Revenge of the Sith

I wanted to run right home after seeing Revenge of the Sith on opening night and post my thoughts, but instead I decided to give it some time to sink in...as well as catch it again on Saturday. I'm a Star Wars geek through and through, and this one would stand as the defining film of the prequel trilogy. I enjoyed Episode I, although in hindsight I do think it's a little flawed. I loved Episode II (much more than most people). But Episode III is the crucial one, that film that needs to wrap up the prequels and tie everything together. I'm happy to report that it completely delivers. I loved it. It's perfect. I'm actually baffled by the handful of bad reviews that I've seen, and I've come to the conclusion that these people simply don't get it. Star Wars has never been for the critics, but I still cannot comprehend how anyone, on any level, can fail to see how this film absolutely delivers. (spoilers ahead) The movie begins with an awesome continuous tracking shot of Obi-Wan and Anakin flying their fighters headlong into a heated space battle that's the best one ever seen in a Star Wars film. The shot itself is great--notice how long until there's actually a cut--and the scene is epic. It also begins the brilliant performance of Hayden Christensen, who is great throughout this movie. He got a bad rap in Episode II, delivering what I felt was one of the most misunderstood performances I've ever seen. He perfectly captured the cocky arrogance of a young man who's not quite comfortable in his own skin yet, a guy with so much power and so many things going on without the experience to handle them well. He was great in Episode II and he's even better here. The Jedi duo quickly arrives aboard the droid ship of General Grievous, the fantastic new villain for this film. I got a glimpse of Grievous in action during the "Clone Wars" series on the Cartoon Network but that didn't do him justice...he's awesome. From the voice to the unique walk to the bizarre hacking cough, he is yet another brilliant George Lucas creation. Grievous is downright scary and great fun to watch. The confronatation between Anakin and Count Dooku is perfect, as it begins to set the much darker tone for this film. Ian McDiarmid really shines as Palpatine in this movie, slowly but gradually letting the true, evil nature of his character seep out. Watching him implore Anakin to kill Dooku, then seeing young Skywalker do just that (by lopping off Dooku's head with two lightsabers, no less) is chilling. I often wondered exactly how and when Lucas would have Anakin turn to the Dark Side, and he does it a little earlier in the film than I expected, and it absolutely works. That turning point is a great scene--I'm sitting there, actively rooting for Anakin not to turn, knowing full well that he does. And by doing this fairly early on, it raises the stakes and builds tension before the inevitable climactic battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan. For years, Star Wars fans have heard the rumors about the lightsaber battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan on some lava-spewing volcanic planet and the scene surpasses anything I could have imagined. The fight itself is great, but the emotional aspect of the confrontation is perfect. Natalie Portman is great in the moments building up to the fight, and Christensen and Ewan McGregor are both brilliant. The ultimate reveal of Darth Vader in his costume is another moment that fans have waited for and Lucas nails this one. Honestly, I could analyze just about every scene of this film, but that really doesn't do it justice. I give it a 99 out of 100, with it losing one point only because I wanted to see more of the Wookiees kicking ass on Kashyyyk and more than just a cameo from Chewbacca. But that's just nit-picking. This is the best Star Wars movie yet, prequel or original. It's everything I hoped it would be and more. It answers every question, ties up all the loose ends, and serves as the perfect bridge for the prequels to the originals. I can't wait to see it again. I also can't believe that it's over.