I saw Star Wars: Episode III last night, and I came away having enjoyed it more than I expected to. After the disappointment of Episodes I and II, I had set my expectations fairly low for Episode III. Now, in some respects, I was right – the dialogue is rubbish, some of the acting is poor, and Natalie Portman’s role is diminished so much she might as well not have been in the movie.
However, the technical aspects of the film cannot be faulted. The special effects are great, the locations well rendered, and Yoda looks better than ever. The whole fight scene between Anakin and Obi Wan on the lava planet looks spectacular. I found the opening space battle scene a bit confusing to watch yet impressive, but I think I hadn’t adjusted properly to the angle I was looking at it from – front row, over to the side.
In the end, Anakin’s fall to the dark side was not convincing, especially the particular scene when he switches allegiance. The script can be blamed somewhat, and Hayden Christensen doesn’t have the acting ability to carry the scene without a good script, so it seemed somewhat anticlimactic. Even his final transformation into Darth Vader seemed to lack any real drama. Christensen didn’t seem able to fill Vader’s boots either physically or metaphorically.
Despite its flaws, I did enjoy the movie. There’s lots of detail in there for the Star Wars fan to notice and enjoy – the Millenium Falcon (or a ship just like it) can be seen docking in one shot, there’s early versions of various spacecraft, including the Emperor’s shuttle, and many more things like that. I did get carried away by the story, with only brief moments where a clumsy line or inconsistent behaviour from the characters jolted me back to reality. It does bring closure to the story, and no doubt these prequels have brought the Star Wars universe to the attention of a lot of new fans.