2005
Written and directed by
George Lucas
Cast
Ewan McGregor .... Obi-Wan Kenobi
Natalie Portman .... Padmé
Hayden Christensen .... Anakin Skywalker
Ian McDiarmid .... Supreme Chancellor Palpatine
Samuel L. Jackson .... Mace Windu
Jimmy Smits .... Senator Bail Organa
Frank Oz .... Yoda
Anthony Daniels .... C-3PO
Christopher Lee .... Count Dooku
Keisha Castle-Hughes .... Queen of Naboo
Silas Carson .... Ki-Adi-Mundi & Nute Gunray
Jay Laga'aia .... Captain Typho
Bruce Spence .... Tion Medon
Wayne Pygram .... Governor Tarkin
Temuera Morrison .... Commander Cody
Episode III is a suitably grim and tragic end to the Star Wars prequels, more like The Empire Strikes Back than the Holiday Special that Episodes I and II resembled. The story of Anakin Skywalker’s transformation into Darth Vader is handled surprisingly well by Lucas. The central drama is kept in tight focus, extraneous plots are kept to a minimum, and real drama is created. Of course there are some great fights, battles, and special effects. Thankfully they tend to aid the story rather overwhelm it.  |
"Every website has the same promotional
photos, Master Jedi." |
The film opens with the Clone Wars in full swing, and Anakin and Obi Wan are performing a daring rescue of Senator Palpatine from Count Dooku. With the Senator back in power he immediately starts plotting against the Jedi Council. The Jedi think Palpatine wants to take over the Senate, Palpatine claims that’s what the Jedi are trying to do. Caught in the middle is Anakin, who looks to Palpatine as a mentor.
As we learned in the previous movies, Anakin is the chosen one who’s been prophesised to bring balance to the force. But he’s not exactly a model Jedi. Not only is he impatient for greater power and respect, he’s taken to killing people in anger, gotten illicitly married to Padmé (Natalie Portman), and knocked her up. These weaknesses compromise him and make him susceptible to the dark side. When Anakin starts having premonitions about Padmé’s death during childbirth Palpatine offers to help him discover the power to protect those he loves from death. A power which can only be found through the dark side.
 |
Palpatine: "Did you lads know that Sith is an
anagram of this?"
Obi-Wan: "What a curious remark." |
On the other side is the Jedi Council who, it has to be said, bungle the whole Anakin issue somewhat. It seems that they don’t have experience dealing with jerks of Anakin’s magnitude, whereas Palpatine knows how to play him like a violin. Hence, conflict eventually ensues. Eventually, because there’s a bit too much talk after the opening battle, and a few too many shots of the exterior of the Senate building. But the character motivations are all laid out and the characters placed on the path to tragedy without resorting to Jar Jar Binks' unique comic relief to spice things up.
The film’s main weakness is the relationship between Anakin and Padmé. I don’t know if it’s just me, but they really don’t seem to dig each other. They seem formal and stilted together, which isn’t helped by the less-than-stellar pillow talk Lucas has written for them. And the whole scenario of Padme’s maternal death is a bit ridiculous, but we’re sort-of heading into spoiler territory there.  |
Random Jedi: "I have beamed in to give
you news of another anagram - hist."
Yoda: "Gaybo, is you." |
There are some minor bad points, which isn’t a surprise. While Jar Jar Binks makes only a brief appearance, the Wookies aren’t in it enough. And the scene where Darth Vader screams out "Nooooooo!!!!!!!" is a bit of a let down since around six hours of film lead up to it. There’s also the desperate action figure bid, this time a silly giant lizard that Obi-Wan rides about (and those creature figures always cost so much). And the word "youngling" is used more than zero times, which is too many.
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Anakin: "Padmé-are the Jedi trying to tell us
you should have had a historectomy?
Padmé: "Portman don't respond to lame
jokes like that. And you spelt hysterectomy
wrong."
Anakin: "But look at my ripped chest" |
But for once the complaints really do seem minor. Lucas has, certainly against my expectations, made a good Star Wars film. The story of Darth Vader’s origin rounds the series out creditably. It’s not as good as the original trilogy. There’s no genuinely cool characters like Lando or Han, and everything is shiny and clean the way the original trilogy wasn’t. But it’s the best we’re going to get, and for the first time that isn’t a cruel joke.
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