The Saga Concludes To a Fitting End

Rating: 8/10 (2 July 2005)

I just rented a Screener DVD of the movie, cos I missed it when it was in the theaters... I was under the impression of a great movie, with superb visual effects and excellent acting... I was not slightly disappointed...
Like most Star Wars movies, the beginning of the movie is slightly haphazard... It takes a bit of time to realize that the Clone Wars are ending... But when Ian McDermaid is first shown he appears clumsy, with a lot of "strained" acting... Especially the scene where Count Dooku gets killed, Palpatine definitely looked pretty poor. Also the part when Anakin finally accepts Palpatine as his mentor, that part was kinda foolish. One moment he is wailing for attacking a Jedi, and the next moment he turns to Palpatine....
But everything is overshadowed by the awesome ending to the movie, which portrays the final transformation of Anakin Skywalker to the Sith Lord Darth Vader... The death of Padme, finishing the transformation.. Ewan McGregor was awesome, especially in the final sequences of the battle when he wails out,"You were the chosen one..." The special effects were very neat. Ian Mcdermaid also gives a stalwart performance, overlooking his errors at the start, as the Dark Lord Sidious. Natalie Portman, is also very well portrayed. But probably, the best acting was from Anakin Skywalker, Hayden Christensen. This was his movie, which finished what everyone wanted to know, ever since it was revealed that Darth Vader was a Jedi himself... His every move, his every look, had the gleam, and his every movement seemed to portray something... Right from the very beginning, when he learns that Padme is pregnant, we see a flurry of emotions...
But the story is also very well crafted. We see that the one thing that drew him towards the Dark Side, his love for Padme, the urge to protect her, even at the cost of death, change when he turns his back to the Jedi. Ironically, his thirst for power becomes so great that he chokes Padme, in her delicate condition, in his anger for betrayal, that he felt for her and Obi Wan. The duel between Master Yoda and Palpatine is also very nice. For the first time in the prequel movies we find someone who is as powerful as Master Yoda, and who can wield the Light Saber as fast and efficiently like he does.
There is so much to say about this movie that it can go on and on and on. Not everything can be said within a 1000 words. But one thing has to be mentioned, before concluding this review. The seduction of Anakin Skywalker to wards the Dark Side of the Force... This has to be mentioned. Lucas does a brilliant job of actually creating the sense of insecurity and doubt in his mind, about who to trust and who to follow. On one side he has his friend and mentor Obi Wan and the Jedi council, and on the other hand we have Palpatine. Both these sides manipulate him to come over to their side. Both use him as a spy for the other. But Palpatine has the upper hand, since he knows about Padme's condition, and he gives him an offer that he couldn't refuse. The false promise was the only thing that kept him from turning him over to the Jedi, or even killing him. In his mind, we see that his trust for the Jedi order has started to crumble, because he is asked to do things by his superiors which are exactly what is not supposed to be done by a Jedi.
But overall this is an incredible pull off by Geroge Lucas. And we feel for the characters, especially Obi Wan. Perhaps only Ewan McGregor can be comparable to Hayden Christensen in this movie, due to his powerful dialogs.
Quotes such as, "Anakin, I've failed you, I've failed you..."
or "You were the chosen one... You were supposed to destroy the Sith, not join them, you were to bring balance to the force, not plunge it in darkness...."
Or "Anakin is the father isn't he... I'm so sorry...."
but perhaps the best one is...
"You were like my brother.... I loved you...."
An amazing movie, and 8/10 from me.....