The Way we dreamed it could be.

Rating: Null/10 (21 May 2005)

The prequels until this point had been shamelessly empty. In episodes I & II half aborted ideas, were poorly scripted poorly filmed, and poorly realized. Lucas is unapologetic in this regard. Just read any interview about Revenge of the Sith. The man admits that he had very little to say with either the Phantom Menace or Attack of the Clones, the man himself calls them "mostly filler". While he may be right that we were at fault for wanting to skip to the end, Revenge of the Sith proves that that's exactly where everything we've been waiting for happens. You can't blame us.
Finally it seems like Lucas' dream of digital cinema is alive and not just some technogeek- wet dream. The action is fresh, gorgeous, well plotted and paced and most of all, fun. The bad guys this time around are inspired. We no longer have lame gymnastics acts like Darth maul or the laughably under developed Count Dooku, we have an awkward coughing cowardly robot general named Greivous, who engages Obi Wan in one of the coolest fights in Star Warsdom.
The action and the drama is brisk and well plotted, and the pay off is bliss. No trips to the library this time. Anakin's turn to the darkside though a bit murky at times, makes sense, and supports the second Trilogy well. What's really exciting is that the movie doesn't pretend that you don't know the end this time. It plays off the fact that you know the end, and it teases you.
I found the acting adequate and at times moving. Hayden gets a lot of flack, but I think he works with the material well, and his brooding is subtle enough that he doesn't give it all away at once.
The Birth of Vader is handled well, and the darkness of the film, though a downer for the kids who were prepared for something more cartoonish, is a welcome change, but not the saving grace of the movie. The saving grace is that, everything has meaning, and everything works towards the finale. Which is quite breathtaking a real stand up & cheer moment.