the overall plot of the series, I never felt compelled to care about it. Portman and Christenson just did not seem to have any chemistry and I felt that the scripts became clichéd, one dimensional and pretentious in every one of their scenes together.
If my rating of 6 sounds harsh to you, please keep in mind that I ADORED A New Hope - seeing it no less than 4 times on its first run in the theaters and a couple times in its re-released special edition, but - for me A New Hope is the only film in the entire pair of trilogies I would rate above an 8, and I am not sure I would give any of the rest an 8.
Episode 3, however, is a worthy addition to the Star Wars series, bringing back the elements of intelligent political intrigue, beautifully shot fast-paced action sequences and special effects, and clear lines between good and evil. It's a nice wrap up for the saga and does much to explain, if nothing else, why Lucas chose to present the series in the way that he did.
My only complaint about Episode 3 can be summed in two words - "Hayden Christenson". I felt he was miscast in Episode 2, and in both 2 and 3, I felt that his acting needed at least a few more years of development. He is blown off the screen in almost every dialog with any other actor in the cast, and though he does a good job with his interpretation of the rise of Darth Vader, it seems that camera angles and direction might have been what saved him in the scenes where he excelled. Though many reviewers feel that Anakin's transition to the dark side took place too quickly and was poorly examined, I believe that all of the elements of internal tension and conflicting desire (Anakin has always been power-hungry, head-strong and too easily flattered into compliance) have been in the script since Episode 2, I have to fault the actor and the director for failing to bring these problems to life in a more vivid and powerful way.
The rest of the cast is quite good. Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Ian McDiarmid were particular impressive. Although McDiarmid's physical acting occasionally challenged belief, his portrayal of Palpatine was spot-on. McGregor, by episode 3, has absolutely come to define Obi Wan Kenobi as much as the great Alec Guinness did. I really enjoyed watching him act as Alec Guinnes acting as Obi Wan Kenobi, and adding a bit of his own unique style to the character.
Episode 3 is not just a fan movie, but an exciting and interesting experience and a vast improvement over episodes 1 and 2. While it will disappoint many of the more closed-minded fans, I can recommend it to sci-fi action fans in general, and those who felt alienated from the series by Episodes 1 and 2. It's not quite the wild time that A New Hope was, but, in it's own way, it might just become a classic over the years.