Instant classic - last piece of the puzzle
I'm not gonna rehearse every good remark already made, still I gotta write these lines down for the sake of fandom. I think you guys caught the main pieces that are worth discussing.
Episode III was surprising, unless you read the novel/screenplay, have a very visual mind and seen the thousand of spoiler photos. I personnaly think - regarding the main plot lines and drama - Lucas couldn't have pulled this one off better than it is. Narratively and in the wider visual parts, it's truly epic.
The very slow process that turned Anakin into Vader, his serious and potentially succesfull attempt to quiet the darker sides of his inner self (even apologizing to Kenobi seemed a beakon of hope) was well portrayed.
By the slow turning web of deceit built by Palpatine around Anakin, as by the ambiguous decisions of the Jedi Council it's clear nothing was clear, black-and-white anymore, the line between good and right becomes dangerously thin in ROTS.
The feel of hesitation and non-linearity marks the movie, contrary to the previous prequels, where the enigma unravels without much plotting, conspiracy. Of course there are subplots of deceit, but it all culminates to a unsurpassed climax in ROTS. The large opening was just an attempt at showing-off in CG and sharp turning camera angles, though I expected the war to open up rather fast, but all came to the dazzling effect: a deep view down below to the manic war maze of battleships. Only good droid humor in the beginning (not the Astromech versus surface spaceship sabotage droid) was R2 having to shut up the comlink he got to communicate with the jedi. Yoda's bashing imperial Crimson Guards (in red) in Palpatine's office by a simple force push was sublime (same effect as the Ninja-type, arms-up position in Ep II): 'I've had enough, no bull****' attitude. In TPM, Yoda even looked confuzingly fuzzier and less-serious than AOTC & ROTS. ROTS: realistic frowning and force-fealt pain of death (like a head-ache).
Anakin's grimmy make-up was excellent, adding to the hatefull expression that was very realistic and truly meant (I'll always remember the lines 'You put her up against me !!!' and 'I hate youuuu !!!' ) At one time, I even thought in some parts he faintly reminded me of a focused-looking Jeff Goldblum. Yet I also heard comments on how Palpatine's degenerated face (at the end of the struggle with Windu and further on), that the rubber mask looked a bit clodded over the eyes. Apparently, one of the characters on the Star Destroyer bridge was a CG rendering of Grand Moff Tarkin, of whom a friend remarked he moved away too woodenly - too obviously CG.
I even loved the introduction and entire campaign feel to Kashyyyk. Lucas manages to keep expanding the armor vehicle technology and infantry (increasingly diverse Clone regimental color insignia and strategic outlining as in AOTC), to a point that I'm giving up looking up all the specs and names.
As to Padmé's 'smaller' part: I also had the feeling it was always Anakin conforting her whenever he came back shortly and needed to depart in a hurry. The stuff that really made my throat clogg up was him killing younglings without mercy; the tragic, fearless execution of 'Order 66' by the Clones resulting in Jedi genocide - really the feel of helplessness and cold betrayal of the Jedi moved me as well as the inhumane suffering of Anakin's massacred torso being crippled in flames and torturing emergency operation. Even the bold threatening of Bail Organa upon his arrival to the Temple made me realize the insanity of a totalitarious regime and the unjustified imperative of bureaucratic executive power (a great repetitive theme in the Indy series too: remember his furious outburst to the French administrator in Port Gentil).
I can't hold a grudge to the fact Obi-Wan leaves Anakin to fry - he's obliged to kill him in order to stop the madness, but he feels betrayed as a friend too. (Approximative) quote:"You were like a son to me!"
It was surprising, maybe even disapointing how fast Dooku was dealt with (bearing in mind he managed to severely injure both Jedi rather masterfully in AOTC). Although Anakin warns Dooku that his powers have doubled since their last encounter, it's not completely satisfactory. Dooku's catchy reply: (quote by approximation) 'The higher the ambition, the deeper her the fall' !
Also, Palpatine's ironic story of 'rise and fall of a Sith' (his Master whom he killed single-handedly), worked alright for me. Sometimes a pitty his voice acting, along with his laughs at times made him look like a comicbook caricature (reminding me of Gargamel from the Smurfs). Then again, Grievous Russian-alike voice may have seemed a bit overacted, but the only other option was that it sounded hoarse, and here he's snappy. I wish we'd seen more of the (rather small) alien inside him as Obi can-opened his carcass with his lightsaber, but him burning up from inside and his eyesockets ejecting flames was fair enough. Using a blaster to do the job was not Jedi style, but hey Kenobi simply crushed 3 or 4 of Grievous' guards with one block too, avoiding unnecessary stretching the action and pace of the story. The backsetting spinning action of forward-chopping lightsabers was a nice treat, but I guess it's hard enough synchronizing arm movements while cöordinating lightsaber blows for the experts at ILM.
It's weird how Palpatine, himself actually realizing that all great men who seize high(est) powers, eventually fall and succumb to their own weakness or hunger towards power (irony of was that the story's Sith Lord could prevent anyone from dying except himself), while he himself wishes to achieve ultimate power, having learned nothing from that lesson (that someday he'll eventually fall). Blinded by ambition and overconfidence allright. Breaking loose of the chains was OK, though Vader shouting "NOOOO!" after realizing Padmés death and Palpatine grinning in irony was too much of a cliché line not to catch the drama. He should've shouted something less pathetic, like: "Why !!!" (falling to his knees, cracking up the floor through raying his dark force anger instead of balling his fists like a moron, (then turning to Palpatine
"You promised me she would live!... (shouting): "You... (pointing at Palpatine, maybe even attempting a shortly aborted choke on Palpatine) lied to me!" ... (Palpatine giving the comment how it was his choice to make , Vader looking up to a zoomed-in camera): I will revive/avenge you, Padmé. I will find a way." (then again, I'm not George Lucas).
Indeed, a lot of references to other films: close hallways, a space that reminiscenced the long surfboard-shaped bay in ESB whith walkway around it. Even the breaking of the panoramic window in Palpatine's chambers during the duel with Windu instantly reminded me of the dark Cloud City spiderweb glassed room in ESB. And the departure of Yoda was a great hommage to Spielberg's E.T.'s farewell to Elliot and capsule liftoff.
The birth of the twins are forever engraved in the minds of fans, the moment was only slightly spoiled by the medical droid. The delivery of Leia and especially Luke to Beru and Owen Lars was almost like romantic art. It moved me to tears, and didn't strike me as a cheesy moment, or a kitsch copy of Luke's watching the binary sunset. No, here I felt symbolic ties that bined the generations of the Star Wars protagonists, the feel of universal connectivity, although apart of distant worlds between the heirs of a destroyed Republic.
