The most anticipated movie event of the year is here, and thankfully, it does not disappoint. In "Star Wars: Episode III " Revenge of the Sith," Lucas has carefully melded emotion, adventure and tragedy to deliver the best entry in the series since "The Empire Strikes Back." Disgruntled fans and cynical critics take note: not only is this film vastly superior to the other prequels, but it also ends cinema's most beloved series with a resounding triumph.
The film starts out with a rousing space battle in which Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) are engaged in a skirmish with a Sith Starfleet. We watch as the two protagonists maneuver their way through the legions of droids in order to rescue Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), who has been kidnapped by the leader of the separatists, Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), and his ally, the droid leader General Grievous. The 20-minute action sequence is a testament to how far special effects have come since the original "Star Wars." The technology allows Lucas to fully realize every dimension of his far-away galaxy and its inhabitants. As the camera follows the jets swerving and diving around the massive airships, one gets the feeling that something exciting awaits at every turn.
Once our heroes return to the Jedi council with the hostage intact, the political intrigue begins as Palpatine, who had fabricated the kidnapping, begins to influence Anakin and tries to make him betray the Jedi Council. The Council, sensing that something is not quite right with the chancellor, instructs Anakin to spy on him and report on his dealings.
Anakin, knowing that this is a violation of the Jedi code, begins to distrust the council and gravitates towards Palpatine, who constantly aggrandizes Anakin's capabilities while maligning the council for not awarding the young Jedi the rank of Jedi Master. Meanwhile, Padme (Natalie Portman), whom Anakin secretly married in the last film, reveals that she is pregnant; not helping Anakin's mindset are the constant nightmares he has of Padme dying during childbirth.
From a narrative standpoint, "Revenge of the Sith" brings nothing new to the table; it simply fills in the details. Anyone remotely familiar with "Star Wars" knows that Anakin Skywalker is a once-noble Jedi who succumbs to the wiles of the dark side. The fates of Anakin's children -- Luke and Leia, our heroes in the original trilogy -- are already set. We are also aware that Obi-wan and Yoda will return for later adventures, and we know that the Republic must fall so that the Empire can begin. Generating the best kind of suspense -- the kind that relies on choices, not conclusions -- Lucas keeps the audience on the edge of their seats despite their knowledge of the inevitable outcome. The air of the familiar only enhances the proceedings.
Of course, the big question looms: how and why does Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One who was to bring balance to the force, turn into the cold and ruthless Darth Vader? Lucas handles Anakin's steady defection to the dark side with great skill. His direction is assured as he weaves together the many motivations pushing Anakin to the edge. Hayden Christensen's performance is adequate, but it is Ian McDiarmid whose acting makes the transition believable. Palpatine, eliciting sympathy while forwarding himself as a victim of a Jedi plot, shifts effortlessly into calculating-villain mode whenever he senses weakness. The writing is strongest in this part of the film; Anakin's conversations with Palpatine have an air of insidiousness as we sense our erstwhile hero being seduced by the Sith Lord.
In other parts, the dialogue is as deplorable as ever. The cringe-worthy romantic interludes between Padme and Anakin from "Attack of the Clones" are back, but fortunately there aren't many of them. Lucas has realized his strengths and focuses on wowing us with technical wizardry (of which there is much), while shortening any scenes that may require his performers to speak. Perhaps a symptom of performing against a blue screen, the actors are not enthused about their lines; there is no punch in an exclamation or a sense of dread when discussing the current crisis. While apologists often pontificate that the original films were no different in this regard, you would be hard-pressed to find anything in the caliber of "Try not. Do or do not; there is no try," or "I find your lack of faith disturbing," in the prequel trilogy.
Lucas, knowing that he disappointed even hardcore fans with the last two films, has peppered "Revenge of the Sith" with little details that are sure to please the faithful. The clone troopers resemble the storm troopers, X-Wing-like aircraft can be seen in the opening battle, Amidala's hairstyle is close to that of Leia's, and of course, Chewbacca makes an appearance (in a largely inconsequential role). Scholars of "Star Wars" take heart, for you will be rewarded.
In one aspect, Lucas outdoes himself. The action sequences in "Revenge of the Sith" are far and away the best in the entire series. The assault on the Wookie home world Kashyyyk is spectacular, and the sequence on the volcanic planet of Mustafar -- where the much anticipated duel between Anakin and Obi-wan takes place -- is eye-popping. There are light-saber duels aplenty, resulting in a rather high body count. By any measure, "Revenge of the Sith" could be considered the darkest of the "Star Wars" films. It contains scenes of a distinctive gruesomeness, including decapitations, burning skin and the cold-blooded murder of children.
"Revenge of the Sith" is the most complete installment in the new trilogy. Having watched this film, I get the feeling that the prequel films that came before were largely unnecessary. Most of the essential story elements are contained in Episode III. With some script revisions, a tighter narrative and a slightly longer running time, the entire prequel trilogy could easily have been condensed into a single film. Lucas has admitted as much, describing Episodes I and II as "hamburger helper" in an Entertainment Weekly interview -- that is, filler content centered on a few key scenes. Perhaps Mr. Lucas felt compelled to start another trilogy after having named the first film Episode IV. The larger profits probably didn't hurt either.
Much has been made of the parallels between the political machinations depicted in "Revenge of the Sith" and the actions of the current administration in Washington. As Palpatine amasses all kinds of wartime powers, the dangers of the consolidation of executive authority under the pretext of war are made obvious. Anakin, when dealing with Obi-wan during the final duel, declares, "If you're not with me, you're my enemy," prompting his once-mentor to reply, "Only a Sith deals in absolutes." Lucas, simply depicting the political nature of any war, has touched a nerve in the post-9/11 world. He has previously gone on record saying that he wrote "Star Wars" at the end of the Vietnam War when Nixon was in power, and notes the parallels between that disaster and the ongoing Iraqi adventure. It is more likely that these observations are a simplistic reduction of broader, timeless themes.
With "Revenge of the Sith," Lucas has finally achieved the mythical quality that was so sorely lacking in both Episodes I and II. "Star Wars" has been a dominant influence in our collective sensibilities of pop culture and Lucas has ended it in an epic manner worthy of its pedigree. There's no reason why you should miss the last installment, as once again, a "Star Wars" film can be considered one of the best of the year.
