In “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith,” Anakin Skywalker completes his tortured turn to the dark side. And that’s about all viewers need to remember when watching the film again on DVD.
The love story still sucks. The dialogue is as stilted as ever. Yet, the drama, the intrigue and the action actually live up to the monumental hype. Sure, it’s impossible to ignore the gaping faults of “Episode III,” but it’s still a marked improvement upon the drivel of “Episode I” and “Episode II” and fits neatly alongside the original trilogy.
George Lucas’s space-opera finale looks nearly as good on the small screen as it did in theaters. Even so, this is the sort of event movie that’s begging to be shown on the big screen. The same sentiment follows with the sound. It’s great for a DVD, but it feels like something is missing from the theatrical experience.
As per the norm with “Star Wars” DVDs, “Episode III” comes packed to the brim with extra features. The filmmaker commentary and feature-length documentary, featuring Lucas and the rest of the production team, highlight the technical aspects more than the storyline, but still engross viewers far more than the fluff-piece featurettes and promotional materials that make up the rest of the two-disc set.
This “Episode III” DVD is more than enough to serve as filler until Lucas decides to release a tricked-out special edition to line his pockets with more cash.
Ratings:
Film: 3 and 1/2 out of 5 stars
Picture/Sound: 4 and 1/2 out of 5 stars
Features: 4 stars