Last week's announcement of the Episode VII title has got fan boys a buzzing. We're all wondering how "The Force Awakens" reveals possible plot points to J. J. Abrams upcoming film. So many people want this film to be great so it will restore the Star Wars good name after the prequel films. I don't think Episodes I-III were a good follow up the greatest film trilogy EVER, but I do think they have some redeeming qualities to them.
Not so long ago a heard about an different order to watch the Star Wars saga that did not include The Phantom Menace. A person would watch Episode VI and then Episode V. Then that person would watch Episodes II and III to see how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. Then the viewer would finish with Episode VI. People say it doesn't spoil the "I am your father" reveal, but doesn't watching Revenge of the Sith before Return of the Jedi destroy the "Leia's my sister" reveal?
It sounded like a good order, but the other day I thought; why do we need Episode II as well? Even those who curse the prequel films will agree that Episode III is the best of the three. And it's what we all wanted to see; Anakin Skywalker become Darth Vader. So what if the only prequel film we got was Revenge of the Sith?
Last night I went back and re-watched Episode III with fresh eyes. I tried to forgot The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones existed to see if Revenge of the Sith was a film that could stand on it's own. And in doing so the film actually seemed....better.
It opens with the Ob-Wan and Anakin on one of their classic adventures. They are off to save the Chancellor at the tail end of The Clone Wars. This highlights their skills and friendship. We also see Anakin's relationship with Palpatine and Anakin battling his dark impulses. Next, we learn Anakin is married secretly to a Senator and she is about to have their baby. As the film progresses we see appearances by Yoda, C-3PO, and Chewbacca. Obi-Wan and Anakin battle to the death, thus resulting in the birth of Darth Vader and the rise of Emperor Palpatine. Finally, Obi-Wan hands Luke off to Owen and Beru before going into hiding. This is the gist of what everyone wanted to see in the prequels; right?
Now, you have to forgive some dialogue references such as "remember what you told me about your mother, and the sand people" as well as "Qui-Gon?" And yes, some of the other dialogue in the film is best to be forgotten as well. "She has lost the will to live" is the worst line ever in a Star Wars movie. But, the cheesy exchange between Anakin and Padme on her balcony lets us know these two new characters are deeply in love. Also, no Episode I and II means no Jar Jar Binks, say a half-second shot. And for that pleasant thought, you are welcome.
The performances of Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen shined as they started out friends at first and enemies in the end. Yes, Christensen's performance I dare say was good when you look at just this one performance as everything we need to know about Anakin Skywalker. The travesty in this viewing though is the same as when I first watched Episode III; Natalie Portman is nothing more than a supporting love interest. However, we would not have had two films to see her be a strong character, so with just knowing Padme in one film isn't as insulting. We also didn't get Ian McDiarmid drawing out his Darth Sidious ruse to where, by the end of the trilogy, you're screaming at the screen, "Of course he's the Sith Lord you dumb ass!"
Blocking out the two other prequel films also made the fight sequences at the end much more enjoyable. We see Yoda and Palpatine, two characters who were slow-moving in the original trilogy, really show off their powers as they go at it. Meanwhile, the Obi-Wan vs Anakin fight sequence jumps off the screen. They are so fast in their swashbuckling it would have been exciting to see it be the next lightsaber duel following Return of the Jedi.
Sure, after it was over I was curious how Obi-Wan and Anakin met, and how Anakin and Padme fell in love. But after The Phantom Menace I was curious to know more about what the characters were like in their past, and some times not knowing is better. Which is really what most say about the other prequel films anyway.
I think that if Revenge of the Sith was the only prequel film ever released Star Wars fans might not have felt as cheated. I believe everything we wanted in a Star Wars prequel was in this one movie and we never needed the two before it. So I challenge you to go back and watch Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith just as a single film and forget any other Star Wars prequels exist. I think you'll like it better, from a certain point of view.
No comments:
Post a Comment