Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Directed by: George Lucas | 140 minutes | action, adventure, fantasy, science fiction | Actors: Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Frank Oz, Jimmy Smits, Christopher Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, James Earl Jones, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Silas Carson, Bruce Spence, Wayne Pygram, Temuera Morrison, Jay Laga’aia

You’ve been looking forward to it for days and now it’s finally happening. A little awkwardly you take a seat in your seat. After a few seconds, which seem like ages, the safety bar goes down. Let the ride begin! While the cart slowly hoists itself up, you are already anxiously waiting for what is to come. For months you have been made good for this experience, the jitters in your stomach make you restless and excited at the same time. When, after all that long waiting, the spectacle begins, there is a release. Your cart goes down at a very fast rate. The adrenaline rushes through your body. What a kick this is! Then there is a loop, and what kind of one! Still half trembling with disbelief at what you’ve just been through, there’s another loop and another and another. And just when you think you can catch your breath after this intense ride, there’s another spectacular twist. But after all those pumped-up adrenaline-pumping events, you’re hoping for a slightly smoother ride. Your brain can’t quite process the cacophony of sound and excitement. Everything is going too fast. When a quieter moment finally arrives, you notice the technical errors and irregularities in the roller coaster. After a last series of loops, the cart finally comes to a stop. When you get out of your chair, you feel a slight tingling in your head. What a spectacle that was! But afterwards you do feel a bit disappointed. You would have expected a little more from this hyped ride, a little more depth and less thick entertainment.

For those who started to have doubts after the above text: Yes, this review is really about the latest Star Wars. The latest achievement of film god George Lucas can best be described as a runaway rollercoaster ride that leaves you from one surprise after another. In the closing of the prequels you finally find out how Anakin Skywalker (Christensen) succumbed to ‘The Dark Side’. This third part, ‘Revenge of The Sith’, should be the feat in which all the pieces fall into place in order to glue the six parts of Star Wars together. And the answer to the question whether this film was worth the wait can be answered with a cautious ‘yes’.

‘Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith’, as the film is called in full, is an impressive film that unfortunately has some annoying beauty flaws. However, you should not look for those imperfections in the visual presentations of this production.

Lucas and his special effects department have spared no expense to visually portray this third episode from the Star Wars saga as spectacularly as possible. And it worked. ‘Revenge of the Sith’ shows the future of digital trickery, as we will undoubtedly see many more in the coming years. If the familiar opening credits are just over, you’ll be thrown straight into the action. As the laser beams and explosions fly around you, you witness an unprecedented space war in which hulking, hulking freighters and small, fast space cruisers perform a deadly dance. Words like ‘fantastic’ and ‘unbelievable’ cover the load best. And that’s not all. Lucas and his friends have plenty of other surprises in store for you. For example, this film has half a dozen hand-to-hand combat where the famous lightsabers are fought. It won’t come as a shock to you when you hear that these battles look very exciting. Obi Wan and other Jedis come up with the most stunning and intricate fighting combinations that look particularly spectacular. And if that’s not enough, Lucas also lets you witness large-scale, epic battles on exotic-looking planets portrayed with great bravura. In terms of spectacle, Episode III has nothing to be ashamed of. If you want to see this movie, really look for the most beautiful cinema you can find in your area, in order to fully enjoy this beauty. But it takes more than just expensive and ingenious special effects to call it a good film. For example, appealing characters, solid acting and a good plot are at least as important as the stunts. And it is precisely on the emotional level that the shoe pinches with this Star Wars film.

The above sentence will come as no surprise to many Star Wars fans. Regardless of what you think about Lucas’s films, writing catchy, realistic dialogue has not given the best man much cheese. This movie is no exception. Now you have to admit that the conversations that all the characters have are a bit smoother than in Episodes I and II, but the sentences don’t flow smoothly from the actors’ mouths. The dialogues sound somewhat forced and cranky. The dialogues can best be imagined as pompous one-liners that sound nice on paper, but don’t exactly come across as natural. In addition to the rattling dialogues, some actors also stand out in a negative way. In particular, Christensen and McDiarmid occasionally cross the thin line between ‘acting’ and ‘overacting’. Christensen leans a little too heavily on his gloomy facial expression and ditto pouty lip in the portrayal of the frustrated, melancholy Anakin Skywalker alias Darth Vader. Anakin’s inner struggle gets bogged down by Christensen’s lackluster play now and then, giving you the idea of ​​looking at a sulking, spoiled teenager instead of a man torn apart by his inner demons. McDiarmid regularly indulges in his cartoonish, bold raising voices and his over-the-top, creepy laughter. Now the performances these two actors put down are not immediately disastrously bad, on the contrary, their playing is quite decent, but now and then the men cross the irritation line. What is also disappointing is the part of Natalie Portman as Amidala. Unlike the first two prequels, her role is now much more limited. The heroic girl has given way to a fragile house sparrow who is anxiously waiting for her husband, Anakin. This abrupt transformation isn’t too believable and makes this character not as sparkly as she used to be. You won’t really get annoyed, though, because other cast members know how to absorb the ‘damage’ well. Scottish actor Ewan McGregor in particular is doing very well in his role as Obi Wan.

McGregor often recalls his predecessor, Alec Guinness, who took on the role of the noble Obi Wan Kenobi in the distant past. And that comparison is a great compliment. Moreover, the interaction between McGregor and Christensen is also very successful and satisfactorily worked out, so that you will quickly forget the lesser moments of the latter. Another character that stands out in a positive way is General Grievous. This figure has been brought to life entirely through digital animation, but the way he is portrayed is phenomenal: a very interesting character that unfortunately only appears very briefly. Also completely digital is the legendary Jedi Yoda. Despite the advanced technique, the computer-generated Yoda isn’t nearly as convincing as the old-fashioned hand puppet Frank Oz operated in previous Star Wars installments. And that’s a shame.

It’s no secret that Lucas likes to use his digital bag of tricks, but unfortunately he goes overboard a little too often. In particular, the unnatural shine of Yoda and other computer-generated characters feels a bit fake. Although it must be said that the figures made on the PC now look a lot more believable than in Episode II. Speaking of computer-born characters, Jar Jar Binks is almost entirely absent from this production! All the people who got a little itchy on this strange alien, and there are many, won’t be bothered this time with Binks’ silly ways. It will soon become clear to you in ‘Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith’ that Lucas really made this movie for his fans. Almost all childish characters have been filtered out of the film and the atmosphere is much darker and gloomy than you are used to from a Star Wars film. The American film rating system has given this production a PG-13 rating. A film for 13 years and older. The film also has some violent scenes that are portrayed quite explicitly. In particular, Anakin’s physical transformation into the infamous Darth Vader leaves nothing to the imagination.

Despite some previously mentioned somewhat disappointing scenes, there is still plenty for Star Wars fans to enjoy. Lucas has managed to answer some pressing questions in a fun way. Like the way Darth Sidious’s face got so horribly disfigured. Also the origin of Anakin’s birth is (fortunately) clarified somewhat. To top it all off, you also get to learn a little more about the shady origins of the Sith order. And of course the ‘birth’ of Darth Vader is the undisputed highlight of the film. And before you actually get to see ‘the making of Darth Vader’, you will be treated to the already legendary duel between Anakin and his mentor Obi Wan and to John Williams fantastic, bombastic music of course.

Anyone who is even a fan of the Star Wars saga should see this film. You might be a little disappointed, but the negatives don’t outweigh the many highlights that this film has in abundance. ‘Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith’ is a must for anyone who loves Star Wars and spectacle. And let’s face it: who doesn’t like to ride a wild roller coaster every now and then?