I Have a Good Feeling About This...

So: the review. (warning: spoilers ahead for those of you who haven't been able to see ROTS yet.)

I've heard a lot of people--SW and non-SW fans alike--saying that ROTS is their third-favorite Star Wars movie, ahead of ROTJ. I can't imagine that--personally, I think if Lucas even made a movie that was so spectacular that it was "better" than the OT, I still wouldn't like it so well. There's that nostalgia factor, for one. And I personally like Ewoks and Yub-Nub (no hate mail, please).

But I will say that ROTS is above and beyond the best movie of the prequels, as we had all hoped. There's darker action, better action, and in particular a shining opening act with the space battle/rescuing of Palpatine. It's action, it's humor, and it just feels more like classic Star Wars. The acting is better all around--no, not perfect, in all likelyhood due mostly to directing and dialogue, which we should all expect by now. But it's a good Star Wars film, and I think Lucas did a good job of showing Anakin's transformation and motivations.

Some specific comments... Less CG, particularly with the Clone Troopers--and did we have to see their faces so much?--would have been nice. I was so glad that Darth Plaugus has been at least implicated as the power that created Anakin from the Force. It's much better than a) having Anakin as the Virgin Birth, or b) my personal belief that his mom got knocked up at a party and was too embarrassed to mention this to Qui-Gonn. I'm still not satisfied that no real reason was given as to why the Jedi Council didn't notice Palpatine's Sithness--or even his Force capabilities--for so long, and I can't tell you if I am satisfied or not with the mention of Qui-Gonn finding the secret to immortality as reasons for the diappearing/not disappearing death acts scattered throughout the septology. There were questions that weren't even addressed, such as: who the HECK was Siphodius? (If this was explained in a book somewhere, please email me. I'm super curious!) But overall, a good movie. Some answers, more questions, but nicely done--again, particularly due to that rockin' beginning.

Quick answers:
Favorite moment: Dang it, don't ask me such hard questions.
Least favorite moment: Darth Vader's Young-Frankenstein-stiff "No!" as he learns of Padme's death. Arg, that one hurt.
Most nostalgic moment: Oddly makeup-ed as Tarkin was, I loved the Death Star construction at the end. I loved feeling completely tied into A New Hope.

The photos from the line... the photos are coming. No, really. I forgot that I had company over this weekend and that Maymester class to attend to, so the rest of the pictures are coming more slowly. Let me recover, get a chance to clean my house, finish my homework, and hopefully in the next week or so I can get those and the C3 pics completed and linked here.