Grade: D-
Well, that was a slog.
After watching the first two movies of the original trilogy, I found myself jumping into the latest saga. Episodes I, II and III aren’t just bad, they’re abysmal. I would use the term “underwhelming” but that doesn’t seem like a strong enough word. It took me multiple sittings to finish “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith” and this is coming from a person who watched “Boyhood” in one go.
The problem with the newest trilogy, from an outsider’s point of view, is that they are bogged down in needless waste. The overall story is one that has been done well countless of times. “The one” must find himself through the twists and turns that befall him. Knowing that Anakin will eventually become the archetypal villain is actually a remarkable transformation on this type of story. It’s too bad that none of these movies are able to back up this innovative plot.
“Revenge of the Sith” picks up where its predecessor left off, with bland dialogue and Anakin making kissy faces at Padme. The stale acting, by Hayden Christensen in particular, was amped up to 11 in this film. “You’re so beautiful,” says Anakin to Padme. She responds, “It’s only because you’re so in love.” Flavorless dialogue like this is the norm in the movie. At least they didn’t get their “Bachelor in Paradise” scene again.
One of the things about this movie especially that prompted me to give an eyeroll or two was how ham-fisted every attempt at symbolism was. Every fight needs to stress the good vs. evil clash to the umpteenth degree; every conversation needs to stress the force’s influence toward the dark side. It just gets exhausting when the soap opera has to be played on loud. There’s not a second to breathe or advance the characters. Not one character is fleshed out the plot doesn’t allow any room for development.
Watching this movie made me tired. The last battle scene provided a little fresh air but by then I was long gone.
