Give credits where they are due: It's a very satisfying, entertaining movie

Rating: 9/10 (30 May 2005)

"Revenge of the Sith" is a great popcorn movie that offers also some satisfying answers to the questions many of us had been curious about ever since the original Star Wars came out.
I've seen quite a few negative comments on the movie. Most of those comments were written by die-hard (or near die-hard) fans who seem to have somehow been consumed by their own thoughts of how the new trilogy is supposed to end before they saw ROTS. And when they found out that the movie's plot isn't quite in line with what they presupposed, they felt disappointed and bitter. Results: they bordered on being overly critical and apparently gave the film-makers little benefit of the doubt
Of course they are entitled to that, for they have invested so much emotion in the franchise for the last 28 years. And everyone has his own idea of how things should go.
But to me, a neutral viewer who knows enough about the franchise to appreciate ROTS but doesn't invest enough to be considered a fan, ROTS is a great movie. It represents what movie-going is about: great action sequences, good (though not hole-less) story, resonance with something familiar to you. Yes, good acting is mostly laking. But it isn't too bad either. Christensen might not be a great actor; but I think his portrayal of someone feeling betrayed and unfulfilled is not ineffective.
Some complain that Anakin's turn into Darth Vader is not convincing enough. I feel very differently. One theme that has been hinted at times and again in episodes I and II is confusion and fear are the gateway to the dark side. Anakin is seduced exactly because he is confused by the emperor's lies/deceptions amidst his fear for Padme's possible death. Without the wisdom of his older mentors (Yoda has advised him to train himself to let go of everything he fears to lose), however, Anakin succumbs to fears and falls victim to a self-fulfilling prophecy (which ironically results in him indirectly killing the one whom he fears to lose the most).
I love this story. It goes beyond simple good vs evil. It suggests that it is not the dark force which Anakin has to fight against in order to stop himself from joining it. Rather, it is something even bigger -- it is the destiny which Anakin would have had to defy in order not to stray into the dark side. In this sense, Anakin's transformation is very Shakespearean -- tragic and doomed.
I think ROTS does very well what a prequel is supposed to do: Answering the major questions and arousing renewed interests in the originals -- suddenly some of the original characters have become so much richer.
True that episodes I and II mostly disappoint -- I think combining the two into one single movie (and thus milking millions of dollars less for the studio) would do the fans a real favor. But fortunately episode III really delivers. Taken together (and ignoring the unnecessary gimmicks or "filler"), the prequels complete the history of this fascinating space fable in a very satisfying way.