thanks to CoGro
PART IIAlso during the opening battle we are introduced to the saga's newest villain, the part alien part droid, General Grievous. His introduction is classic, that of a frustrated commander shouting orders while occasionally losing his breath and coughing loudly, a colourful addition that adds life to the droid. While he does display a kind of sinister wit, the character may fall victom to the criticism that plagued Jar Jar and other computer generated characters of the prequels. Grievous's sterotypical villain dialogue is sure to be a point of attack from weary critics and fans. The character that immediately comes to mind is "Bosley" from the Care Bears television show. His animation, for the most part, is spectacular and really gets to shine in a fight to the death with Obi-wan Kenobi later in the film.
The battle in space soon carries over to a skirmish aboard an enemy cruiser as the Jedi (and a aggressive R2-D2) move to rescue the captive chancellor. This scene really stuck out in my mind because it directly echos the Death Star scenes in Star Wars. The Jedi keep in contact with R2D2 over a comlink, and the droid providess help opening doors and the such via his signature computer appendage. The scene culminates in the first of severa lightsaber battles between the Jedi and the villain Dooku.
Anakin's seduction to the dark side starts here, as the future Emperor encourages the victorious Jedi to finish off the defeated Dooku. When he does, a stern satisfaction comes over Anakin - though with a tinge of regret - a quality that Palpatine exploits over the course of the film. Worthy of note is that in the cut I saw, the final music track appeared to be in place and it's nothing short of sensational. The space battle music is filled with recognizeable beats and cues from the original trilogy's space battle sequence. As the enemy cruiser makes for a thrilling crash landing (that showcases some of the best work ILM has ever done), the music kicks up a notch, enhancing the urgency of a scene that is sure to wow moviegoers.
The actors feel much more comfortable in their roles in Revenge of the Sith. During the opening sequence, you actually believe the characters are responding to real situations. Hayden's performance during the first duel is spot-on, not breaking from the posed and determined stature of a warrior soon to become an agent of evil. There is some awkward dialogue, however which brings down the performances a bit, but the actors fight hard and stand their ground. Only during the first Padme-Anakin scenes are we reminded about what made Clones' love scenes so difficult to take in. It's not that acting is bad here, in fact it's quite good. There is no awkward blocking or positioning that I found hampered the performances of the leads in Clones, but instead a tenderness between the two lovers that conveys real emotion, amidst often difficult dialogue. Anakin speaks of his love for Padme and how he's missed her dearly, but the scene could lead to some rolling eyes. Nevertheless, these scenes are quite brief in comparison to its Episode II counterpart.
So begins the plot. The end of the Clone Wars are at hand, and the Jedi Council organize in a briefing room, reminiscent of a similar scene in Return of the Jedi, to plan the final stages of the war. Yoda goes to the Wookiee homeworld and Obi-wan to Utapau, a sinkhole planet that's rumoured to be the santuary of General Grievous. Meanwhile, the Jedi have grown weary of Palpatine's leadership and appoint Anakin as a spy to inform the council of the chancellor's activities. These series of scenes are quite well done, and focus on the tension that exists between the Jedi and the executive branch of the Republic. Anakin is caught in the middle, seeing Palpatine as a father figure, but is sworn by duty to the Jedi. His allegiances begin to fall in favour of Palpatine when the Jedi deny Anakin 'master' status, a decision Anakin blames on Obi-wan, whom he feels is jealous of Anakin's power. I take my hat off to Hayden Christensen, who will emerge from this film as a very capable leading actor, especially in a project of such high stature. His confidence becomes arrogance, which then turns to frustration and finally culminates in anger. His emotions are front and center of his portrayal of the dark lord to be