|
The force is with back .. with ‘Revenge’
Geeks unite! “Revenge of the Sith,” the highlyanticipated finale to the “Star Wars” franchise has finally arrived. Chances are most people will see this movie no matter what some silly review says. For those still sitting on the fence, I’ll try to get to the bottom of George Lucas’s final saber-slinging space epic without giving too much away.
The latest iteration begins with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker serving as the tag-team Starsky and Hutch of Jedi. However, the dubious Chancellor Palpatine is simultaneously influencing young Anakin by appealing to his ego, leaving the man torn between his loyalty to the Jedi and his faith in the Chancellor. Add some political turmoil to the equation and things get interesting, but any more plot details and I run the risk of spoiling the story.
Action, or lack thereof, has never been a huge issue for the Lucas camp. They crank it out like clockwork. “Revenge of the Sith” is no exception, and proves to be the most exciting of the trilogy, boasting computer-generated land and space battles and furious lightsaber duels.
These action scenes are arguably the finest yet, and cutting edge visual effects allow Lucas to paint a convincing and immersive portrayal of the “Star Wars” universe.
In addition, “Revenge of the Sith” serves as an undisputedly-relevant prequel to the classics—episodes 4, 5, and 6. Rest assured that “Sith” will mark the end of, as well as the emergence of, some central characters, and detail some critical turning points in “Star Wars” lore.
Lucas also does a fine job pacing the story evenly, considering how much there is to tell. The result is like an action-packed race to get to the film’s ending, which will tie everything together fairly well.
The storyline is an admitted improvement, and does succeed in certain important areas, such as the rich characterization of the brooding, dangerous Anakin Skywalker. Ewan McGregor outshines the entire cast as Obi-Wan. Offering a heartfelt performance in a “Star Wars” movie is no mean feat.
Christopher Lee as Count Dooku and Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine are superb, as usual.
Even so, at times I felt that “Sith” played out like a fancy fireworks show—too much flash and not enough substance. The plot moves so fast, with so many audio/visual effects, that the story and characters lose precedence. Though Lucas recruited Christopher Neil as a dialogue coach, some of Portman and Christensen’s “love” scenes sound pretty cheesy. Perhaps Lucas proves once and for all that great dialogue is a tall order for a sci-fi guru.
The bottom line: Does it really matter what I say? If you are even a remote fan of “Star Wars,” go see this film.
Lucas is going to be rich with or without your $8. Besides, this is the big movie of the summer, folks. It ain’t Shakespeare, but that was never really the point of “Star Wars” in the first place.
Why See Star Wars III?
5). Boasts over 2,200 expensive effect shots.
4). Doesn’t skimp on lightsaber battles.
3). More “grown up” than previous two prequels.
2). Jar Jar Binks is virtually non-existent!
1). Probably the last film of its kind.
| 
