From Daily Eastern News:
Yoda says, See this 'Star Wars' you must
By David Thill/ Editor-In-Chief
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Twenty-eight years ago George Lucas was catapulted from a relative unknown in the film industry with "American Graffiti" as his claim to fame to the exalted savior of the science-fiction genre.
Before "Star Wars" revolutionized the way the world viewed science fiction, the genre had been defined by "Battlestar Galactica," a film worthy of praise, but not necessarily worship.
And as that all-too familiar type scrawled up the screen, the film series that had spawned countless imitators had come full circle. And much to the chagrin of naysayers, this "Star Wars" is actually good.
While the previous two installments of the series had suffered largely from a lack of driving plot, an abundance of cheesy dialogue and enough overacting to make Jim Carrey blush.
In contrast, though, "Revenge of the Sith" provides strong dialogue, good acting and a plot that, while predictable, still keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.
To any fan of the series, or to any who has seen the series thus far, it should come as no Alderaan-exploding surprise that by the end of it all, Anakin Skywalker descends to Darth Vader, Chancellor Palpatine reveals his less-than-secret identity and the Jedi are denounced as protectors of the galaxy by the Galactic Senate.
And although these revelations can be seen from a mile away, George Lucas utilizes non-stop action and drama to keep viewers in the dark (no pun intended).
Perhaps the strongest aspect of "Revenge of the Sith" is the dark nature the film boasts. Gone are the quirky, family-friendly one-liners of C-3PO and Jar-Jar Binks, replaced by the devilish grin of the Emperor. Chewbacca, while making a minor appearance, no longer provides unintelligible, sarcastic quips. Instead the entire Wookie race is shown battling fiercely alongside Yoda.
Hayden Christiansen morphs from the uncertain Anakin to the purely evil Vader with a much smoother transition than many would have expected. Ewan McGregor turns the character of Obi-Wan Kenobi from the twenty-something mentor of Episode II into a wiser, worldlier middle-aged Master of the Force with a skill previously unseen in the series. His ability to make viewers believe he had actually aged eight years is completed so well it would make the Alec Guinness (the original Obi-Wan) proud.
Although it may have it's rough spots (certain unnecessary scenes between Padme and Anakin) and there are points in which it seems Lucas was just trying to show off his ability to make things flash and go boom, "Revenge of the Sith" is a return to the dramatic, heart-wrenching nature of "The Empire Strikes Back" that will leave few complaining.
Grade:3.5/4 Stars