A Grand and worthy farewell to a wonderful Saga

Rating: 6/10 (20 May 2005)

So Finally it arrived...phew....the very last Star Wars movie you will ever see (or at least for a very long time). This movie is close to excellent, sometimes dragging in parts when there is little action, and the dialog is a bit dry and a bit TV-soap-ish, but then again it delivers on the intrigue, special effects and laser blazing, light-saber flashing and clashing, big stunts, yes very well choreographed duels, fights and action. All with a sinister edge when the darkness spreads in the Galaxy, with old themes like doomed love, betrayal, yes it is a space opera with over the top emotion and acting. This is the darkest of the prequels even though The Empire Strikes Back is darker and a better film in the series as a whole. Episode III does deliver though on all its promises. There are however no big surprises for at least those who know and has seen the other movies in the series. I may not be a big fan but I do enjoy them a lot and know they are a vital part of the modern cinema. But back to Episode III, in which we see the dramatic changes in Anakin (Hayden Christensen, more grown into the role) growing more corrupt and twisted, crossing slowly over to the dark side, full of doubt, confusion and turmoil. The key figure in the change is Chancellor Palpatine (a brilliant Ian McDiarmid) of hidden agendas, with quiet menace under his calm surface. Anakin's friendship with Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor more adapted into his role) also slipping away, also marriage to Amidala (Natalie Portman, wonderful and ever confident in her role) shaking in its joints. Anakin is let into the Jedi Council but on a short leash and charged with spying in on Chancellor Palpatine. Back is also little green frog wonder Yoda (Frank Oz) who fights even more in this film than before as does the ever cool Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson, as bankable as ever), of course no Star Wars movie is ever complete without C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker). Plus near cameos by Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), Senator Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits), Clone Commander Cody (Temuera Morrison). And Count Dooku (The Legendary Movie Icon Christopher Lee) is offed early on. And the musical score by John Williams reaches new heights of ingenuity and depth. The Movie itself is very beautifully made if not a bit too clean, it is rather too colorful, but the storytelling is right on the spot.