The rise of Darth Vadar ........a thrilling finale thats leaves you wanting more

Rating: 10/10 (12 February 2007)

Well folks this it. The beginning of the end.The one we've all been waiting for. Finally all will be revealed. In this, the final film of George Lucas stunning Saga, we finally learn the answer to the question that's been plaguing us for 20 years; How and why did Darth Vadar turn to the Dark side. And contrary to popular criticism George has yet scored another Home Run with this dramatic and thriller of young Anakin Skywalker's demise....and Darth Vadar's rise.
In Attack of the Clones we saw that Anakin had powers above and beyond the other Jedi. We also saw,in the wake of his Mother's death, that he is not afraid to use them. We began to see shadows of the cold calculating evil that would consume him as he mercilessly slaughtered an entire tribe of Sand People.Now in Revenge of the Sith George Lucas finally brings his fall from grace to a dramatic end as Anakin finally succumbs to the Dark Side with tragic consequences.
We pick up the tale with Anakin having been secretly married to Padme for some time. The Clone Wars are in full swing and tension is growing between the Jedi Order and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine who has remained in power for longer than he should and begun to show signs being turned by dark forces. The ever present threat from the unknown Sith Lord grows with each passing day.
Equally Anakin is becoming more and more disillusioned with the Jedi whom he feels do not recognize his true potential. As he grows farther apart those who were once his mentors, including Obi-Wan(of whose performance Sir Alec Guiness would be proud), he strikes up a friendship with Palpatine that will ultimately be his undoing and that of the Jedi and the Republic.
Things begin to go wrong when Anakin starts to get nightmares, similar to those he had of his Mother before her death, that seem to predict the death of the now pregnant Padme in childbirth.Desperate to save her from this fate Anakin is drawn farther and farther into the Dark Side as he learns the true identity of the Sith Lord. Now he faces a choice that will lead down a dark and dangerous path;to become a Sith Lord himself and in the process save his wife from certain death.
Poor Hayden Christenson has been run into the ground by critics who seem concerned only with ruining his career as they slug it out to see can insult him the most. However he needn't pay any heed to them as this is a stellar performance for the actor with perhaps the toughest role in the Saga; to bring humanness to Darth Vadar. And he does it with ease. He portrays perfectly Anakin's frustration with the Jedi and desperation to save Padme.Through his emotional performance is captured his confusion and disillusionment with his Master and his deep love for his wife . The scenes which chart his final demise and succumbing to the Dark Side are powerful and Hayden captures the tragic fall from grace of Anakin perfectly. If people would realize that the Vadar here is a different more human person the almost Mechanical villain of the original trilogy they would see that Hayden's performance is exactly as it should be; conflicted,frustrated and in great pain.
Special mention should also go to the wonderful Ian McDiarmuid as the sinister Chancellor Palpatine.Ian is one of the few actors carried through from the original trilogy here and his performance, as the earlier version of his character, The Emperor in the first episodes, is excellent especially as he is older now but playing a younger version of the original character.George Lucas should pat himself on the back for finding Ian those 20 odd years ago. His performances have been consistently good despite what critics may say.He is cold, calculating, cunning,manipulative and sinister in all the right proportions and truly gives you chills as he delivers his lines. There is one scene in particular at the Opera in which he is telling Anakin the legend of Darth Plagus the Wise of the Sith who was so powerful he could create life and more importantly prevent death. There is something chilling in the way he tells the story. You get shivers listening to him.You can see here shadows of what he will become in the future.
This is perhaps the most highly anticipated film of the entire Saga and George Lucas doesn't disappoint. From the thrilling open sequences of the aerial battle above Corscont to the final showdown between Anakin and Obi-Wan and of course the first appearance of the villain we've come to love the viewer is kept on the edge of his/her seat. Emotions run high throughout the film and the viewer struggles between pity, shock, horror, suspense and anticipation.The special effects are second to none from the Clone Troops march on the Jedi Temple to stunning final battle above the river of Lava between Anakin and Obi-Wan and the harrowing betrayal by their troops of the Jedi. The dramatic score completes the picture perfectly.
The battles are action-packed and many of the characters really come into their own as sides are taken, loyalties are divided and trusts are broken.As the saying goes Revenge is sweet and that of the Sith is brutal, swift and thrilling. It is a roller-coaster of fear, anger, bravery and sadness as Apprentice turns on Master, friends become enemies and the way is paved for the next generation to take up the battle. The clever ending leaves the viewer wanting to continue the adventure and watch on through the Saga even though we know where it will lead.
Lucas has created a thrilling, emotional, action-packed adventure with a real human edge that will delight and enthrall fans and newcomers alike. I bet he's laughing all the way to the bank!George you are a genius!