War has been raging throughout the galaxy, keeping the Jedi duo Obi-Wan and Anakin (McGregor and Christensen) busy. But darker forces are at work, most insidiously in the friendship between Anakin and Chancellor Palpatine (McDiarmid), who's of course secretly an evil Sith lord. Anakin is still hiding his forbidden marriage to Padme (Portman), who's now pregnant. And as he begins to worry about his future, he finds himself with a life-changing choice to make between power and selflessness.

Knowing everything that happens is the biggest problem; it'll be much more dramatic for new fans who watch the episodes in sequence. Since we know Anakin's future, his agonising decision doesn't seem quite so precarious. Lucas connects the dots with rather obvious events that feel somewhat quick and convenient. But at its heart, this is a serious film dealing provocatively with politics (including some strong up-to-date parallels), responsibility and emotions. As it morphs to connect with Episode IV, Lucas manages to add new resonance to the overall saga, especially in Obi-Wan's complex personal journey. And across the six films, Palpatine is now a truly epic villain.

There are superb moments scattered throughout--fierce battles featuring Palpatine, Yoda (Oz), Mace Windu (Jackson), Dooku (Lee) and the increasingly intriguing General Grievous (voiced by Wood); the gruesome showdown on the lava planet Mustafar; the first rasping Darth-breath! The overarching tension is impressive. As Anakin is pushed and pulled to the dark side, the Jedi are so preoccupied that they hardly notice. Although you do feel like Lucas rushes through these intense scenes with melodramatic shorthand and some rather obvious plot turns. And there's one bit of revisionism (he'll probably edit something Leia says in Episode VI out of his next revamp).

Visually, the film looks terrific. Most effects are seamless, although there are a few inexplicably dodgy shots. But it's great to see a much darker, shadowy visual tone, and Lucas brilliantly brings the imagery back around to the designs, ships, costumes and even hairstyles of Episode IV. It's no surprise that the final pieces of the puzzle aren't terribly surprising. But they all fit just right.

Kat, Japan: "Worth watching to complete the epic, this movie was much better than the other two. That being said, it's quite lacking in punch. Anakin's metamorphosis into Vader is supposed to make you ache for him because of his misguided moral crisis and all-consuming love of Padme. Mostly you just want to take him out back and shoot him for being a pouty brat who keeps reciting what a Jedi is supposed to be without emulating any of it. And he and Padme have less chemistry than Britney Spears and her boy-toy love. Sometimes a good actor can work around horrible dialogue to give a decent sense of character. Hayden's not one of them, although even Samuel L Jackson seems like he’s on some kind of psychedelic medication that removes all vestiges of acting ability. Still, little touches like the massacre of the Jedi, the physical transformation of Anakin into Vader, light touches of wit and humor, the setting up for the epic we know as the Original Trilogy, and some gorgeous sets/FX, all make this film worth my time to rebuke it. I wonder if Lucas realized good a movie he almost made." (21.May.05)

Martin, Canada: "Absolutely brilliant. I dunno what detractors of the now infamous 'bad dialogue' criticism were watching, but I thought the acting at least was solid and, in fact, was always at least palpable. I digress. Sith features a stunning combination of seamlessly integrated CGI shots that somehow augment the emotionally cathartic process of the entire film. All the more brilliant is Lucas' ability to never let the momentum flag, despite a running time of 2 hrs and 20 mins. Ian McDiarmid steals the show as the duplicitous Palpatine/Sidious and, despite some obviously rushed pivotal transition scenes (eg, where Anakin pledges his allegiance to Palpatine), the movie has a tangible dramatic weight. The musical score by John Williams, especially the opening space battle, adds to the tension without being distracting. Natalie Portman's scene on Mustafar where she confronts Anakin and tries to reach him is gut wrenching. Even R2-D2 is integrally involved in the unfolding of events. Overall, the movie is definitely the best since Empire and is arguably the best of the entire saga." (23.May.05)

HOME | REVIEWS | NEWS | FESTIVAL | AWARDS | Q&A | ABOUT | TALKBACK