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

[Robert Crawford]

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

Tagline: The saga is complete.

Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Action

Director: George Lucas

Release: 2005-05-17

Runtime: 140

Plot: The evil Darth Sidious enacts his final plan for unlimited power -- and the heroic Jedi Anakin Skywalker must choose a side.

This thread is now designated the Official Discussion Thread for "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" please, post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.

All HTF member film reviews of "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" should be posted to the Official Review Thread.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.


Crawdaddy

 

[Robert Crawford]

Please vote for your favorite Star Wars films in the links below. Thank you for your participation.

Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Episode IV: A New Hope

Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

 

[Chuck Mayer]

No more spoiler boxes.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

I know we aren't supposed to do two posts in a row, but I need to drop some thoughts before bed.

No real order...as I remember them.

1) The harsh light of day was fairly kind to ROTS. I certainly enjoyed my inaugural viewing more, but the film holds up well. What bothered me before...bothered me less. What wowed me before...wowed me a little less. Surprise is an amazing thing

2) In ROTJ, when Leia remembers her mother...she means Queen Organa, not Padme. Makes sense, as Lucas is a foster parent (my mother legally has a "step" in front of her name, so I understand). But she is my mom, and always will be. Anywho, how Lucas set that up and included it...Leia is remembering Queen Organa for Luke in ROTJ.

3) I think cross-cutting the birth of the twins and the birth of Vader is one of the finest moments of the saga.

4) I told Chris Atkins before the film, Lucas breaks a few of his directorial rules in ROTS...all to the benefit of the film.

- The Anakin POV of the Vader helmet
- Anakin's visions are shown, not just discussed
- The Padme Ruminitions scene is a smaller departure, and extremely effective.

5) Why would some asshats laugh when Anakin encounters the younglings? The scene was even more powerful on the second viewing.

6) Yoda got all the cheers. He's become the applause button for the PT. It's a shame, as his finest moment in the PT is when he drops his cane and grabs at his heart during Order 66. Kudos to Rob Coleman for giving the character his warm heart and deep morality. It's much cooler than his lightsaber moves.

Hope everyone loved it,
Chuck

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

It's 3:04 AM and I just got back from one glorious night at the movies!

I saw it at the Cinemark Movies 10 in my area and the experience was almost surreal, I saw two little kids wearing fairly nice quality Darth Vader full-head helmets and upon pulling into the parking lot we were treated to a lightsaber duel between two guys, one with a blue saber and one with a red saber of course.

Overall, although the crowds were very abundant, they were also very friendly and enthusiastic, we really felt as if we were among friends with our crowd and that added to everything for me.

The film, oh man, the freaking film!! Years and years of anticipation paid off huge for me! That's for the review thread though, so i'm off to it.

This was one night I will remember for the rest of my life!

 

[Brandon_T]

Just got back, and I am pretty amazed, I was skeptical going in, but wow. I have a full list of emotions, but sadness is the strongest one, as now a long journey for all of us is basically over.

In the morning I will join the discussions, my only complaint is that the damn DLP projector shut down twice during my screening, and once was during the scene where Yoday, Obi-Wan and Mace are discussing Anakin on the ship, a key scene and I thought a mass riot was going to break out.

I hope you all loved it and quite frankly I had no problems with Anakins turn to the dark side, I thought it was quite clear and very ironic that his change to the dark side to save Padme is what ultimately turned her away from him.

Good night and I hope you all returned safe from your screenings.

 

[David Ely]

I saw the film for a second time and actually disliked it even more. Here are just a few problems I have with it.

• The Voice Acting for non-human characters is atrocious
• You could cut all scenes with Grevious and Wookies without anyone noticing
• Fight sequences end so abruptly, or in a ridiculous manner. Anakin loses because Obi-Wan has the high ground? :rolleyes
• Most of the dialog throughout the film is as bad as nails on a chalkboard
• There really isn't much of a story being told. It's more like a bunch of skits thrown together.

I could go on and on, but I need to be at work in 5 hours

The theater I saw it in tonight was packed and not a single person clapped at the end. In the lobby, it was hard to find people making positive comments about the movie.

While I am glad some of you Star Wars fans enjoyed this movie, I'm surprised more people aren't posting negative review.

For those who may be ready to jump down my throat for not liking the movie, please keep in mind this is all just my opinion.

 

[Jason Roer]

All right guys and gals. I have to say I enjoyed the film so very much more this time around. While the flaws still remained, I guess knowing they were coming and knowing that with the breakneck pacing they would be gone just as quickly as they came, I was not jarred out of the story this time. I still don't think it's a great film, but I have a much better appreciation of it. I'm looking forward to seeing it with my wife this Saturday evening. I think she's going to be blown away (she also saw the faults I saw from the earlier prequels, but they didn't bother her much). Anyway, I have to get to bed, but I wanted to share with you all my excitement this time around. Oh yeah. It also helped that there were like a hundred or more glowing lightsabers waving around in the air!

Cheers,

Jason

 

[Bryan Ri]

I'll go into more detail tomorrow, but I just want to throw my hat into the ring of support for Hayden Christensen's performance. I thought his acting was quite good in the film, playing his role quite effectively.

 

[Michael Osadciw]

I just returned from the midnight screening. It was definately the best of the prequels. It's not an excellent film, but it certainly is the most powerful.

The film is very busy with visuals and everything is on a grande scale compared to the rest of the five films; it's no wonder the Flynn Effect exists...

I don't know if I can post spoilers here so I'll try not to.

I won't slam the movie much because what can I do? I didn't make it. But I will say my two biggest gripes (and you can be sure the rest of the movie was enjoyable). I felt Padme's character was 100% out of sync with the other two movies. First she was a young woman of power and having common sense as a Queen, but in this movie she was passive, weak, and sounding afraid to be a single mom. She went from Queen to wannabe homemaker very quickly...and the dialogue surrounding "love" and "baby" is ultimate cheese...

I also was angry about how easily Anakin turned to the dark side. I figured after all his years of training, he gave it all up for what he thinks is for love. It's silly, actually. I know his character is weak, but I didn't think he was that weak. There is no way a weak man could be a powerful Jedi...that's a contradiction.

Ian McDiarmid was excellent as Palpatine...he nailed that role perfectly.

I thought the final fight between Obi-Wan and Anakin was perfect.

The first half of the movie really set things up and there is a lot of shots wasted showing spaceship landings and "showing off" the environments (why?????!!!!), but it was the second half of the movie that became more effective. I was moved in several scenes... ...and couldn't help but to laugh at many others...but that's Lucas.

I hope you all enjoyed the late night screening!!

Take care, and may the force be with you.

Michael

(Did anyone think Vader walked like Frankenstein's monster after his revival? ...and I won't even talk about his dialogue or the final moments of the ending...why does Lucas insist on having people and objects fidgeting all of the time. Stay still!!)

 

[Doug R]

I don't think Leia is remembering Queen Organa.. Luke asks her about her REAL mother. She could be remembering what she was told by her adoptive parents ("She died when I was very young") or you could certainly argue in the logic of Star Wars and force-sensitive Leia, being held by Obi-Wan inches from Padme's face as she dies, would be enough to convey utter sadness.

As for the movie, a quick synopsis:


Good: Ewan's acting and lines after he defeats Anakin, brilliant... Padme and Anakin gazing at each other across Courscant, the prequels needed more of this emotion... the main duels... the purge... Anakin being torn from all sides in the beginning... R2-D2.

Bad: Mace vs. Palpatine UGH.

I didn't mind Vader's Frankenstein walk.. I mean, hello, he just gotten two artificial legs.

 

[zomgjon]

Can anyone connfirm George Lucas' cameo in the film? I think i saw him to the left of the screen walking in front of the diplomatic group just as Anakin & Obi-wan were landing the shuttle on the way to meet Mace.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Before I toddle off, I didn't mind the turning scene as much with this viewing. The set-up is all there, and Anakin will do whatever it takes to keep Sidious alive. The moments after Mace is daed were jarring to me in my first viewing. He goes straight from shock to "Yes Master". But it works OK, because the groundwork is laid before the scene occurs. And Sidious is there turning the screws the entire time. No matter what Anakin is saying, he is thinking about Padme. It works. Where this arcs fails, quite a bit in my opinion, is in the Jedi treatment of Anakin. Not one word about killing Dooku, something none of them got close to. And then nothing but mistrust from any of them but Yoda (neutral) and OW (affection and respect). The remainder of the Council treat him terribly. I understand what GL was going for, but the Council/Mace (interchangeable here) were saimply a cardboard driver to get Anakin to a specific point. Their treatment of him DID NOT MAKE SENSE in the film, as presented.

I thought Ian McD was great as Palpatine, and boring as the Emperor. He only cackled. And cackled.

Hayden was solid, no complaints at all. Stomped by Ewan, but what can you do. Ewan brought a real sense of fun, gravity, and sadness to his role.

The PT closed out strong.

Take care,
Chuck

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Doug,
I think it was Luke being held close to her when she passed.

Jon, Baron Whatever was outside the Chancellors seat at the Opera when Anakin ran in.

Take care,
Chuck

 

[Patrick Sun]

I disliked some of the sequences just after the Jedi return from saving Palpatine, up until Mace and company decide they need to arrest Palpatine. Hayden's dialogue is just poor, unnatural, and even if it's intentional, it sucks the life out of any of the scenes he has with Padme, Obi-wan, etc. McDiarmid, OTOH, owns the dialogue, peppering the words with shadings and menacing undertones.

I have minor problems with Padme dying, and having Leia remember a sad mother in her youth, who passed away when Leia was young.


Lucas had a small window to squeeze out Padme dying in childbirth, but it doesn't feel right to me.

I wish they'd showed Obi-wan dropping off Yoda on Dagoba, with Luke in tow, and then have Obi-wan travel to Tatooine to give Luke to Beru and Owen. This would be a nod to Luke in ESB having memories of being on Yoda's world/swamp.

-------

Oh, Obi-wan really did a number on Anakin. Yowie!

 

[Michael Osadciw]

Patrick, I felt the same way about Padme's passing...I was thinking of those lines from Return of the Jedi.

Mike

 

[Jasen]

Why didn't Obi-Wan remember Leia?

As Luke leaves Degoba in Empire, Obi-Wan says to Yoda, "That boy was our last hope." Yoda replies, "No, there is another!"

Shouldn't he also remember that there is another? Mistake?

Seeing what Anakin did to Mace Windu was a killer!

I am sure they will add Yoda getting dropped off in the deleted scenes.

Did anyone else catch the Millenium Falcon?

 

[Jassen M. West]

When Anakin and Obi Wan are first returning to Coruscant (I think, I can't remember exactly when) the Millenium Falcon is landing at the same time thier ship is landing.

 

[Tom-G]

Loved it. Only minor complaint is how quickly Anakin embraced the dark side. I realize he had to make a quick choice between saving the life of Palpatine or Windu, but leading up to that point could have been a little more gradual and dramatic.

Overall, a big for me. You people wanted a dark-themed film, you got it.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Oh, those General Grievous distractions were just that, distractions. Didn't really enjoy those scenes much.