FF:NSW [SPOILERS] Post your movie review of Revenge Of The Sith here!

I think the movie still hasn't really sunk in yet. There was so much which I knew was going to happen, but it shocked me more then I expected. Especially the younglings scene and the Obi-Wan's "you were my brother" scene.

As for likes/dislikes. I think I will wait until a second viewing to let it sink in more.

 

I didn't buy the whole scared Palpatine thing when Windu was standing over him, even if it was acting scared to get Anakin to act it was poor it just didn't mesh at all with Sidious and the aura he'd created in the other movies (incl OT).

I think you're confusing our perception of Sidious / Emperor with Anakin and Mace's perception of Chancellor Palpatine. You're also viewing it with 20/20 hindsight.

WE know what he is capable of, and that Mace is about to get his butt handed to him on a plate - but Mace and Anakin do not. Sure, Palps could have just wiped the floor with Mace, like he did with the others, but it was entirely necessary for Anakin to believe that Palps was helpless and that Mace was about to kill him (re ROTJ "I am defenseless...") Otherwise, Anakin would not have intervened (and thus taken another step towards the darkside), and would not have caught the Jedi red-handed trying to kill the chancellor, etc.


Anakin deciding to turn, it was all very matter of fact which made no sense dramatically or in the scheme of the story. I know he had the whole Padme thing but for mine the way to sell the change was for him to completely go evil so he could OWN Padme's destiny rather than save it.

The point is that he doesn't "go evil." He thinks he is doing the right thing - or at least doing what is necessary to protect Padme. Just as the senate does not "go evil" - it does what it thinks is necessary to protect the galaxy: bows down to Palpatine.

Anakin's plan is to play along with Palpatine, do what needs to be done to protect Padme, and then get rid of Palpatine. He thinks he is playing Palpatine, but in reality Palpatine is playing him. (Lucas has said many times that this is the essence of the Sith relationship between master and apprentice).

3. Palpatine's 'druggo' experience standing over Anakin - thinking of a name and calculating things for the future etc - it just seemed so amatuerish - here's the guy who set everything in motion (possibly even with Anakin's birth if that line of thought is realistic) and is the master of the dark side and he's in la la land in the most pivotal part of his plan!!! Sure he was rattled (if that was the case) but it just fell so flat on what I a. expected and b. figured would happen.

Not sure what you mean here. La la land?

I always think of Palpatine as that cliched devil on your shoulder, whispering in your ear. Or Iago, if you like. Here, Anakin has just (essentially) killed Mace, betrayed the Jedi (for the sake of a forbidden love), and is now panicking. Anakin is the one who is out of it, confused and bewildered, and trying to figure things out. So in steps Palps, telling Anakin exactly what needs to be done to solve his problem: you've betrayed the jedi in so many ways, they will come after you now, so kill them before they kill you.



As for Palps being involved in Anakin's birth (re creating life through midiclorians), I don't buy it at all.

Apart from it just being too cheesey (Vader: I am your father. Emperor: And I am your grandad.), it's clear that Palps is talking crap, telling Anakin exactly what Anakin wants to hear.

Besides, if Palps has the ability to create uber-jedi, why does he use it only once? Given the chance to create powerful sith-apprentices, he instead recruits aliens and fallen jedi (maul & dooku)?

And then when push comes to shove, he tells Anakin that maybe they can figure it out together. Sure, maybe he knows and isn't telling, but the simplest explanation is (and all evidence points to the fact) that he just doesn't know.

The truth is this: the prophecy is true. Anakin's birth was the will of the force. He was brought into being by the force to (eventually) return balance to the force. And he did.

It also makes much more sense from a mythological point of view: the chosen one is the son of the deity, conceived by the deity through a chaste mortal woman.

 

No review yet, I need to think on it some more and do a second viewing (on Sunday).

I did want to raise a few points, though. I'd like all of you to take a huge step back and look at the movie on another level.

- I think the "Frankenstein" bit as Lord Vader is created is perfect. Cheesy, but perfect. I think using the Frankenstein imagery is a good device because not only is it something that everybody can immediately identify with, it's a good reminder that it is a movie and a classic movie at that. By the way, "Noooo" is cheesy, but really, so is "Luke, I am your father". Seriously.

- I think that it is awesome that Obi-Wan doesn't kill Anakin and before that asks Yoda not to make him kill Anni. I think this becomes particularly relevant when you think about the noble sacrifice in ANH. He still can't kill him.

- The Padme/Anakin thing is great. I think you have to look at it on a slightly removed scale to appreciate it. In AOTC all is happy and romantic and "Mills and Boon". I has to be. It's representing a time of young love and a time where everything is beautiful. This is even parodied by Uncle George himself when they do the scene with the love music stopping. The next movie sees them at another junction in their relationship. Not to point to fine a point on it, Anakin suddenly is having to face new challenges in his marriage - having babies, career prospects, being hassled about sending time with mates with bad habits and working out of town a lot. I think if you step back and look at their relationship in ROTS, the Mills and Boon thing really makes sense - even to the point that it should be over the top.

But, that's just my take on it.

Noone's mentioned it yet, but the funniest part of the whole movie was Yoda taking out the Imperial Guards so easily. I mean there's been 5 movies of building this assumed hardcore reputation of the toughness of the Imperial Guards even though they don't do anything but stand there (not taking into account the books) and they finally get to do something and all it is is them crumpling to the ground when Yoda acts as though he's swooshing a fly away. Brilliant.

 

(not taking into account the books)

Never ever do, they're written like recycled Star Trek plots.

But my opinion of this film has climbed even higher after watching ANH last night, there are now so many looks, introspective moments and lines that now mean so much more.

And round 2 of the duel has a lot more emotion behind it aswell.

 

Wow.

I am still reeling from this incredible film!

Seen it twice in 24 hours and bawled my eyes out both times. It's so powerful and incredibly sad.

I won't bother to review, as there's anough of them in here, but just a few things that haven't been covered:

Grievous - I really liked him! The whole mechanical half human half alien thing really appealed to me, and I had -no- idea how much his death would pre-empt Anakin's experience. And he looked just great; the way he walked, the hunched up back, flowing cape.

Also, I would most definitely say that Palpy was telling Anakin crap just because he wanted to hear it. He said to Anakin that he had the power to prevent death, and thus lured him in. Then, later on when Anakin had pledged allegience, he said that only one person had ever had the power to prevent death (Darth Plagueus [not sure about spelling there]) but that he hoped to find how to do it with Anakin's help. So he basically admitted it was a downright lie.


Can't wait for the dvd to see the extras - sooo much was cut out of it. Mon Mothma's stuff, a lot of Padme's suff, Qui-Gon...
Bring on the dvd!

 

I would have like to have seen some kind of confrontation between Vader and Palpatine, with Vader being owned, thus making his statement in ROTJ "I must obey my master" mean something.

kinda like saying, if I don't do what he says i'm up the creek, give him a reason to really fear upsetting the Emperor.

 

He did see what Palpy did to Mace, though, so I suppose he got some sort of idea from that

 

But we also don't need to have everything answered.

Remember when the clone wars was just a single line in ANH? We didn't know anything about it, but we sensed from Luke's reaction that it was a big deal - big enough that legions of fanboys were dying to see it in the prequels.

Likewise, we don't really need to know what Palps did to make Vader obey him.

When Vader, the big bad of the OT, said "The emperor is not as forgiving as I am..." and the admiral then actually confided in Vader(!) ... well, you knew the emperor must be one tough cookie to make Vader seem like a chum.


On top of which, there are a good 20 years between ROTS and ANH. We have no idea what kind of mischief the emperor has been up to since then, and what games he's been playing with vader's head (and body).

 

ROTS completely blew me away. I really couldn't process anything afterwards it was so overwhelming. After seventeen hours of waiting and the emotional rollercoaster of the film itself, I was exhausted. I've pretty much slept since then with a short period of wakefulness to go see the film again. I still don't think I'm rational enough to write any sort of a review and most of the stuff that needed to be said has already been covered above better than I could anyway. However, I just want to mention a few thoughts.

Overall I think ROTS was outstanding - especially in the context of the proceeding two films. Going in, I did not expect to feel anything, but the film drew me in emotionally at a number of places and left me drained but exhilarated. And it was dark. Much more confronting than I anticipated. The thing that astounded me the most though, was the meaning that this film gave to many moments throughout the other five films. As The Last Star Wars, this is what I dreamed, but never believed, it would do. For that achievement alone this film is truly great.

Some more specific things:

-The scene that intercuts Anakin and Padme looking out at each other across Coruscant is beautifully heartbreaking. If that doesn't show the battle within Anakin then I don't know what would.
-The final battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin is very powerful, climaxing in the "you were my brother" speech that left me close to tears. I actually don't mind the intercutting with the Yoda/Palpatine battle because it connects the fate of the galaxy with the struggle between Anakin and Obi-Wan.
-I take all of Palpatine's words to Anakin as part of a grand manipulation that eventually sees Anakin succumb to the Dark Side of his own accord. I don't think it even matters whether that Sith legend Palpatine related is true or not. Either way, Palpatine intends to give the impression that he can teach Anakin the power to restore life - a lie that is revealed after Windu's death, when Palpatine suggests that together they can find a way to save Padme's. I do see Anakin as having made the choice to give in to the Dark Side. It is significant that Anakin and Palptine never fight. Anakin took the step himself - he was never directly forced.
-I admit that I find Palpatine's behaviour after Windu disarmed him rather odd - especially since he cowers back towards the wall before Anakin enters. However, I agree that it's an act on behalf of Palpatine to set the Jedi, and specifically Windu, up as having committed treason. D pointed out in discussion afterwards that the arrogance displayed by Windu in not letting Anakin accompany them to arrest Palpatine (and thereby not allowing Anakin to see the Chancellor for what he really was), was characteristic of the Jedi's approach - an approach that doomed them.
-My take on the Windu/Palpatine fight is that Palpatine deliberately keep Windu alive initially for reasons to do with Anakin mentioned above (since Windu clearly underestimated him and would have been easy to surprise), but that Palpatine in turn displayed arrogance and did not expect Windu's resolve or his ability to withstand the Dark Side.
-As for Anakin's quick submission to Palpatine, I think by that stage Anakin had already committed himself to do whatever was necessary to save Padme. He simply went along with Palpatine as a way of increasing his power, blind to the all consuming trap of the Dark Side he was walking into.
-I'm not fussed that Palpatine fights with a lightsabre - I just wish he had a more distinctive style reminiscent of his grand power. I do think his jumping around is slightly out of character though.
-I don't find it too hard to accept that Leia's impression of her mother was by virtue of the force. One might suggest that, in being both female, their connection was stronger.

There were many questions that needed answering going into this film and I think ROTS more than fulfills this purpose. In fact, it gives the entire saga a meaningful framework. After six years, I am at peace with Star Wars.

 

Here is my review... After reading yours, I have realised, we don't agree on a few issues.... please note these are my own personal opinions, and I do not expect you all to sgree with them.

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The midnight screening of Episode three, [i]Revenge of the Sith[/i] at Greater Union Glendale was reasonably well run, much better than expected. Those who had bought tickets on advance, were allowed to wait in the cinema, rather than line-up outside, which saved a lot of trouble of people cutting lines, and all things of that sort. Those who had not bought advanced tickets, were not allowed into the same cinema either, they had a separate one, which I thought worked out extremely well.

Surprisingly, the crowds were at a minimum. There was two cinemas?, the big ones, set aside for the pre-booked tickets, and only one other cinema was filled with those that just turned up to buy tickets. There was even a separate snack bar near the doors of the cinemas selling drinks, fairy floss and ice creams.

The movie itself I thought was amazing. Emotional, action-packed, and funny ? thanks to the always classic R2-D2. I thought the acting from Natalie Portman in the role of anxious, distressed and pregnant wife was great, though the chemistry between the two could have been better, especially on Hayden Christensen?s part. I love the boy, but he was a much better bad guy than he was a husband? and he wasn?t even that great at bad guy!

I can?t go without mentioned the brave and wonderful Mace. His duel to the death with Palps was fantastic, and his death was honourable. I could have jumped through the screen to strangle silly Anakin at that point, though after he regretted it I settled back down. It was nice to see he was the one to disfigure Palps so badly.

Obi-Wan was the true hero of this movie, and he did it extremely well. The duel between him and General Grievous was probably my favourite of the movie. His confidence and skill proved him the better, and the way Grievous? eyes exploded in balls of flames kept me grinning for ages.

Until of course the final stages of the movie on Mustafar. Right from the moment Padmé said, ?Anakin, you?re breaking my heart!? I choked up, my mouth dropped open in shock, and stayed that way until my buddy, Cat, shut it for me during the end credits! I was a little disappointed in the way Padmé died. I did not expect her to die in childbirth; I thought it might be something a little more dramatic. Don?t get me wrong it was heart wrenching, and very powerful, but I thought it could have been more so. I also found Anakin?s rise as Darth Vader, in the suit for the first time a bit weak. Hearing that voice show compassion, and ask if someone was all right sounded just a little strange, and wrong. The ?NOOOOOO!? was weird too.

All in all, in my opinion, a great film, though the connection to A New Hope could have been better. Kudos to

And the guy dressed as Han that proposed to his girlfriend before the film, was great. The whole audience cheered and then he proceeded to shoot some Jedi sitting near him with his blaster, which ended in a duel between to kids who were dressed as Vader and Obi-Wan. Even if Vader did fight with an Obi sabre??

 

I was at Glendale too. No proposal down the front, just a couple of nerds doing cartwheels for a lightsabre fight. I sometimes wonder how I fit into Star Wars fandom...

I was in theatre 7. Not a bad group except the woman next to me who couldn't stop throwing her head back and letting out the loudest giggle ever heard.

The best crowd moment was the silence just before Vader's first breathe. Very nice editing.

 

ROTS was fantastic! It is by far the best of the prequels.The whole thing was great from the moment it began to the moment it ended.
The scene whe none of the droids puts the mask on and we hear that distinctive breathing for the first time was so cool. Throughout the film we see how far Anakin really has fallen since we first saw him in ep1.
9.9/10!

 

I watched it, went back in straight away, watched it again.

I enjoyed it, it was a tremendous film to do what it did. Though I can't help but think Hayden's acting would have looked better had he been al ittle more "Han-like" in his delivery. Similarly, if Padme had said that "When there was just our love" line coyly, it would have actually worked.

I knew about the "Noooooo" so I just laughed, but the rest of it I liked. The Duel didn't disappoint; Obi-wan and Anakin's banter was believable and sincere and what's best is that the film appeased you with action at the beginning and end, and dialogue in the middle. Just like ANH.

Though I would have preferred the Tantive IV to look like Leia's ship on the outside...

The only thing I really think they should have left in was Obi-wan visiting Padme for the first time to tell about his worries for Anakin. That way, his bitchingabout Obiwan being there wouldn't have felt as strange.

So, I think it warmly comes in on my list as follows:

1) ESB
2) ANH
3) ROTJ
ROTS
5) TPM
6) AOTC

E_S

 

wedge, I was in cinema 6, thats why. The whole audience was pretty good in there actually, no annoying giggles, though there was some guy sitting near us that wouldn't shut up before the movie, expressing opinions loudly and having a really annoying voice... but during the movie was great. Everyone laughed at the same time, cheered at the same time, clapped a t the same time, it was a great atmosphere.

 

Saw it at Fox Digital last night..and teh atmosphere was just as good as midnight.
Everyone cheered and clapped when the movie started, laughed load at R2 and Yoda (ERG), and all walked out in amazement.

 

"I don't think it even matters whether that Sith legend Palpatine related is true or not. Either way, Palpatine intends to give the impression that he can teach Anakin the power to restore life - a lie that is revealed after Windu's death, when Palpatine suggests that together they can find a way to save Padme's."

I was thinking a little more on my theory that Padme's death is linked directly to Anakin's "death". If indeed that's true, or close enough to the mark, then Palpatine technically isn't lying when he said that Anakin killed Padme in a fit of rage.
Anakin's dreams in RotS seem to be more of a premonition of what could be, of what might happen. Not of an absolute end. I think his dreams are fortelling what will happen if he continues down the path of darkness. Anakin does not fully comprehend these dreams, and he sets himself down that path of darkness and destruction, which ultimately ends up with him "dying" on the operating table to be reborn as Vader - and as he dies, his visions come to pass.

 

I agree, and the realisation he killed her was the sweeping away of the last of his humanity.

 

I had to wait a while to respond, mainly to think things through myself, with some discussion with my bro. Anyways,
The Sad:
-I gathered that the reason Anakin turned was so he could save Padme, which in turn makes it ironic and sad that hes the one who kills her, making his efforts futile.
-Very sad when you see the younglings hiding when Anakin walks in. You know what's going to happen as soon as he ignites his lightsabre and there's no hope for the younglings.
-When Obi-Wan does his "you were the chosen one" speech. It's very emotive and I could almost feel how he felt by the way he said it. There was so much hurt and betrayal in his voice thatshowed how close they were and Obi-Wan's true feelings about Anakin.
-When the clone troopers turn on the jedi, especially when they shoot them in the back, and continue to shoot them even after they've died. It shows how ruthless they are.
-When Anakin realised that he killed Padme.
-When Obi-Wan stands and watches Anakin get burnt. It looks like he wants to either save him or kill him, but he can't.
The Bad (kinda):
-It raining on the night. Grrr.
The Cool:
-Yoda and his quick disposal of the red guards.
-The "re-decorating" of the senate building interior.
-Kashyyk and the wookies, showing their fighting and piloting skills.
-Ewen McGregor's acting.
-Grievous using 4 lightsabres.
-The cool costumes, esp. Sith Assassin
-Padme being buried holding the thing that Anakin made her in TPM
Some other notes:
I guess that when Obi-Wan & Yoda went into hiding, they decided that to help disguise themselves, a name change would be appropriate. Since Obi-Wan went to a planet that people might recognise him, he changed it to Ben. Yoda wouldn't need that since there isn't anything on Dagobah that could recognise him.
I'm still not sure about the whole Leia remembering her mother thing, but I tihnk that a reason that Luke feels there is still good in Vader is because Padme says that when Obi-Wan is holding him, and he remembers it.
Last thing: I felt that Anakin truly turned into Vader when he learnt that he was the reason behind Padme's death, which could explain why they edited Hayden Christensen into the DVD version of RotJ. I think that when you see the spirits of the Jedi, it is when the light force energy left them. In the case of Yoda and Obi-wan, it was when they died. In the case of Anakin, it was when he realised that he killed the reason he had for everything.
Enough rambling from me, it's bed-time...

 

one thing that really really bugs me

We see anakanin / obi wan and yoda and also to an extent in episode 1 qui gonn deflecting insane amounts of blaster fire and defeating overwheling numbers of droids on numerous occasions yet Ki Adi Mundi who sees his clones betray him and manages to deflect numerous shots go down within seconds.

i understand that he was facing overwhelming firepower but this is a member of the jedi council, a highly respected Master who obviously was good in the field, he wouldnt have been a general if he wasnt a gifted warrior, go down against less troops than we see the young jedi padawan take out on the landing pad in front of bail organa

 

Last I checked, Silas Carson wasn't the son of George Lucas.

E_S

 

Can't blame Lucas for giving his kid his 15 minutes, I'd do the same thing.

 

'one thing that really really bugs me

We see anakanin / obi wan and yoda and also to an extent in episode 1 qui gonn deflecting insane amounts of blaster fire and defeating overwheling numbers of droids on numerous occasions yet Ki Adi Mundi who sees his clones betray him and manages to deflect numerous shots go down within seconds.

i understand that he was facing overwhelming firepower but this is a member of the jedi council, a highly respected Master who obviously was good in the field, he wouldnt have been a general if he wasnt a gifted warrior, go down against less troops than we see the young jedi padawan take out on the landing pad in front of bail organa '

Clones are smarter then droids, they shot at differnet parts of the body, and were well syncronised, making it hard to defend from many shots

Droids simply fire, nothin special


Btw i looked for the cameo of George Lucas before the Opera scene, hes def there, pretty funny

 

Also, in that scene Ki-Adi Mundi and the clones are being fired upon by the droids. When the clones turned on him, he literally had nowhere to go. He was being shot at from both sides.

 

I spotted Lucas' cameo in my second viewing, and I also noticed what looked like the Millenium Falcon on Coruscant as Obi-Wan and Anakin return with Palpatine after their crash-landing.

The movie is a lot easier to digest second time around. I can't wait to own it on DVD just so that I can spend a lazy Sunday watching all 6 movies.

 

I thought I saw a Falcon-esque ship in there!
But it was the premiere and people were engrossed so I couldn't share my joy with anyone at the time