Somehow, everything feels like Star Wars again...

Rating: 10/10 (23 May 2005)

Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there was once a great 'knight' who stood up from his anonymity, learnt everything he saw and conquered all that were then deemed impossible to reach by many. But like any great legends, he too was scarred by the very bitter past that marred his status as a fighter, forcing him to step down and never to come back. However, his sense of determination and enthusiasm was beginning to mend, and like a little child who begins to learn to pick up a stick, he tries to regain his former self, only to stumble several times along his path to redeem himself. At long last, the struggling 'knight' had achieved his goal to become what he used to be many years ago. If you wonder who this 'knight' is, his name is George Lucas, famed director and creator of the popular sci-fi fantasy epic Star Wars, whose 30-year journey has recently ended with a bang with Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. As a treat to fans of the original, they will be delighted that many of the elements that make the original trilogy a classic have returned to this installment to bring a fitting conclusion to one of the most beloved movie sagas in history. That's right, expect the Wookies to make their appearances here, so do the X-Wing/Tie Fighter-like starfighters, Governor Tarkin, the clone troopers that now bear their resemblance to stormtroopers, the blockade runner, Darth Vader, the Death Star, etc. Wow.
The movie opens with an incredible space battle over Coruscant (possibly the best I've ever seen so far), followed by series of unexpected fighting sequences and last-minute decisive actions which help build up the anticipation of Sith's overall theme. And if you think these jaw-dropping sequences aren't enough, George has provided some of his greatest tricks yet to be seen. As the Clone Wars reaches its zenith, the Jedi Council senses a far greater threat that originates from the core of the Republic but is unable to determine who the real culprit is. Anakin's relationship with Palpatine has become much closer as the Supreme Chancellor tells many of the Sith's unique qualities to his about-to-be apprentice. This further complicates the Council's worsened matters. Elsewhere, Padme begins to get worried about his beloved Anakin who seems to be troubled by the pressure of the Council itself (he is furious when he is not granted the rank of Master) and the political and corrupted principals of the Senate. These dilemmas eventually lead to a climatic showdown filled with emotional depths, unexpected concussions and terrible consequences so powerful, thought-provoking and satisfying that many fans will definitely change their perspective on the original trilogy (no wonder George twitches some details in the original trilogy DVD set) as well as the first two. And it tends to get better as we move along...
Like the previous five, George once again proves his SFX mastery to create compelling worlds and creatures (which in fact look far more realistic this time around), thanks to the talented artists at ILM. Also, the classic John William score remains the significant highlights of Sith with similar tracks from Episodes I, II and IV. Aside from good storyline (we know that already), expect additional improvements including better script, characterizations and acting (thank goodness!). Hayden Christensen, whose portrayal of whining Anakin in Episode II horrifies some fans, finally gets his role right as he manages to express his hatred towards anything that stands in his way. Kudos to Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Natalie Portman (Padme) who seem to feel comfortable with their characters as well. And let's not forget the truly delicious Ian McDiarmid as Darth Sidious/Palpatine (you'll never see anything like that before!). Truthfully, this movie will forever be remembered for its switching montages between Padme and Anakin at the end sequences; in fact, they are really the central pieces of the entire movie, whose inevitable destinies separate them on a sad and melancholic note, making way for a new revelation for Episode IV: A New Hope (thanks to its creative smooth editing). Of course, Revenge of the Sith still suffers from the limitations of the prequel trilogy that plagues the first two but the flow of the movie is so compelling and energetic you will tend to forgive and forget its shortcomings.
Due to its political resemblance to the events of 9/11, many viewers wonder if George intends to relate it to the Bush Administration (in which he eventually declines, countering with the fact that democracy usually turns into dictatorship for the sake of power and history tends to repeat itself all over again). Funnily enough, Ronald Reagan once adopted the name Star Wars for promises of peace, so I guess it's a fair exchange.
To sum it up, like Darth Vader at the end of Return of the Jedi, George has finally redeemed himself from the critical mistakes he made in the previous two episodes, producing a true masterpiece that is so worthy it eclipses everything the previous Star Wars movies have provided so far (sorry, Sith, The Empire Strikes Back still remains unmatched). Now that the saga is complete, we all leave the cinema with wide smiles all over our faces. I'm sure George will be pleased by the end results.