This
one is spoiler-free, really just a stream-of-consciusness jotting down of my
emotional reaction. Overall it wasn't surprising but was very enjoyable. Perhaps
not as satisfying in terms of writing and acting quality as "The Empire Strikes
Back", but very good. I'll drop a spoiler-filled review in a few days,
once more of you have had a chance to see it.
No
spoilers...
With "Revenge of the Sith", George Lucas goes out with a
bang, not the whimper I'd feared. "Sith" is vastly superior to the boring
and mostly unnecessary Episodes 1 and 2. The overall tone is darker, more
mature, and the story flows better than anything since "The Empire Strikes
Back". Though I knew what to expect--Anakin turns bad, almost everybody
dies--the execution was what counted. Like "Titanic", where we knew the
ending but enjoyed the ride, "Sith" executes with a high level of
excitement, action, and compelling drama. I can't remember how much time I spent
on the edge of my seat as light sabre's sliced the air (and flesh)
or hundreds of battling ships filled the screen. I "oohed" and "aahed" and
yelled as the embattled Jedi fought an ultimately hopeless battle against the
return of evil and the fall of the Republic. Perhaps most notably, the
acting is much improved from the stilted and wooden-sounding lines from the
previous films. Gone are stretches of cringe-inducing love scenes, or
akward moments as the actors stare blankly into space as if unsure of what to
say next. Actors which Eps 1 and 2 incredibly made appear incompetent come
off as more polished here, their performances more convincing. Vader-to-be
Hayden Christensen is perhaps the most improved, finally conveying a sense of
real menace instead of the whiney teen we saw in "Attack of the Clones".
There are still a few moments of clunky dialogue and spots where the actors
don't emote enough for my tastes, but overall the writing and acting is sharp
and fits the pacing of the movie perfectly. Even the music is surprisingly
mature and sets appropriate moods for the action onscreen. I've often felt
some of Lucas' efforts have fallen a little short in terms of making me believe
his world is "real". I've often been distracted by special effects, costumes,
and sets that seem too manufactured, too obviously make-believe contrivances,
rather than views into an alternate reality. But I didn't have that problem
here. "Sith" sucked me in, allowing me to suspend my disbelief enough to really
get into this film. I felt real sadness and anger as Anakin fell to the Dark
Side, I thrilled as Obi-Wan and Yoda fought desperate battles to save their
Order and way of life. I all but hissed as the Emperor's masterful manipulations
came to fruition. And at the end, with all hope lost but that of the few
surviving Jedi and the tiny babes who would be charged with setting things
aright in the future, a lump actually came in my throat as the familar music
played. Like the characters themselves I was full of despair, but clinging to a
faint hope for the future. George Lucas has redemed his past missteps with
a movie that, while not surprising, still manages to move us. It was everything
I'd hoped it be.
Yahoo! Groups Links
- To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/
- To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
- Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
