Star Wars: Episode III--Revenge of the Sith
Of course I saw it on opening night, 12:01 AM. However, I'm lazy and didn't get around to blogging about it until now. Episode III is radically superior to the previous two installments. Some critics maintain that Empire Strikes Back is still the best of the series, and that's a perfectly defensible position to take. I, however, enjoyed Revenge of the Sith far more than any of the other five films. The story is sweeping, and fast-paced. The film clips along at an amazing speed, and this actually helps the story. The audience really gets the feeling that things are happening too fast. The transition from Republic to Empire happens overnight, with the issuance of the single, ominous-sounding Order #66. The execution of that order is quite moving, emotionally; you can feel the turmoil and betrayal at a level Star Wars had not previously reached.
Any discussion of a Star Wars film must surely include the graphics. George Lucas elevated special effects to an incredible new height with the first of the series in 1977. Since then, his special effects companies, including the legendary Industrial Light & Magic, have been at the forefront of the industry. No expense was spared for their flagship project. The $150 million budget, and Lucas's own extraordinary vision, together have created a sumptuous feast for the senses. The fact that almost every creature in the film was generated on a computer seems irrelevant--the skill makes it feel perfectly natural. The world of Star Wars is only vaguely like our own. The creatures and events are clearly fake, but they look so real that you cannot help but surrender yourself, for a moment at least, to the exotic universe Lucas dreamed up. Lucas has been criticized for devoting too much attention to his special effects at the expense of the story. This is not the case in Revenge of the Sith. The story is fully developed and emotionally compelling. To tell his story, he needs his special effects. Yoda, whose fight scene was a favorite in Attack of the Clones, gets an even more amazing fight scene this time around. Such a fight, necessary to fully appreciate why Yoda is so worthy of our respect, would be impossible with a puppet.
Most movies are not worth watching. This movie, however, is worthy of repeated visits to the theater; it's a worthy film for such a culturally important series.