'Revenge of the Sith' review

Chris Tilly has seen Episode III, and promises you won't be disappointed by what George Lucas has in-store this time around.

May  9 2005

It's been a long time coming, but Time Out is pleased to report that you can leave your preconceptions at the cinema door as 'Revenge of the Sith' is the Star Wars film that fans have been waiting more than 20 years to see.

Having spent the good part of a decade making the disappointing and at times downright infuriating episodes I and II, Lucas's franchise rises like a heavily scarred phoenix from the flames with 'Episode III'.

And that's no mean feat when telling a tale that most already know – namely the fall of Anakin Skywalker and the Republic and the birth of Darth Vader and the Empire.

Yet somehow Lucas manages to infuse the film with a sense of anxiety and tension throughout, as Anakin is slowly but surely seduced by the dark side while Chancellor Palpatine manipulates and manoeuvres himself into a seemingly unassailable position of power.

Kicking off with a spectacular space battle followed by some breathtaking lightsaber action, the special effects soon give way to human tragedy on a titanic scale, as Skywalker's Faustian pact with devil Palpatine develops with devastating consequences.

Indeed, as the stakes are raised higher and higher and Lucas expertly juxtaposes large-scale action with heartbreaking drama, you're reminded just why you fell for these films in the first place.

At the same time he's also managed to keep the yawn-inducing politics to a minimum, choosing instead to turn the screw tighter and tighter as Count Dooku, Mace Windu, Yoda and the like are set on a collision course that can only end in great pain and suffering.

The performances are also a vast improvement on the previous prequels, with Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen seeming far more comfortable in their roles this time around and the dominant Ian McDiarmid chewing scenery with obvious glee as the dastardly Palpatine.

And in spite of the still clunky dialogue and a somewhat underwhelming final lightsaber duel (not a patch on those of Episodes I or VI), its nevertheless impossible not to be swept away by the beautiful tragedy of it all.

Throw in the answer to countless questions and a thrilling finale that thrusts the galaxy into darkness while at the same time offering us the faintest glimmer of new hope, and the result is the best Star Wars film since 'The Empire Strikes Back'.

So while it may not atone for the almighty disappointments of I and II, 'Revenge of the Sith' is nevertheless magical moviemaking on the grandest of scales; a fitting climax to a truly unique series of films.

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