Thursday, May 19, 2005

Movie Review: Star Wars Episode III

Episode III is by far the darkest of the series and for that reason it is also the most action packed. The special effects are nothing short of spectacular making it very difficult to distinguish the real from the imagined (but what else would you expect from the company that pretty much invented movie quality CGI).

One of the main aspects that sets this apart from the previous two prequels is the level of acting. Unlike Episodes I and II which dealt with the interpersonal relationships of the main characters in a little bit of an awkward, ham-fisted sort of way, Episode III allows the characters to develop in what seems a much more natural manner. Maybe it's because they all knew this would be the end, but it seemed to me that much more emotion was coming through in everyone's performances. While much of the dialogue still had much of the patented George Lucas corniness, even that felt more real.

Despite the dark nature of this film, there is still a lot of humour present; much of that in the form of Yoda. No matter how many times you see it, watching the little Jedi Master fight, you cannot help but smile.

The one warning that must be said for this instalment of the Saga is that it may not be suitable for younger fans. Lucas does a good job of not making the violence too gratuitous but to show the true depth of the Dark Side, he doesn't restrict the lightsaber injuries to mere hands and even goes so far as to show children being killed. (Although most of the scenes involving the children being killed are done off screen, their deaths are discussed making it impossible to miss.)

In the end, Lucas has done a perfect job setting up the jump from the prequels to the original trilogy. The final scene alone will instantly bring you back to the first time you heard that famous theme.

I almost feel like I may be struck by lightening just for writing this, but I believe Episode III may be the best Star Wars yet.

4.9 out of 5 (it loses 0.1 point for the Vader yell. When you see the movie you'll know what I mean)

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