By Scott Bowles, USA Today, May 5, 2005
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Ever since he returned six years ago with new installments of his Star Wars saga, George Lucas has
weathered grumblings from fans and film critics that the new movies were too geared toward children.
He isn’t likely to hear those criticisms this time around.
Lucas’ final installment in the space opera, Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, which opens May 19, is by far
the darkest of the six-film opus.
And parents, be warned. Lucas wasn’t kidding when he said last month that he would think twice before taking children
to see Sith, the first of the Star Wars films to receive a PG-13 rating.
The movie, complete last week and screened Tuesday night at Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch, tells the story of Anakin Skywalker’s
Faustian bargain to become the villain Darth Vader. The film does plenty to earn its rating.
Women and children are slain. The heroic Jedi Knights are all but slaughtered. Characters lose arms, legs and heads in
lightsaber duels. One character catches fire, screaming in agony while the flesh peels off his body.
Lucas makes no apology for the grim tone and says the bleak theme had nothing to do with criticisms of 1999’s The
Phantom Menace or 2002’s Attack of the Clones.
“This has always been a dark story,” Lucas told USA TODAY in March. “It’s about a man’s descent into hell. That’s
pretty serious stuff.”
Hayden Christensen, who plays Anakin Skywalker, says he can’t predict how young audiences will respond to the violence.
“The first two movies (Menace and Clones) did a lot to create a young fan base,” he says. “I’m not sure how they’re going
to react to some of these scenes if they see them.”
Gloomy or not, no movie has fans more excited this summer, evidenced by opening-day ticket sellouts.
Director Kevin Smith, who saw the film last week at Lucas’ invitation, says he and his wife, Jen, considered bringing
their 5-year-old daughter, Harley.
“After just a while, we were really glad we didn’t take her,” says Smith, who frequently refers to Star Wars in his
films.
“It’s a great movie, but I’m not sure any kid under 8 should see that kind of violence. Even I was surprised by how
insanely dark George made it.”
Shortly after seeing the film, Smith posted a review on his website, viewaskew.com, praising the film but warning of the
carnage.
That violence, however, might be the key for older kids, says Gitesh Pandya of BoxOfficeGuru.com.
“Fans aren’t going to Star Wars to see Jar Jar Binks or a 9-year-old with a lightsaber,” he says, referring to Jake
Lloyd’s turn as a young Anakin in Phantom Menace. “They want to see what created one of the most famous villains in movie
history. This one is supposed to be dark. Darth Vader is a pretty bad guy.”