MR Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith

And finally, one of the most expected sequels and episodes in a franchise!

EPISODE 3!

I sure took my time to finally decide myself I should review this one at some point.
Like the previous ones, let's give it a fare chance.
After all the real question is.. is it an enjoyable experience?

Don't miss out my previous Star Wars-related reviews!

Star Wars: The phantom menace

Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

Movie: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Directed by George Lucas
Release date 2005
Genre SciFi
Country USA

The sixth and final Episode of the Star Wars saga!

Well, chronologically the 3rd Episode, but you get what I mean.
This is it, the big finale Star Wars movie (not counting spinoffs such as The Clone Wars) - even more importantly noted since Lucas retired from the movie industry nowadays.
The one connecting the "new" prequel trilogy to the original one.

There were lots of expectations from this Episode as you can guess.
There were lots of pressure during its production I'm sure.

But what is it about?

Where did I heard that before...?

The movie like most Star Wars, and mostly Return of the Jedi - it's counterpart in the classic series - starts in the middle of the action.
In a beautiful medias res like you really don't see that much in films nowadays.
That's one thing I like about the Star Wars, they were able to keep their pulp roots despite anything.
No credits/actor names. No slow introduction to simply the comprehension for the viewers.
You are in Star Wars from start to finish.

Anyays~

The movie opens up in the middle of a space conflict.
It's been some years that these Clone Wars have been going on.
The Jedi Knights are spread all over the galaxy. Forced to leave their role of peacekeepers to act as generals for the various Clone Armies.

The Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi is seen rescuing Chancellor Palpatine with the help of his ex-Padawan learner and now Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker.

During the course of the movie Obi-Wan is set on the track of the evil General Grievous, the leader of the Separatist Army.
Meanwhile Anakin is leading a double life, the love of his life Padmé is now awaiting a child from their secret union. Anakin is also growing closer to Palpatine without knowing he is actually...a Dark Sith Lord!
Palpatine will either conquer the galaxy with his separatists or transform the Senate into an Empire and rule the systems through the war.

It's a very simple classic opera development.
Which works great for Star Wars.

The movie makes now a smarter use of the composite backgrounds or CGi effects. No doubt from all the pressure.

I always found the 2nd movie lacked some big bad guy figure. It had Count Doku (quickly disposed in the first couple of minutes here), those insect guys, the Separatists from the first movie, Darth Sidious/Palpatine, etc. But no real big central "in your face" villain for the show of it. Just a bunch of manipulators. (and Jango was too sympathetic a figure and only last like 2 seconds, so...)
I'm glad we have Grievous this time around. He's a well designed hybrid creature/droid, a nice little foreshadowing to what happens to Palpatine's followers. (I'm sure they thought about using Darth Maul from Episode 1 at first..)

In itself the movie is a bit confusing, but this is the "missing link" fans had been waiting for!
It's a great dichotomy from Episode VI. They both follow most of the same patterns. But in reverse.
Searching for Han Solo/Searching for Palpatine, Fighting on a forrest planet/Fighting over the city planet, Obi-wan fights Anakin/Vader fights Obi-wan, etc.
So the movie ends in an Unhappy Ending (though it shows hints of a New Hope coming up...)

Also, while the 2nd Episode was more political (the Senate, high chancellors, the Jedi's role in the war..) this one concerns Jedi/Sith more directly. It's about loosing yourself to the Dark Side/selling your soul on such a futile quest. (specially since Anakin though Padmé dead..while she wasn't!)
The easy way out.

Anakin makes the wrong choices based on his recklessness, the same choices Luke won't "later".

For some reason the movie is also quite a lot influenced by the Expanded Universe.
The comics, the animated Clone Wars series, the novels.
There's quite a lot of allusions to it. From Grievous *cough* (who himself originally appeared on that cartoon first) to the likes of Aayla Secura appearing more prominently (from her cameo in Episode II).

Most of the cast did a much better job this time around too.
Ewan McGregor did an oustanding job like both previous times as Obi-wan. He's definitively my favorite on the picture.
Hayden Christensen is a bit more natural, though you gotta admit is acting still is a bit robotic. But, hey, Anakin becomes a "robot" later on, so it's fitting for the role!
Natalie Portman was lovely as always. My real complaints is that we saw so little of Samuel L. Jackson or Christopher Lee who got killed of rather easily.
Oh, and even George Lucas himself gets a little cameo this time.

John Williams' score is as always masterful.
Lots of brilliant pieces. Some themes return of make a brief appearance as an allusion to the original trilogy Episodes.
I really loved the Battle of the Heroes theme from the Anakin/Obi-wan fight. It sort of recaptures Darth Maul's theme but brings it to a whole new level.

I also just adore those perfect last minutes in the end, which simply recapture the more simpler feel of the original movie.
(you can ask, why didn't they do these Prequels like such!?)

Overall, a truly great epic space opera movie.
Very fun, entertaining. Just.. epic!

I love how it wraps things up so easily at the end.
You can follow onto Episode IV seamlessly.
Though one can wonder if the Empire and Vader just stood in that ship cruising space for the next decades until the original Star Wars happened... ?!

It does seem a bit confusing, trying to put so much into so little screentime. And I'm sure it doesn't work much as a standalone experience.

I give it:

 2 / 3 Anakins!