Video/DVD Review: Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this episode is not for young
children. (Lucas, in a somewhat mixed message, said he would
take a nine-year-old but a mature eleven-year-old would be the
youngest we think appropirate) Unlike the others, its content
is darker emotionally and the action is more violent. Beyond
the customary battle scenes, there are severe injuries -- a
character is horribly burned. Children are slaughtered
(although the massacre itself is offscreen.) There are
beheadings and limbs hacked off. Childbirth is pictured in a
scene that might be frightening for younger viewers. We
recognize it's hard to say no to your younger kids who have
been raised on
Star Wars, and you are the expert on your own children.
But don't underestimate the impact of a beloved figure going
bad in a violent way.
Families can talk about why Anakin makes the decisions he does
and what forces exist in the world that make people make
destructive decisions. Families can also discuss the reasons
for Anakin's unhappiness and ask their children how they feel
when they aren't recognized by people they respect. Other
excellent topics include asking about conceptions of good and
evil, fairness and revenge. How can you deal with anger by
talking with close friends or relatives, instead of lashing
out? How are wars justified by two sides, both believing they
are right?
This middle part of the Star Wars saga has been foretold for nearly three decades. REVENGE OF THE SITH shows how young, ambitious, and idealistic Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen, still rather stiff) is convinced the Dark Side of the Force will benefit his community and Padmé (Natalie Portman). They have married in secret (as a Jedi, he's supposed to remain single); to make matters even dicier, she is now pregnant with the twins Luke and Leia. His desire to not to lose Pame (and oh yes, to gain power) leads him to the dark side, and his destiny of becoming Darth Vader.
The origin story of the infamously heavy-breathing, black-caped, and very tall villain Darth Vader is not uninteresting, but neither is it innovative. Anakin's motivations are conventional (even if he doesn't bother discussing his decisions with her, not showing his very capable and intelligent partner much respect). In fact, the most compelling angle in the movie is that he is so young, that his thinking is so immature: afraid of loss, Anakin can't accept what happens, and so changes the shape of the entire galaxy, essentially to get his way.
Like the other Star Wars movies, this one is filled with great special effects: though the futuristic urban sets look rather flat, the space-fighting scenes are very video-gamey. Yoda is especially well rendered here, and a scene in which Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) rides a giant lizard and battles enemy in a multi-legged mechanical vehicle is lively and sometimes funny, but also involves violent fighting, which might worry some younger kids. As much as this story focuses on Anakin's dilemma, the secondary characters are often more compelling, especially Obi-Wan, again revealing patience, wisdom, and charisma and Padmé Palpatine is convincingly vulnerable just before he becomes utterly fearsome, but Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and Senator Organa (Jimmy Smits) have very little to do, embodying the predominant problem in the Star Wars franchise -- too much emphasis on technical displays and "universal" plotting, and not enough attention paid to character details.
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