OK, if you’re of a certain age and have seen all the other Star Wars movies, you have to watch Revenge of the Sith, aka Episode III (terrible, memory-sucking Flash website there, by the way). But…
- You don’t have to like it.
- You don’t need to rush to the theater.
It’s more than acceptable to wait for the DVD. If the audience weren’t invested in tying up a few loose ends before the “real” first movie, Episode IV, no one would see this movie. I’d love to hear from an adult who saw this movie first and hear their thoughts. Among many less than stellar moments, I’d have to say that the scenes with Anakin Skywalker and Padme, illicit lovers and soon-to-be-parents are about the most excruciating film moments ever witnessed. I believe Natalie Portman may be able to act, though she provides much evidence to the contrary here. I don’t know the actor who plays Anakin, and can’t find his name on the Star Wars site (!), but maybe that’s all for the best.
After hearing reasonably good things about this film — mostly in relation to Episode I and II, to be honest — I was mildly disappointed. Of course, I also saw it last night, after getting up at 4am for the race, so it’s a wee bit possible that my exhaustion played a part in my reaction. But it’s not a good movie.