Blog From The Bench

I've avoided reading any press or forum discussions on REVENGE OF THE SITH before seeing it, which I did last night. My brother came in from New Hampshire this weekend. Having seen the first five films together in the theatre, I had to wait -- and I'm glad I did. It gave the hype and my anticipation a chance to dissipate, letting me go in with little or no expectations.

I apologize in advance if these topics have already been discussed to death, but I just want to get a few things off my chest.

Acting
George Lucas is the greatest performance COOLER in the history of motion pictures. His ability to single-handedly suck the skill out of gifted actors such as Samuel L. Jackson, Natalie Portman, and Jimmy Smits is baffling. Watching Hadyn and Natalie attempt to express real emotion for each other was something akin to having a root canal without the benefit of novacaine. At no point did I ever believe these two people cared for each other. I've seen middle school plays with more authenticity.

Ewan McGregor, Kenny Baker, Anthony Daniels, Frank Oz, and Ian McDiarmid were somewhat immune to the Lucas effect, although McDiarmid was sucked into the abyss once his Sidious personae was revealed.

Dialogue
Oy vey. I'm sure this been talked about ad nauseum, so I won't belabor the point.

Character Development
* How is it that Padme is clearly defined as a fearless, rough and tumble leader in the first two films, and yet here is portrayed as little more than an agoraphobic co-dependent mess? Has George discovered a new medical condition: pre-partum depression?

* How is Obi-Wan cutting off Anakin's legs and watching him barbeque not a 'jump the shark' moment? Even pushed to the point of desperation, this enlightened man of honor with such love for his protege would have done everything in his power to save Anakin. This is just bad writing. A better choice would have been to have the two continue their fight over the lava. Anakin falls. Obi-wan grabs hold to save him, while his body is slowly consumed by the molten rock. Assuming him dead, Obi-wan is consumed by grief and returns to the ship, while we see the mechanical hand pulling what is left of Ani's body onto solid ground.

* Hadyn looks nothing like David Prowse in the Vader suit. And the Stanley Kowalski "Stella!!" moment should have been left on the digital cutting room floor. The telekinetic destruction was more than enough to get the point across.

Wasted Plot Points
Screenwriting 101: Don't introduce concepts or ideas you never intend to flesh out. There are a boatload of half-baked elements here: The twins, The Wookies, Obi-wan's supposed reunion with Qui-Gon, etc. As the film drew to a close, it came across as "what is the easiest possible way for me to tie up all these loose ends and connect to a film I created 29 years ago?" There just isn't enough here for the audience to invest themselves in the lives of these characters.

The film wasn't all bad. A bit too much at times. Heavy handed, certainly. But some things worked very well.

* The observation deck battle between Anakin and Dooku, a direct recreation of the throne room battle between Luke and Vader, was a nice parallel, but you don't have to hit us over the head with it.

* The clone betrayal was done perfectly, with the right mix of tension, horror, and an overwhelming sense of dread.

* I would have liked to have learned more about the origins of the Sith. We are teased with Palpatine's betrayal of his own master, Darth Plagus, much like we have been teased with Darth Maul and Count Dooku/Darth Tyrannus in the first two films. How did these men come to fall prey to the dark side. Who were they before? Were there female Sith Lords? (We do see one in the animated series). I would also like to have explored more about who and what General Grievous was prior to his cybernetic transformation.

* Tell us more about the history of the Jedi Council, who they are, and how they came to be.

* The digital backgrounds and effects have become so real and seamless that only on very rare occasions are you taken out of this beautifully crafted albeit overstimulated world.

A final personal message to George: Thank you for almost 30 years of great memories. I know the fans tend to dissect and discuss things way too much, but it's only because they've become invested in the world you created. And for that we are eternally grateful. I have the feeling that others will pick up the torch and develop many more stories for future generations to enjoy, if you allow them to; and I hope you do.