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May 20, 2005
Better Than Expected - Updated
Just got back from "Star Wars: Return of the Sith." My verdict?
The film has gotten a bad rap from some quarters. Yes, there was some clunky dialogue and stilted acting at times. That really didn't matter as much to me this time. Overall, the picture did a good job of telling the story it needed to tell. And the story we've been waiting to see for decades.
I'm going to discuss the movie in the extended link, and there will be spoilers, so don't click (or scroll down if you've come here from a direct link) if you don't want to know. I'm going to be in full geek mode, as well, so beware.
I mean it. This is chock full o' spoilers, so if you don't want your movie experienced sullied, don't read further.
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I'm serious. Spoilers galore.
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Okay.
Some critics have complained that Anakin turning to the dark side to save Padme's life is not a compelling enough reason. Maybe, maybe not. But what other reason would there have been? A general quest for power would have been too academic, too cold. Basically, Anakin turned to evil because he thought good could come of it.
In telling the story in this way, Lucas is of course stealing borrowing heavily from Tolkien. The dark side is like the ring of power - people use it intending to do good, but the evil of it overwhelms them. Anakin thought he could control the dark side, but the power he felt when surrenduring to it was seductive.
Now, Lucas is not a good writer, (and he should really, really stop trying to write romantic dialogue) but he was good enough. Anakin's turn to the dark side has an emotional core. He wanted to save his wife, and he craved respect. The Jedi Council wasn't giving him that respect, and Palpatine was - so he chose. Anakin was so blinded by his need for love and respect and fear of loss that he did some unthinkable acts. When Anakin killed the young Jedi in the temple (a GREAT scene), you knew there was no going back.
The "political" stuff in the movie? Eh. Not much there, unless one is looking to be offended or encouraged. The story is too general for anyone to really read into it.
The end was the best part. The last half-hour is heartbreaking to Star Wars fans. Watching Yoda reduced to crawling through maintenance pipes and admitting failure was tough. Watching Obi-Wan turn his back on Anakin? Also tough. But the last scene, with Owen and Beru watching the sun set as they held young Luke? There was hope.
This movie was better than either of the other two prequels and is a good counterpoint to "Return of the Jedi." That movie has its mirror in this one, and it was a slightly imperfect, but very satisfying, end to the Star Wars franchise.
Posted by slublog at May 20, 2005 10:24 AM
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[Has been updated many times, new links added this morning, just scroll to the bottom. And please, nobody leave any spoilers, reviews or opinions about how much the movie sucked in the comments!] Aside from my own geek blogging, there... [Read More]
Tracked on May 20, 2005 02:54 PM
Comments
I took my eight year-old twins (a milestone, taking my sons to their first Star Wars movie) and enjoyed the hell out of it.
Tons of action, lots of noise, very cool. Who cares about the wooden acting or the lousy lines.
But one thing political...am I the only one that notices the remarkable resemblance of Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) to Senator Robert (sheets) Byrd...especially as the chancellor moves towards the dark side? Just sayin'.
Posted by: Old Coot at May 22, 2005 08:56 AM