Get a grip

Rating: 7/10 (30 May 2005)

It's a good film, yeah, but I would hardly say that the aggressively mediocre dialog (and line delivery) was rare, or that McDiarmid's performance was riveting. I think he did the best job of the lot--until he turned into a B-movie hambone channeling an inebriated combination of Emperor Ming and Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. I mean, really.
The dialog wasn't what continually hobbled the momentum of scenery and action. It was Lucas' infamous and near-total lack of actor direction that kept these otherwise fine actors twisting in the wind. For those of who who praise the film and throw people like me a few crumbs by saying, "Yeah, there were a few weak points," take another very close look at Ewan McGregor's reaction when he discovers that Anakin has slaughtered THE ENTIRE JEDI TEMPLE. Does he look completely shaken, like he should--or just temporarily wobbly? Look again.
When Padme is finally faced with the fact that her husband and the father of her child is a *raving psychopath*, does she scream and run back into the ship... or does she whimper and argue with him some more?
When Obiwan confronts Anakin on Mustafa...why in *holy hell* does he bother debating anything with a person who's just slaughtered *the entire Jedi Temple*, including *women and children*?
Why did Windu have to go out like a bitch?
The moments I've described do not dominate the film, no. The problem is that these are *the most important moments in the movie*.
So please, get a grip. It's not a great film. It just looks nicer and it doesn't suck like the other two did. As there is no reward for acceptable behavior, there shouldn't be praise heaped on Episode III just because it didn't disappoint us as much as the previous two installments did. I hate to break it to the fanboys, but the prequel trilogy is now officially "Pretty All Right, I Guess, But I'd Rather Be at a Barbecue or Something." Thanks for playing.