A George Lucas Film
Review by: Annette M. Hall
Posted December 3, 2005
I just finished watching Star Wars III - The Revenge of the Sith, a movie we passed on seeing in the theaters because we were concerned about our nine-year-old son seeing it on the huge screen; a move I'm glad we made.
While the graphics are incredible and very well done, the movie stretched out far beyond what was required to develop the plot properly. I found my mind wandering and finally found myself thankful to be able to fast-forward through some of the rather long and tedious battles scenes.
Our entire family is hooked on Star Wars, though I must admit I didn't watch the original trilogy (episodes 4, 5 or 6) until about three years ago, having finally been talked into viewing it at my sons exuberant requests. We stayed up and watched episodes 1 & 2 when they opened at the theater, during a midnight showing. If a viewer lacks the information from the two previous films from 1999 and 2002 it may be a little hard to follow.
Having heard in advance that this new release would be more graphic in nature than the others; we wisely chose to wait for the home video release. We were concerned about the PG-13 rating as each of the previous films were rated PG. There were several scenes, which warranted the elevated rating. The battle between longtime friends and companions Anakin and Obi Wan Kenobi was intense and full of strong emotions.
Personally, I found myself anxiously awaiting the birth of the twins Luke and Leia Skywalker. The birth was tastefully depicted. The secret of childbirth was protected from innocent eyes and Padme Amidala was discretely covered during the birth, in a well-done climactic scene in which she meets her demise. It was also nice to find out who actually raised the twins and why they were separated, since all Star Wars fans know that they finally found each other in a later episode (part 6), even though neither knew of the others existence.
We finally learn how Yoda ends up living in the swamp and how young Anakin Skywalker sadly ends up becoming Darth Vader. This film actually answers a great many questions for those of us who haven't had the time to actually pick up the books and reading them. I am finding that with each additional movie's release, I'm getting more and more curious, to the point that I may just have to break down and read the series with my son.
My son's favorite character has always been Anakin, who elicited our sympathies because of his status as slave and then the death of his mother. We took this opportunity as parents to speak with our son about the moral implications of Darth Vaders actions and how Anakins wrong responses and misplaced loyalties were his undoing.
We found it an excellent time to talk with our son about good vs. evil and how our own actions and wrong thinking can lead to disastrous results in our lives. The Revenge of the Sith has been viewed by many young children, who are not emotionally ready to handle the strong feelings this movie will stir, if they understand the implications of certain intense scenes. If you can't avoid allowing your children to watch the show at least use the film as a chance to discuss the moral decisions Anakin was faced with and how he might have better responded.
Overall, I enjoyed George Lucas' depiction of the Revenge of the Sith, though I still believe it could have been done in one and a half hours instead of two and a half and the unnecessary violence could have been toned down a bit especially considering the popularity of the film with young children. Despite the excessive violence I find myself anxiously awaiting the making of part VII. Our family will be taking a day or two and watching the entire series in order, one day in the near future. It is so unusual for a filmmaker to begin a series in the middle of that series, it adds to the intrigue and mystery.