MPAA Rating: PG-13
Original Review Date: August 1, 2005
Reviewed by: Erin, Movie Muse
In a Nutshell: Better than the other two, but not stellar.
Exceptional eye candy, wraps up most of the loose ends, but
still leaves a few holes. Not a movie for young children, but
definitely to be seen on the big screen if possible.
Quick Plot: The rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker and the rest
of the Jedi Knights.
In Detail: Well, it has been almost two months since I've seen
this film. My apologies for not reviewing it sooner. I
actually saw it twice over Memorial Day weekend, and seeing it
twice is almost necessary. The first time, you are just oogling
over the visuals, and you also spend a lot of time going "but
wait...." The second time, once you have come to terms with how
the film did or did not meet your expectations, you can actually
take the time to appreciate it for what it is. Too many things
happen to quickly for me to find them completely believable, and
my perception of how they happened based on limited information
to date was really off. There was at least a *touch* of
chemistry here and there between Hayden and Natalie, but not
much, so don't go expecting a tragic love story. The tragic is
there, but much of the love is missing until the very very end.
And I must publicly say that if it weren't for Ewan McGregor,
the film would have failed miserably.
I think a fair bit of what happened was superfluous and Lucas's
time and efforts could have been spent elsewhere, but it is what
it is. Oh, and please do not judge General Grievous by this
film. He should have been so much more... I don't know; cool,
slick, intimidating, powerful, skilled... I could go on and on.
To see him at his most awesome, be sure you check out the
Cartoon Network series Clone Wars (Volume 1 currently out on
DVD, Volume 2 due out in November, IIRC). Definitely worth
watching, and you see a lot more of Grievous as he was intended
to be. The light saber battle at the end is much closer to the
kind of battle that has been missing from the other films, and
though it doesn't quite measure up to the ultra-coolness of
Darth Maul (Lucas really messed himself up by putting Maul in
Ep. I; no way to top that), it has an emotional impact that is
undeniable. And once the final battle is over, I cried. Both
times. *That* scene broke my heart. I found the wrap-up scenes
quite stilted, but necessary, and seeing the old sets come back
still makes my heart flutter.
Ultimately, I am slightly dissatisfied with the film,
particularly as the ending to the saga (despite technically
being part 3 of 6). Some things were too easy, some were too
fast, some were to pat. It answered questions, and it was
emotionally engaging occasionally, but not enough to make me
feel fulfilled. The best of the three, certainly, and a vast
improvement over the last one (which had great info and hideous
execution). I can't help but wonder how things would have
improved under a "real" director. For those who don't know,
Lucas only directed Star Wars (that's Ep. IV to you non-purists)
himself; he left the other two to other directors. I definitely
think this series could have benefited greatly from a similar
arrangement. But, what's done is done, and it is worth seeing.
Just don't set your sights, or your hopes, too high. May the
force be with you.
