I really and truly enjoyed this movie. That is doubtless not much of a shock, considering how active I am with all the other yahoos in the Hyperspace Webcam chat, the fact that I spent $75.00 to see the movie at the Atlanta charity screening on May 12th, and that I waited 17 hours in line at C3 to see George Lucas. It might, however, be a surprise considering I was perfectly spoiled: by May 5th I had read the Illustrated Screenplay, the comic book, and the novelization (fantastic book on its own merits, by the way).

I'm *kidding* about the 'yahoos' comment. Really. So if you're one of the yahoos ... please don't be offended.

If you guess that this is a lighthearted sort of review, then you would guess correctly. Although RotS is a very serious movie, a tragedy of staggeringly epic proportions, and very very dark as a whole, I believe that to deny the lively, youthful, and overly positive thrust of the entire sextet (I love that word!) would be to do the movie a grave dis-service. I will attempt to review RotS in keeping with the redemptive, upbeat tone of the whole six-episode story arc. First I'll give overall impressions (this post) and then in subsequent posts I'll get more specific.

...OVERALL FEELINGS

I thoroughly enjoyed it despite knowing the whole story going in. I LOVED THIS MOVIE! It was so thoroughly Star Wars that I was swept back to 1977 and was again that 10 yr old staring wide-eyed at the screen-story playing out for me. That said, I was disappointed at how much of the Illustrated Screenplay did not make "the final cut" of the finished movie. However, since nearly two and a half hours of action and intense, powerful story remained, I don't complain too loudly. In case you aren't (yet!) aware, the whole subplot about the roots of the Rebel Alliance was cut. Similarly, Yoda's long Force meditation on the Tantive IV in which he communes with Qui-Gon Jinn was removed. As was Yoda's arrival on Dagobah, Obi-wan's decision-making process in choosing Boga as a mount on Utapau, and a few more of the love "establishment" scenes between Padme and Anakin. I missed those scenes. But the movie was still utterly, phenomenally good without them!

Next, let me discuss one of the most prevalent 'negatives' about RotS. Many others have critiqued the "wooden acting" and "stilted dialogue" that evidently is a hallmark of Lucas's scripts and direction. However, in the context of the story presented in RotS, all of that can be sufficiently explained within the established continuity. Anakin and Padme have been separated for months, with little contact at all over the past three years. Of course their relationship will be a little "wooden" during the period shown in the film. Similarly, with the tragic events unfolding around all the characters, it follows that some of the conversations ANY sentient being would have would seem a little unreal. In short, I agree that the acting was wooden and the dialogue was stilted. But it can be sufficiently explained. The times ... the story ... the sheer gravity of what's happening around them ... makes those stilted/wooden performances acceptable and even believable. Note I said "sufficiently explained" ... saying "adequately" may be too much of a stretch. Grim times make for grim words and actions!

Finally, I'd like to close my overall impressions with a super-GOOD thing that I don't see addressed in many of the reviews I've read. And George gets a thousand KUDOS and HURRAHS and HIP HIP HOORAYS for it, too. That one thing? Continuity!!! George answered all of the questions left unanswered by the previous 5 films.

The number one question answered: "Why do some Jedi *disappear* when they die?" The answer lies behind Yoda's urgent words to Obi-wan on the Tantive IV at the end. It's explained more precisely in the book and screenplay, but in short it's a Force skill Qui-Gon learned from a representative of the "Whills" which he discovered in the Jedi Archives. Yoda described it rather well to Obiwan, so I won't go into detail here. Suffice to say simply, the question is answered!

A second question answered was, "What the heck really happened to Luke & Leia's mother?" Of course, many think it's a glaring continuity error due to Leia's statements in the Ewok village to Luke in Ep VI. But those "memories" could be wrong for a host of different reasons. Just because she says she HAS memories of a sad but loving mother doesn't mean she truly DOES remember. Again, it's a stretch, but we have the answer, and it remains to us, the fans, to legitimize them. I think we can, and it's not an insurmountable error.

A third question answered was, "How, exactly, did Luke & Ben end up on Tatooine, Leia end up on Alderaan, and Yoda far, far away in the swampy backwater of Dagobah?" It was quick and not very tidy there in the conference room of the Tantive IV, but it answered the questions. It appeared to be "tacked on" and not relevant to the main theme of EpIII (the fall of Anakin), but it was very important to the fans to know the facts. George provided them expertly.

There are other questions that arose from the physical transformation of Anakin into Vader, the "de-volution" of the Anakin/Obiwan friendship, and the "turning" of the clonetroopers of Ep I & II into the hated stormtroopers of Ep IV, V, & VI. "Order 66" explained that one very nicely. But they were all answered. If you feel at all confused about anything, just ask me - I'll bring you up to speed!

To wrap up my overall impressions, I would simply have to say that YES there are ways it could have been better. The deleted scenes could have been left in; the acting could have been less wooden; the dialogue could have flowed better and been more life-like. YES there were imperfections, but they were so few and the perfections so many that I can only say that the movie was super-good, uber-fantastic, and the best of the bunch.

Amen!

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My rankings:
1. RotS ... 2. ANH ... 3. ESB ... 4. AotC ... 5. RotJ ... 6. TPM.