It's What I've Been Waiting For

Rating: 9/10 (19 May 2005)

My wife and I were the two oldest people at the midnight showing of Revenge of the Sith; just us and about 500 college kids spread through 5 of the 16 theaters at our local multiplex. The crowd was enthusiastic. I generally don't like to see movies in theaters because of crowd behavior, but these kids were well behaved and their positive response and standing ovation when the final credits rolled echoed my own feelings.
I could see Captain Blood's sailing ship battles in one scene, and the landing from Airport in another. All the old phrases were included. What would a Star Wars episode be without "I've got a bad feeling about this."? When people slam the film and refer to it as the worst thing ever, I cannot help wondering what they are looking for. If I want deathless prose I'll watch Richard III. After pages of glowing reports I skipped to the tail end of the line because I KNEW that there are people who would have read them and have to react negatively, whether it was truly appropriate or not. "Search your feelings." Are you slamming ROTS because you "must" speak truth, or because you feel you must different and might even attract a little attention to yourselves? After all, most of the positive reviews have '0-1 people found this helpful.' The negative attract a lot more attention. Be sure that you are not coming from "the Dark Side" when you write scathing reports.
OK, enough Lucas-inspired psychobabble. The movie works for me because it's interesting, covers all the plot lines and explains everything from the prior 5 movies. It is a tour de force of special effects, they don't GENERALLY detract from the story telling. Sometimes the camera frames too closely to a flashing light saber battle and you only see movement and light, but it's transient. Even the "hokey" details that are only included in the first 1/3 of the film which I have heard referred to as "cartoonish droids" help to lighten the introduction to something you know must end like a Greek tragedy.
No, I did not let myself become too immersed in the descent of Annakin into the pit of anxiety, fear, and anger that drives him to murder and darkness. I thought the way he was suborned by Palpatine/Sidious through his love of Padme made a logical explanation for his behavior.
I can agree with critics who say that the Jedi seemed vulnerable and even ignoble at times, but that is true of all people and Jedi should be no exception. That it helps pave the way for their own destruction seems just.
I personally feel that this film is a worthy ending to the Star Wars cycle and more than that, *I* think it is equal to The Empire Strikes Back. Yes, it ends with Vader and Sidious staring at the skeleton of a Death Star, and we know that after the first one they managed to get near completion of another in far less than 20 years...but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say that it took lots of R&D (research and development) to get it "right" the first time. That process would not have been necessary with a second model.
Of course, I cannot personally reconcile making the Kessel Run in xx parsecs because it's a measure of distance, not time...but I've seen books that explain how such a statement could be made. In other words, with enough time one can rationalize Anything, including contempt for a film like ROTS that does not deserve it.
My favorite film for many years has been "The Seven Samurai" and my favorite director has been Kurosawa. No, Lucas has not displaced the master, but his film does take top place in my heart. Revenge of the Sith is my favorite. (Of course, I rate "Gunga Din" and "Better Off Dead" higher than I rate "Citizen Kane" so you have a sense of my warped perspective.)
May The Force Be With You..........Always.
and The Schwartz too!!