Sith soars

One of the main goals of Revenge of the Sith was to make it all fit together. The last film of the prequel series, writer/director George Lucas needed to make sure everything would connect to A New Hope and beyond. In that respect, Episode III achieves its motives.

By far the best of the current three films, Revenge is a slickly produced film and while the acting has improved, the Velveeta cheesy dialogue remains. I understand what Lucas was doing in both The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones; he was telling an epic tale of how a democracy can be easily manipulated into a dictatorship. He needed those two films to explain all that would happen in Revenge and beyond. And I accept that his direction to be uninspired, and his words a bit silly and embarrassing. Like I said, it’s an epic tale, so who really cares if Jake Lloyd’s acting is awful, or Hayden Christensen’s petulant teen Anakin is wooden? It is and always was about the story (an one that now seems to parallel our current war situations -the Jedi as liberal freedom fighters under siege from a republic that sees in absolutes).

Revenge wins on most counts, as the action never lets up, and the visuals more impressive than the two previous. Where it blunders for me, is Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side. His motives for turning seem muddled and not logical. While Palpatine was the ever doubtful voice in the back of Anakin’s head, it seems so unrealistic that it took the death of Mace Windu to trigger his complete fall. On screen it looks like it was a rushed decision (which maybe another example of young people hastening into things with out weighing the consequences), and seems almost unbelievable. Padmé’s death also struck a wrong chord with me, seeing that there was no clear understanding of her injuries.

But these quibble don’t ruin the film for me, as it cosmically connects the dots that will eventually lead up to Episode IV. I loved the recreation of Tantive IV -the rebel blockade runner from opening of A New Hope, Obi Wan picking up Anakin’s lightsaber after their battle (so he could pass it onto Luke) and the ever subtle notion that (somewhat) explains Anakin’s miracle birth.

The movie is dark and violent, which makes some up for some of short comings in its dialogue. Anakin’s battle with Obi Wan is frightening and well done and images of his burned body, all his limbs now gone, is a horrifying view. Ultimately, the film works better as a prequel than the previous two, if only because this was for many fans, the only explanation they needed to understand the rise of Darth Vader. Phantom Menace and Attack of Clones, while deserving chapters in their own right in telling a story of how one lovable, sweet boy becomes this evil, twisted giant of nightmare, they are, ultimately, too much filler (which Lucas admits too, saying at 60% of the prequel’s ideas are seen in Revenge, with the other 40% split between Phantom and Attack).

But it’s George Lucas’ film, and he makes them to make him happy. The first two films were experiments, in a way. How much of his imagination can really come true. As far as he can see, he succeed. And in the end, that’s what really matters to him.