By Claudia Puig, USA Today, May 16, 2005
The Force is definitely with it this time. Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (***1/2 out of four), which
screened at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday and opens at midnight Wednesday in many U.S. theaters, fulfills the promise
of the series and rises far above its tow most recent predecessors. It’s the darkest of the six-film opus, but it just may
be the best of the lot.
It seems George Lucas has listened to fans’ complaints and entreaties, particularly in regard to the last two films
released. The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones were disappointing and dull. It almost seemed that Lucas was
driving the franchise into the ground. But he wisely eliminated the cutesy touches and minimized characters such as Jar
Jar Binks (a major character in Phantom Menace but only an extra in this one) and the plodding exposition and concentrated
on the epic tale of a good guy gone bad.
We learn how the powerful but impetuous Jedi Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) becomes Darth Vader. And most
important, we learn why. In Star Wars: A New Hope, the fourth in the series and the original film released in 1977,
Vader was creepy, but mostly just an archetypal villain with a bad case of mouth-breathing.
Revenge of the Sith chronicles Skywalker’s transformation from a principled, lovestruck young knight to the epitome of
evil. It offers some terrific lightsaber battles, particularly between Anakin and his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi
(Ewan McGregor) with a terrifyingly fiery backdrop.
There are major improvements in quality over the previous films, notably writing and the acting. Christensen and
Natalie Portman as Senator (formerly Queen) Padme Amidala, in particular, seem more comfortable and less stilted.
McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi has grown more assured as well.
In Revenge of the Sith, Anakin grows impatient with Obi-Wan, and falls more deeply in love with Amidala. His love for
her is also his undoing, sharpened by memories of this mother’s brutal death and his inability to save her.
The screenplay is tighter, the dialogue sharper and the pacing right on the mark. When you watch the first three films
released more than two decades ago – A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi – they feel slower and
plodding compared with Sith, which achieves just the right balance of emotional drama, suspense and action. Also, beloved
characters from Episodes IV-VI are feature prominently (Yoda) or introduced (Chewbacca). It’s also the first time we hear
James Earl Jones’ voice as Darth Vader, one of the most memorable vocal performances in film.
Perhaps Revenge of the Sith is all of the more powerful because so many lingering questions are answered, in particular,
the true identity of the Sith lord who lures Anakin to the dark side. And seeing the handsome Anakin’s physical
transformation to the malevolent, black-helmeted Darth Vader is riveting.
There’s also a poignancy to this film because it is Lucas’ final installment to one of the most groundbreaking cinematic
endeavors ever made.
But there are some jarring disconnects when watching the series as a whole, from the rapid aging of Obi-Wan to the
disparity in special effects from the first three films to the last.
A cautionary note: This is the only one of the six movies rated PG-13, and there is some disturbing violence. The very
young ones should be left at home. But for adults who may have avoided the series, this is the one to see. Even for
non-fans, Revenge of the Sith is engrossing, and fans of the series will likely be over the moon – and into another
galaxy – with this film.
PG-13: sci-fi violence and some intense images; 2 hours, 20 minutes