Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Science Fiction & Fantasy

This review contains spoiler... so stop reading if you plan to watch it... :-)

The movie is dark and somewhat depressing for anyone who is used to watching many happy-ending hollywood movies. Unlike many other movies, the end of this movie is known already by all audience who are familiar with the Star Wars episode 4: Anakin will become Darth Vedar, all Jedis are eliminated except two survivors: Yoda and Obi-wan.

In this movie we will be introduced with a new character, General Grievous, who hunts and kills Jedi for sport and proudly collected his victim's lightsabers as trophies (please watch Cartoon Network's Star Wars Clone Wars vol.1 and vol.2, for the background of events post Star Wars Episode 2, including the origin of General Grievous). In this episode 3, we will see how General Grievous is defeated and killed, as well as his teacher, Count Dooku. Also in this episode, we will see how most of theJedis are murdered or massacred (including Mace Windu, Saesee Tin, etc., and the young Jedis in the Jedi academy) by the evil Sith Lord Sidious, with the help of his new apprentice, Anakin Skywalker and the clone troopers.

The plot of the movie is filled with deceptions of war and political manuevers as well as human psychology. We can see how Palpatine (the Sith Lord) manages to gain absolute power in the senate and plays Anakin's psychology to follow his plan unknowingly. Anakin is caught in a serious conflict between Palpatine and his Jedi family. Anakin's great love for his wife and his fear of losing his wife, makes him surrender, naively initially but later willingly, to the dark side. He is willing to do that in order to gain absolute power so he can forever protect his beloved wife.

We will see at the end of the movie who is actually responsible for the death of Padme who is pregnant at that time with Leia and Luke skywalker. We will also see the duel between Anakin and Obi-wan ended with Anakin's legs severed and his body burnt by the lava. He is later saved by Lord Sidious who turns him into Darth Vedar as seen in Episode 4.

This movie is so dark and depressing!


SOME NOTES:

In the episode III, close to the end, Yoda communicates with Qui-Gon Jin (teacher of Obi-wan who was killed by Darth Maul in Episode I), who mentions about the ability to defy death and merge with the Force by "the Shaman of Whills", which can only be done through compassion not greed, unlike the Sith. While the value of compassion is universally accepted by all religions, the ability to communicate with the spirit of a dead person and union with God (as might be implied in "The Force") are not acknowledged by all religions. I guess George Lucas put this conversation at the end to show the audience the reason why Obiwan disappeared when Darth Vedar hits him in Episode 4.

As everyone notices, some subtle philosophies from Buddhism or New Age play some role in all Star Wars movie. The word "The Force" is used to imply the impersonal energy which regulates the living things and controls the universe as opposed to the concept of the power of a supreme, intelligent and personal God, taught in major religions. "The Force" is said to have the good side and the bad (dark) side - similar to the existence of good and evil taught in major religions. I am not aware if "God" has ever been mentioned in any of the Star Wars movies.

Parents professing different religious views should be aware of these philosophies in case their children ask them the related questions after watching the movie... :-)