A Fans Perspective

Rating: 10/10 (27 May 2005)

In the simplest terms, with the most convenient definitions; this is the best film I have ever seen. But let me tell you why. I require movies to generally entertain me, draw me in and shake me about a bit - it's meant to be a visceral experience when at it's best. Revenge Of The Sith is all this and more.
I have known these characters since 1977, grown up with them and now in my adulthood; it feels as though I went to a school reunion and got all of the rumours that I had heard about these (dare I say) friends demonstrated to me on screen.
I spent the first 45 minutes with a tremendous sense of impending doom - I knew what was to happen to these characters, yet I didn't want to believe it. The humour in the first 45 is very well done, not over the top but enough to make you feel as if you are in some comfort zone - then subtly John Williams ramps up the score and you realise your worst fears about these characters are coming to light.
I spent the rest of the film uncharacteristic weeping for my fallen heroes (and villains), simply because I was so convinced by the story. Remember, this is almost 30 years of my life that this uber-fable has affected and now it shall be no more.
The acting is decent, Christiansen is excellent, Portman is poor and everyone else is just so. But the important thing is the story - is it possible to watch this and the re-view episodes IV, V and VI understanding it better? The answer is yes - and in spades.
You finally understand why the Emperor is such a threat, and just what powers he has over and above all of the other Jedi in the films. But what really surprised me was the emotional element that it now adds to the remaining films, something that I did not really expect at all. Let's face it, the first trilogy was a popcorn adventure in the style of the Saturday morning Flash Gordon series et al - and Lucas has magically now added weight, emotion and emphasis to these films through the character arcs in this film.
In short, this film is an excellent film in it's own right; an excellent end to the second trilogy, but it makes it my favourite film of all time because of the effect it has had on my perception of the three films I have been watching for the last 25 years. Genius.
If you're not a fan, go watch a rip-roaring roller-coaster ride that really demonstrates what a movie experience is about. If you are a fan, go watch with a box of tissues and prepare to be watching the original trilogy all over again. Sadly, it won't make Phantom Menace a good film though...