Star Wars Episode 3: Return of the Sith

Just finished watching Star Wars Episode III: Return of the Sith, as I've been rewatching the prequels throughout Jan on ITV. I do think it's the best of the prequels, but it still ain't great. There's a lot less of the camp slapstick once sh*t actually starts happening, which is a plus. The first two prequels had way too much of this and it detracted from the narrative I think.

The whole shtick of trying to highlight the similarities between the Jedi and Sith goals and their weaknesses fell down over itself though. It's an interesting idea, with both sides wanting peace and just using different methodologies to achieve it. I couldn't help but wish that the political differences (dictatorships vs democracies) should've been more prevalent rather than just good vs evil. It's just brushed over with one line by Padme about liberty.

Similarly, for all the labouring of Palpatine's speech about the two sides being so similar just gets slapped in the face by the visuals and styling: the Sith dress in all black, cover their faces, are covered in wounds and wrinkles, have evil eyes etc. Not to mention the fact that General Grievous, and Obi Wans fight with him, seems to be lifted straight from an anime. Some of the styling's bang on though, specfically the stuff that leads into the original trilogy: stuff like the clone troops helmets gradually becoming more storm-trooper like and a lot of the vehicles the clone troops/the (soon to be) rebels use.

Hayden Christensen still can't act when not shouting though, Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor pretty much carry him through it.