Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2007)

So we finally arrive at the last entry in the prequels. Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, were the first two pieces of evidence that Mr Lucas was more master craftsman than effortless storyteller. The power of his productions has been his ability to submerge the viewer in his fully realised galaxy. In Revenge of the Sith, the detail of his vision gave his huge planets great depth and battles an urgency unseen in the two films that came before. But ultimately, for all of Lucas' technical powers, it is the story, the space opera, that draws the audience back again and again. And make no mistake, this is the story we've all been waiting for.

The Clone wars are finally coming to an end but troubles are only just beginning for the Jedi order. The devious plan of Senator Palpatine/Sidious needs but a new apprentice for his plan to be complete. Anakin Skywalker seems the only one likely to join him.

This time around, Revenge of the Sith keeps more to the things that made the original trilogy great. Towards the end of the first scene we see the saga's single most audacious shot since the Star Destroyer in Episode IV- and it becomes clear that Lucas and the rest of his gang have raised their game considerably. ILM have really done a great job in finally nailing the SFX. There are 2,200 effects shot in Sith- more then Menace and Clones combined- and there's not a single bad shot to be seen. Also, Gavin Bouquet's production design is spot on-with the best sets and designs you'll see in any of the movies.

Revenge of the Sith is a great movie. It's as if it took Lucas 2 tries to get comfortable in the directors chair and can now actually apply a bit of style to the proceedings. Lucas himself admitted that 60% of his original outline was slated for this Episode. Which means that all the unanswered questions that made the first two prequels passable in first place are finally answered. As a sequel to the prequels, Revenge of the Sith is more then anyone could of hoped for.

We also finally get some decent acting for all the cast and not just from the CGI Yoda. Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman seem more comfortable with Ewan McGregor finally nailing the role Of Obi-Wan. Hayden has bulked up and lowered the tone of his voice-which gives him a lot more screen presence then Clones. Support is reliable for Samuel L Jackson, Frank Oz and Christopher Lee but the best comes from Ian Mcdiarmid, since this is the film that brings Emperor Palpatine out of the shadows and into the center stage. Yeah, he's a little over the top but does his best to make the Dark side sound seductive. Unfortunately this is where the movie fails.

Anakin's conversion to the Dark side is rushed through during the boring middle act where he seems to keep bouncing from Palpatine to Mace Windu like a teenager who is unsure of what to do next. And when that big moment finally comes- when Anakin pledges is allegiance to the Dark side- it is utterly unconvincing. Thankfully the 3rd act more then makes up for it, with the twin lightsaber fights and John Williams epic score proving that Revenge of the Sith is the darkest entry in the saga.


Revenge of the Sith was never going to hit the heights of A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back,  but what film can? If you go into this film expecting to be entertained by the frantic action, lavish set pieces and the classical themes that made the original films so memorable – the light saber, the Force, Yoda, space battles, good versus evil – then you won’t be disappointed

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Thor (2011)

For all that can be said on Marvel studios latest superhero film, Thor, I imagine that most people will say how different it is from other superhero films. Most of the entries into the genre have focused on the humanity of their gifted hero (Christopher Nolan's Batman). Thor, on the other hand, is larger than life, with its Gods and metal giants with their relics and magic. Its more closer to a fantasy film than anything else. Thor is also one of the most enjoyable films you'll see this year.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth), would be king of another race is cast out of Asgard by his father (Anthony Hopkins) and banished to Earth. There he must discover himself and face the threat of his jealous Brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston). 

Thor accomplishes a tough task- balancing Nordic Gods with science fiction. There is a longer then expected flashback to get the audience up to speed on who's who and how Thor managed to get himself banished. The movie has an epic feel, easily influenced by Gladiator, but has the dual task of being a origin story unlike anything else we've seen before and a straightforward and entertaining action film. 

There's no doubting Marvel knows how to handle it's back catalogue of heroes as Thor is indeed a tricky one, unlike the other heroes, Iron man, Captain America and The Hulk, Thor is an actual God and with a big back story, Director Kenneth Branagh certainly had a lot to get through. Its also the type of material that has to be dealt with properly as it could go in a number of different directions, namely cheesy and camp. 

As I've said previously, the film does take a while to get going, but when it does, it's powerful stuff. After Marvel had decided on Branagh to direct (which was another left field choice after hiring Favreau to direct Iron Man). Branagh isn't known for his action packed summer blockbusters, but with the sense of Shakespearean material and the relationship between Thor, Loki and and Odin, Branagh has shown he is more then capable of handling a film with a similar feel. 

Hemsworth balances Superhero and arrogant prince really well. He really impressed me in the short appearance as Kirk's father in Star Trek (2009) and shows he can handle a meaty lead role. He is able to add layers of humour without being too tongue-n-cheek. Tom Hiddleston is also very impressive as Thor's evil brother Loki. Again, he is another character with many layers and is now known, will also be a major player in next years Avengers. It'll be very interesting to see Thor and Loki team up and Battle with the rest of The Avengers cast. Oscar winner Natalie Portman filmed her role as Jane Foster straight after Black Swan. The role is far less demanding (obviously) but she is perfectly fine here. The same can be said of Idris Elba who plays gatekeeper Heimdall, he doesn't say much, but his character is no less intimidating than the rest.

Thor is one of better Marvel comic films and has a character you'd gladly watch again and again, which is quite lucky considering he's in 2 films in the next 2 years. 

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Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)

Forget the clumsiness and blatant corporate synergy of the Phantom Menace. The good news is Attack of the Clones is a better film, but only just.

Set Ten years after the Phantom Menace The Galactic Republic is under threat from charismatic separatists, forcing Naboo senator Padme Amidala to seek protection from Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker. While all this is happening, Obi-Wan Kenobi discovers a hidden Clone army.

Most fans were disappointed with Phantom Menace so converted to Middle Earth and Peter Jackson. Therefore Mr Lucas only had a couple of Million people to satisfy (much, much less then Phantom Menace). So you could say the pressure was off? Not so. The remaining fans wanted Lucas to get back the respect of the people that thought Phantom Menace was a bit, well, rubbish.

Attack of the Clones echoes the structure of Empire Strikes Back, and co-writer Johnathan Hales' contribution is keenly felt, with better defined characters and an altogether smoother story. Shot digitally, Clones certainly looks impressive, with CGI superbly realising Lucas' imaginative galaxies and Alien lifeforms, including for the first time until Lucas messed with Phantom Menace on Blu-Ray, a CGI Yoda.

The difference between Empire Strikes Back and Clones is that Empire zipped along quite freely, moving along to different galaxies and meeting new characters as and when they felt like it. Clones has a much more slower start. Maybe Lucas was aware of the sins of Episode I. Jar Jar is quickly removed to a 10 minute cameo, those Amidala clones are quickly destroyed and we don't have to put up with a whiny, mop headed young Ani everyone was asked to love in 1999. Don't get me wrong, Anakin is still a whiny teenager, but it's a vast improvement.

Also Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman have improved and grown into their roles, more so McGregor who is a lot more 'forceful' here with his big beard and comic punchlines.

Attack of the Clones was more of a necessity to tell the story of Ani and Padme before Episode III. Yes Lucas seems to struggle with the romance and politics in the movie, but he doesn't disappoint when it comes to the action. Christopher Lee's Count Dooku arrives to provide some much needed gravitas. C-3P0 is actually playing C-3P0 and we get to see Portman in a white leotard. Finally, we also get to see Yoda's talents with the force and a lightsaber. Unsurprisingly it's a scene fans have been waiting years to see and it does not let them down.This is where Lucas finally relaxes and directs Clones with the same gusto as the original trilogy. Clones is no better then Menace in terms of acting or dialogue but improves on Episode I in every other way.

Attack of the Clones was a necessary film but no way was it vital. The action scenes are entertaining with the ending dark enough to rival that of Episode V. It also sets the story up nicely for Episode III. Just don't go expecting a masterpiece.

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Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

When George Lucas first concieved the idea for Star Wars, it was just a movie. Over the course of 34 years, it has grown into a phenomenon. When it comes to unbridled anticipation for a film release, Phantom Menace was the most anticipated film of all time. The motion picture industry hadn't seen anything like this before, nor is it likely to in the forseeable future (as much as I want everyone to see Dark Knight Rises). The hype dwarfed the film, reducing it to a cultural footnote. Even Lucas was worried, stating a film with this much hype was never going to live up to that expectation. He was right.

The peaceful planet of Naboo is under threat from the manipulating forces of evil that work in the trade federation. The Queen of Naboo (Natalie Portman), powerful Jedi Knights (Liam Neeson, Ewan Mcgregor) and a young boy (Jake Lloyd) who has the potential to be a great Jedi Knight endeavour to protect the planet and the forces of good.

Now that the dust has settled on the hype, Phantom Menace is actually not as bad as some high-brow critics would have you believe. As a single movie, Menace has some very good moments. But there's no denying that this film is the worst in the series. For starters the heroes don't seem to be in any rush to save the planet of Naboo. They're forced to land on the holy grail that is Tatooine because of a faulty engine, but instead of waving their trusted lightsabers to get the parts they need, they decide to leave Obi-Wan behind, bring Padme along for no good reason and gamble with a junk-yard dealer. We also get one of the most annoying comedy sidekicks in the history of film. Don't let people try and tell you Ja Ja Binks is not as bad as some fans make out, he is! And with the CGI slowly becoming more dated, Ja Ja has become even worse. It was also a bad decision to have Anakin Skywalker as a young boy, why? because he's a whiny little brat who cries when he leaves his Mother. This is not how people imagined Dark Vader to be. He should of been a teenage boy who flirts with Padme, uses the force without realising and rubbing Obi-Won the wrong way. Yes that does happen in Episode II, but it's a bit too little too late. The fact that Anakin's Mother had some kind of mystical birth and does not know who Ani's Father is also unnecessary.

Lucas probably thought the scene with Anakin saying goodbye would be the real heart breaker but he couldn't write it and Jake definitely couldn't act it. Instead the only scene that holds any weight at all is the final scene with Obi-Wan promising Qui-Gon to train the boy.

The Star Wars movies have always relied on their hereos and villains and the Phantom Menace is no exception. As Qui-Gon, Liam Neeson brings an unforced nobility to his performance, while Ewan Mcgregor  injects a sense of recklessness in his portrayl of Obi-Won Kenobi. Neither was ever going to be an outstanding acting job, but the two do a decent enough job. Natalie Portman is easily one of the best actresses around but she isn't given much to do here as she is often in the background. Finally we have the best thing about Phantom Menace: Darth Maul. Played by Ray Park, Maul doesn't say much, but compensates with menacing stares and unbelievable fighting skills.

Phantom Menace was also, at the time, a testimony to how far and good special effects had come. The worlds and aliens that Lucas and his team created should be applauded. The pod race, whilst being a bit on the long side, is still great entertainment and the fight-off between Maul, Kenobi and Qui-Gon is, in my view, the best scene in the film. It's just a shame that's about as good as it gets.

Phantom Menace remains the most disappointing film of all time but still has a lot going for it. The action scenes are great and it has an ending that promises better things to come. Some people will hate it, some will love it. but you can't deny it's still one of the most talked about films ever made.

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