"I am your Father"

So I finally bit the bullet and saw the final installment of Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. I know what you're saying: where have you been for the last year? Well... I was avoiding seeing it for a couple of reasons...

First off, I was afraid it would suck. And I've been so disillusioned with the first two episodes, that I figured Episode III would be the nail in the coffin. Second of all, I think it represented the end of an era for me. Is that a little melodramatic? Maybe.

But I think a lot of people use movies, songs, and TV shows as markers in their lives. And an age difference of just a couple of years either way means that you remember different movies, different songs, different cartoons... etc. And for those of us born in the late seventies... well, there was nothing much cooler or bigger than Star Wars.

In fact, Episode IV came out the year I was born and I know I'd seen all three of the original movies by the time Return of the Jedi was released in 1983. And I had all the action figures. And I still think Darth Vader is the best movie villain of all time. I had nightmares about him well into my 20's... I guess he had a pretty deep and lasting impact on my psyche.

So... I think I was a little anxious about closing the most lasting and important chapter of entertainment of my lifetime. And the verdict on Episode III?

I don't want to say it sucked... So I won't. But I had problems with it. Not with the story. I love the way the plot and story of the Episodes I-III was constructed. I love how the Emperor slowly consolidates his power by playing both sides of a manufactured conflict, and manipulates people into giving him more and more power until he's in a position to take control. It really resonates with how figures in history have grabbed power. I liked the tragedy of the fall of the Jedi and how brutal and absolute it was. I liked Obi Wan and Anakin's final battle and the savagery of it.

So what didn't I like? Let me count the things (pushes glasses up in nerdly manner)...

1. The dialogue.

2. The dialogue.

3. The dia- you get the idea. George Lucas is such a hack when it comes to putting exposition in characters mouths. And it kills me. Don't have Yoda tell us he's going into exile. Just go into fucking exile! We know he's going into exile! But Lucas feels the need to pound details into our heads by having characters speak them. Argh. Give the audience some credit.

4. The direction. I can only surmise that when good actors like Samuel Jackson, Ewan McGregor, and Natalie Portman get all mumble-mouthed and robotic that it has something to do with the direction. Thanks again George Lucas. Why didn't he let someone else direct?

5. The special effects. They were good but overused. The movie felt two dimensional. There was no, ZERO, dirt. Compare it to original three Episodes, or better yet, The Lord of the Rings.

6. Darth Vader's "Nooooooooooooo" at the end of the movie. Oh. My. God. I've seen less contrived staging at junior high school plays. Broke the momentum of the last 30 minutes of the movie. Ruined it.

All that being said, there are some nice resolutions which set up Episodes IV - VI and make them even more poignant then they were when they originally came out. I like the fact that everyone mourns Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader because he's supposed to be the "Chosen One" who brings balance to the force, but he does eventually fulfill that prophecy by destroying the Emperor in Jedi. I like how the conditions at the beginning of Episode IV really speak to 18 years of Empire rule... technology and order are breaking down, things are really in disarray. Good stuff.

So... sigh... I guess that's it for Star Wars for me. Seeing Episode III also seemed pertinent in light of Father's Day... as Anakin/Darth and Luke have one of the most storied father-son relationships in history, right up there with Laius and Oedipus. Of course my dad is like the anti-Darth Vader. In that he's not trying to kill me. Although he probably felt like it a few times when I was in high school (and there were times I probably deserved to be killed).

But in all seriousness, I couldn't ask for a better father. I can only hope to be for my children something like the mentor and friend that my dad has been for me. Now I better go sharpen my lightsaber skills. And that's not a euphemism.

jbg