Not Great, but Good

Rating: 8/10 (23 May 2005)

I give Episode 3 a B-. It doesn't come anywhere near episodes 4-6 but it is better than prequel episodes 1-2. There are five things that work really well in this movie:
1. Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan 2. Yoda 3. Ian McDiarmid as Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious/Emperor 4. The droids: R2-D2, C3PO 5. John Williams
It would have been a fatal mistake to these prequels if McGregor were not playing Obi-Wan. He appears to be the only person who captures the spirit of the rapid fire, humorous dialogue as delivered by the trio of Hamill, Fisher, and Ford decades ago. The screenplay of episodes 4-6, wasn't spectacular but the delivery of the dialogue is what mattered and what is sorely missing in the prequels. I know Christensen and Portman are good actors (who have actually been nominated for acting awards) but they never really worked in these prequels despite looking great in their parts. The delivery is flat and episode 3 was no exception (this doesn't entirely ruin the movie b/c their romance is not an essential part).
Yoda is fabulous and remains the spiritual center of the movie. The Chancellor/aka Sidious/Emperor (played by Ian McDiarmid) is seductive and appropriately campy in his performance. Our two favorite droids gave us a taste of some of the things we remembered best about episodes 4-6. The music was spectacular.