MAIN » ARTICLESStar Wars: Episode 3 - Revenge of the Sith
Directed by: George Lucas
Written by: George Lucas
Starring: Ewan Mcgregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson etc.
Yes, one of the most anticipated movies in my film calendar is out and I’ve seen it. Now I’ve been a Star Wars fan since I was a lad where I enjoyed my father's original versions of the three first films, and then the re-releases. So obviously when I heard that George Lucas was planning to make the first three Episodes in the saga, I was very excited.
I went to the cinema to see the first of the new series, Episode I: A Phantom Menace, now being the first film of the series I suppose you can expect it to be pretty dull with not a lot happening, but really this is ridiculous. I mean to centre pretty much the whole film around a small planet called Naboo, that is indeed one of the most pointless and dullest planets ever . Pretty much the only decent thing to come out of the Phantom Menace was Darth Maul's double lightsaber.
The second in the series Episode II: Attack of the clones, was certainly an improvement on the first, more action, more of a storyline in general. Though the name is somewhat misleading, as we don’t actually see the clones attack till right at the end of the film and even then it ain’t for long. Now this film brought in the character Count Dooku, played by Christopher Lee, who very much reminded me of Count Dracula out of his early Hammer Horror films, only this time he had a lightsaber. If this was Lucas’s intention, or not, I don’t know. Anyway we hear about him most of the way through the film and see him near the end, he is really a bit of a pointless character, well apart from this film's proudest moment where we finally see Yoda have a lightsaber dual, which is stunning.
And so we reach Episode III, the last in the new films. Now I must admit I wasn’t expecting much when I went in to UGC, sat myself down in a crowded screen with my large popcorn. You see when you have had two films in this new trilogy of such an average quality, can you really pull out all the stops to make this one work, sadly in my opinion not. Now I’m not saying it was not a good film, I did enjoy it, but the magic was not there. I continued to get the feeling as I have done through all these new films, its not about Star Wars anymore its about lining Lucas’s pocket with one hundred dollar bills. You see I felt that the story was very blurred, yes they are at war as the opening flying words tell us, in such a child like manner, War! So you would expect it to be chaotic in the film, but the storyline should at least flow. I felt as if it was a case of “right lads where can we show off some special effects, lets go over to this planet and have some wookies fighting, yeah that will impress them”. Sadly not George.
Now I am not saying that the special effects where not good, they were fantastic, but just in my opinion a little over bearing, I mean is there actually a shot in that film that hasn’t been touched up with CGI, I mean you don’t need it, look at the original trilogy, they used models and sets to create this different and wonderful world, which I must admit looked a lot less messy then in these new films. There is just too much going on, the willingness to dazzle the audience has just gone to far.
Also I felt the villains in this film were lacking, I mean obviously we have Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who reveals his true colours in this film. Now in the original films he is the ultimate in evil, and we can feel it, but in this film he seems to overdo it, a: he tries to use a lightsaber, which really just looks silly and b: The make up at the end of the film is shocking, in the originals his distorted face looked real but in this one it looks as if they have used a cheap kiddies make up kit to make him look like Scary Ghost 1. Also there is the ever evil General Grievous, who is another pointless character who is just there to fill some time, and eventually gets killed off.
This is certainly the best of the three new films as it gives us everything the mass audience wants, lots of fighting, but for us real Star Wars and film fans the film is somewhat lacking of passion, magic and quality. Sure everything happens that is supposed to, Anakin becomes Darth Vader, the twins are born, and separated, Yoda goes into exile, etc, but that does not make things alright. The final shot of the movie is probably one of the best in the whole film, framed in the same position as Luke stands in the first of the original films on Tatoween looking out at the twin sunset across the desert. So all in all this film is the best of the new three films but not a touch on the originals, its all about the money people.
Parts I really hated in this film:
When Anakin has just become Darth Vader (all mechanical parts added) and he is told Padmé is dead and deliverers the line “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!” (much longer) as things around him start crushing and breaking as he breaks free from the operating table he is sat on. This reminds me of a melo-dramatic mix between Frankenstein and American pie 3: the Wedding (I felt like killing myself at this point).
When Padmé is giving birth and one of the droids says “there’s nothing physically wrong with her she just doesn’t have the will to live”. Wouldn’t that be cool, you could just think to yourself, “God I hate life I think I’m going to die” and you would, suicide would be so much easier.
Again when Padmé is giving birth and she names the babies, no sooner has it popped out, she says it seems without any thought as if it was meant to be “Luke” and “Leia”. Just doesn’t sound believable.
The death of Mace Windu was also a low point for me as he has a crappy lightsaber battle with the Emperor which he wins and is about to kill the Emperor, but he doesn’t for about five minutes whilst Anakin decides weather or not to save him. I presume this is to add ‘tension’.
Any part of the film with the stupid lizard Obi-wan rides.
Well there are many more but I can’t even be bothered to write them down.
Final Verdict - 3 and a half stars
You will like this film if you enjoyed Stars Wars Episode I, Star Wars Episode II, XXX, XXX2: the next level, Torque, Pearl harbour, American Pie 3: The wedding, do I really have to go on?
On the “should I buy the DVD?” front, I would say yes, buy the trilogy box-set, but don’t ever watch them, just have them so you can say you’ve got them.
Written by James Davey.
Written by: George Lucas
Starring: Ewan Mcgregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson etc.
Yes, one of the most anticipated movies in my film calendar is out and I’ve seen it. Now I’ve been a Star Wars fan since I was a lad where I enjoyed my father's original versions of the three first films, and then the re-releases. So obviously when I heard that George Lucas was planning to make the first three Episodes in the saga, I was very excited.
I went to the cinema to see the first of the new series, Episode I: A Phantom Menace, now being the first film of the series I suppose you can expect it to be pretty dull with not a lot happening, but really this is ridiculous. I mean to centre pretty much the whole film around a small planet called Naboo, that is indeed one of the most pointless and dullest planets ever . Pretty much the only decent thing to come out of the Phantom Menace was Darth Maul's double lightsaber.
The second in the series Episode II: Attack of the clones, was certainly an improvement on the first, more action, more of a storyline in general. Though the name is somewhat misleading, as we don’t actually see the clones attack till right at the end of the film and even then it ain’t for long. Now this film brought in the character Count Dooku, played by Christopher Lee, who very much reminded me of Count Dracula out of his early Hammer Horror films, only this time he had a lightsaber. If this was Lucas’s intention, or not, I don’t know. Anyway we hear about him most of the way through the film and see him near the end, he is really a bit of a pointless character, well apart from this film's proudest moment where we finally see Yoda have a lightsaber dual, which is stunning.
And so we reach Episode III, the last in the new films. Now I must admit I wasn’t expecting much when I went in to UGC, sat myself down in a crowded screen with my large popcorn. You see when you have had two films in this new trilogy of such an average quality, can you really pull out all the stops to make this one work, sadly in my opinion not. Now I’m not saying it was not a good film, I did enjoy it, but the magic was not there. I continued to get the feeling as I have done through all these new films, its not about Star Wars anymore its about lining Lucas’s pocket with one hundred dollar bills. You see I felt that the story was very blurred, yes they are at war as the opening flying words tell us, in such a child like manner, War! So you would expect it to be chaotic in the film, but the storyline should at least flow. I felt as if it was a case of “right lads where can we show off some special effects, lets go over to this planet and have some wookies fighting, yeah that will impress them”. Sadly not George.
Now I am not saying that the special effects where not good, they were fantastic, but just in my opinion a little over bearing, I mean is there actually a shot in that film that hasn’t been touched up with CGI, I mean you don’t need it, look at the original trilogy, they used models and sets to create this different and wonderful world, which I must admit looked a lot less messy then in these new films. There is just too much going on, the willingness to dazzle the audience has just gone to far.
Also I felt the villains in this film were lacking, I mean obviously we have Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who reveals his true colours in this film. Now in the original films he is the ultimate in evil, and we can feel it, but in this film he seems to overdo it, a: he tries to use a lightsaber, which really just looks silly and b: The make up at the end of the film is shocking, in the originals his distorted face looked real but in this one it looks as if they have used a cheap kiddies make up kit to make him look like Scary Ghost 1. Also there is the ever evil General Grievous, who is another pointless character who is just there to fill some time, and eventually gets killed off.
This is certainly the best of the three new films as it gives us everything the mass audience wants, lots of fighting, but for us real Star Wars and film fans the film is somewhat lacking of passion, magic and quality. Sure everything happens that is supposed to, Anakin becomes Darth Vader, the twins are born, and separated, Yoda goes into exile, etc, but that does not make things alright. The final shot of the movie is probably one of the best in the whole film, framed in the same position as Luke stands in the first of the original films on Tatoween looking out at the twin sunset across the desert. So all in all this film is the best of the new three films but not a touch on the originals, its all about the money people.
Parts I really hated in this film:
When Anakin has just become Darth Vader (all mechanical parts added) and he is told Padmé is dead and deliverers the line “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!” (much longer) as things around him start crushing and breaking as he breaks free from the operating table he is sat on. This reminds me of a melo-dramatic mix between Frankenstein and American pie 3: the Wedding (I felt like killing myself at this point).
When Padmé is giving birth and one of the droids says “there’s nothing physically wrong with her she just doesn’t have the will to live”. Wouldn’t that be cool, you could just think to yourself, “God I hate life I think I’m going to die” and you would, suicide would be so much easier.
Again when Padmé is giving birth and she names the babies, no sooner has it popped out, she says it seems without any thought as if it was meant to be “Luke” and “Leia”. Just doesn’t sound believable.
The death of Mace Windu was also a low point for me as he has a crappy lightsaber battle with the Emperor which he wins and is about to kill the Emperor, but he doesn’t for about five minutes whilst Anakin decides weather or not to save him. I presume this is to add ‘tension’.
Any part of the film with the stupid lizard Obi-wan rides.
Well there are many more but I can’t even be bothered to write them down.
Final Verdict - 3 and a half stars
You will like this film if you enjoyed Stars Wars Episode I, Star Wars Episode II, XXX, XXX2: the next level, Torque, Pearl harbour, American Pie 3: The wedding, do I really have to go on?
On the “should I buy the DVD?” front, I would say yes, buy the trilogy box-set, but don’t ever watch them, just have them so you can say you’ve got them.
Written by James Davey.