Now I Am Complete

Rating: 10/10 (27 July 2006)

I remember being eleven years old and it was the Christmas where we got our first PC with a CD-ROM. I was overwhelmed by the mere concept but I was also overwhelmed by the free computer games that came with the PC. One of these games was Star Wars: Rebel Assault, which was my introduction to the Star Wars galaxy. After I played it for the first time I couldn't stop. After that I was introduced to the original Episodes IV, V and VI for the first time, which changed me after that day. I wanted it all  toys, soundtracks, books, Lego sets, the card game and especially the video games. It wasn't until I saw the Special Editions of the first three movies on all three opening days back in 1997 that I felt complete.
But then it happened, the day I heard Lucas's plans to actually bring Episodes I, II and III to life. 1999 and 2002 flew by for me like the wind, which I spent watching the first two installments of the new trilogy. George Lucas really outdid himself with them and I didn't know what to think except "How could it get better?" And then, May 19th, 2005, it happened. Episode III hit the theaters and after I saw it at noon on opening day, I was really disappointed . . . because it meant I would have to find something else to look forward too in the future.
Episode III was, without a doubt in my mind, the second greatest installment of the Star Wars saga, second only to The Empire Strikes Back. The soundtrack was breathtaking, especially with the addition John Williams made to it by adding a chorus that lasted throughout the new trilogy. The fight scene between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader wouldn't have been half as enthralling if the chorus wasn't there. The choreography and special effects were really something to behold, especially the fight between Mace Windu and Darth Sidious.
After its release, however, I heard many of my friends talking about how much they were disappointed by the final results of the trilogy. The story was great, they would say, but the acting was terrible. I hear this and I think "Who are they to judge a form of dialog we abandoned a century ago?". That is probably one of the biggest problems people may have had with the movie was that the dialog was so trim and proper that it didn't seem like there was much of a way any the actors or actresses could have spoken them as though they were talking to the audience instead of reading a script. That is only because people are so used to the slang, text messaging slang and Ebonics used these days that proper dialog and grammar are a thing of the past. It is almost as though they're hearing someone centuries past speaking to them and having us fighting back a laugh because of how they spoke.
The way people spoke in the movie though gave depth to their characters. One important example would be the infamous cyborg nightmare, General Grievous (voiced by Matthew Wood). His low tone of voice and his accent made his lines sound very strange to some people, but I feel there is a reason as to why he spoke that way. We are looking at a character that seems all but invincible. During the fight between Obi-Wan and General Grievous, Kenobi cuts off two of his four robotic hands, which doesn't seem to faze the general at all. And at the end of the fight, how does Obi-Wan destroy Grievous?  By destroying his heart, the only biological thing left of him. What kind of mythological figure does that remind people of? Give up?  Try a vampire, specifically the role of Dracula played by Bela Lugosi. With the accent and the same weakness, Grievous is basically a reincarnation of this famous portrayal of evil, and his lines spoken wouldn't have been as powerful without it.
Another example is Darth Sidious, who speaks to Anikin Skywalker after he defeats Mace Windu. His voice is very deep and exaggerated, almost as though (pardon the cliché) that he has a frog in his throat. Take into consideration that he just fought off one of the most powerful warriors in the galaxy and, despite him shouting "Unlimited Power!" as he electrocuted him, it would've weakened him enough that he had to take several deep breaths to maintain proper balance and control of his own body.
The only acting role that didn't seem first rate, I will give many people credit for saying so, is Anikin Skywalker (played by Hayden Christensen), at first anyway. The way he spoke in Episode II and III gave Anikin a rather laid back sounding personality, which was not how the character was described in the original trilogy. However, the way he spoke indicated that he was struggling with his emotions during traumatic scenes such as the death of Count Dooku, the realization of Darth Sidious, his reunion with Padme Amidala and the events only seconds prior to the long awaited battle. Keeping that in mind, let us not forget that Anikin was brought up like no other Jedi of his time. He knew his mother and even held her in his hands as she died, experienced love, experienced a regular childhood and knew enough to question a millennium-old tradition that turned out to have more cons than pros. Hayden Christensen had the height and physique to pull off the role of Darth Vader before the armor and mask engulfed him. Also, keep in mind that George Lucas's original casting for Anikin Skywalker was Leonardo DiCaprio, and it was solely based on the fact that he looked more like Jake Lloyd, who played Anikin in Episode I. DiCaprio has neither the physique nor height to pull of a role that was already set by David Prowse.