Star Wars Episode III: Kritiken aus den Medien

IO schrieb:

Auf AICN gibt es auch ein paar Reviews von Fans. Einige sind positiv, einige mehr negativ.
Ich weiß jedoch nicht, ob man den Reviews von AICN glauben schenken darf. :/

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Variety
The Force returns with most of its original power regained in "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith." Concluding entry in George LucasGeorge Lucas' second three-pack of space epics teems with action, drama and spectacle, and even supplies the odd surge of emotion, as young Anakin Skywalker goes over to the Dark Side and the stage is set for the generation of stories launched by the original "Star Wars" 28 years ago. Whatever one thought of the previous two installments, this dynamic picture irons out most of the problems, and emerges as the best in the overall series since "The Empire Strikes Back." Stratospheric B.O.B.O. is a given.

Indeed, "Sith" looks likely to follow the commercial pattern of the initial trilogy, wherein the second edition, "Empire," dipped considerably from the first, only to see the third, "Return of the Jedi," bounce back closer to the level of "Star Wars." In the case of the most recent set, "The Phantom Menace" grossed $921 million worldwide (slightly more coming from foreign territories than from the U.S.), while "Attack of the Clones" slipped to a $647 million worldwide cume. There's little doubt "Sith" will significantly improve on the latter figure.

Everyone who has followed the "Star Wars" saga over the years will come to this film knowing that it all has to pay off here: the transformation from Anakin into Darth Vader, the face-off between Anakin/Vader and his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi, the morphing of the Republic into the Empire, the exile of Yoda and Padme's birth of the twins Luke and Leia, siblings who become the central figures in episodes 4-6.

Given the general awareness of what's going to happen, it's up to Lucas to make it exciting. Despite fans' varying degrees of loss of faith that set in with "Menace" and "Clones," most will be inspired enough to believe again.

As if deliberately setting out to reassert his mastery over his iconic creation, Lucas opens with an amazing shot of his two Jedi Knights, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregorEwan McGregor) and Anakin (Hayden ChristensenHayden Christensen), threading their little spaceships through an extraordinary maze of explosions and airborne craft.

In fact, the initial 23 minutes virtually constitute one eye-popping action sequence, as the Jedis fight an assortment of battles to rescue the kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) from the clutches of the skeletal separatist General Grievous.

When things settle down to reunite Anakin with Padme, who announces she's pregnant after the idyllic secret wedding that climaxed "Clones," one is briefly reminded of Lucas' shortcomings as a writer and director of intimate, one-on-one scenes. But it's a minor problem here, as the dynamic of onrushing events soon becomes all-enveloping, and several interconnected conflicts are brought to a head.

As was not always the case the last two times out, Lucas' storytelling sense is admirable as he lays out the growing schism between the Jedi council -- which supports the Republic -- and the Chancellor, who has been granted exceptional powers in the current crisis.

Caught in the middle is Anakin, trained all his life by Obi-Wan to be an exemplary Jedi, but suddenly plagued by dreams of his wife's death in childbirth, offended by the Council's refusal to grant him master status and susceptible to the Chancellor's promise that only through the attainment of dark powers can he save his wife.

As Anakin stews, Jedis led by Obi-Wan attack General Grievous, which occasions more spectacular lightsaber fights (the movie is full of them). When Jedi Knight Mace Windu (Samuel L. JacksonSamuel L. Jackson, finally given something to do) attacks the Chancellor after learning he's a Sith Lord, Anakin must decide once and for all where his allegiance lies, his ultimate choice pitting him tragically against those closest to him, Padme and Obi-Wan.

Picture's final hour is steeped in apocalyptic imagery, tragic pop mythology and effective cross-cutting, as Yoda takes on the Chancellor at the same time Anakin/Vader engages in ferocious combat with Obi-Wan.

Resolution of the latter is significantly gorier than anything previously seen in the "Star Wars" sextet, thereby earning the series' first PG-13 rating. It also results in the transfixing final metamorphoses of Anakin into the black hooded-and-caped Vader unseen since the initial trilogy, an emergence dramatically contrasted with the birth of the twins.

Entertaining from start to finish and even enthralling at times, "Sith" has some acting worth writing home about, specifically McDiarmid's dominant turn as the mastermind of the evil empire. McGregor remains a steady presence, and both Portman and Christensen have loosened up since "Clones" to acceptable, if hardly inspired, levels. Expressiveness of the digitally animated Yoda, voiced as always by Frank OzFrank Oz, is amazing.

The technical achievement here is on such a high level that one is lulled into taking it for granted. Neither of the digitally shot recent episodes has looked consistently great, but this one does.

Perhaps this is the moment to remember it was the original "Star Wars," modest budget and all, that forever raised the bar and set the standard for the new generation of special and visual effects (a taste of "Star Wars" decor is provided by a reproduction of the gleaming white interior of the escaping Jedis' spacecraft). Composer John Williams also seems to have put extra effort into his virtually continuous score, which increasingly invests familiar themes with darker and richer tones.


Camera (Deluxe color prints, Plus 8 HD digital, Panavision widescreen), David Tattersall; editors, Roger Barton, Ben Burtt; music, John Williams; production designer, Gavin Bocquet; supervising art director, Peter Russell; art directors, Ian Gracie, Phil Harvey; set decorator, Richard Roberts; costume designer, Trisha Biggar; sound (Dolby Digital), Paul "Salty" Brincat; sound designer, Burtt; sound editor/re-recording mixer, Tom Myers; supervising sound editors, Burtt, Matthew Wood; special visual effects and animation, Industrial Light & Magic; visual effects supervisors, John Knoll, Roger Guyett; animation director, Rob Coleman; concept design supervisors, Erik Tiemens, Ryan Church; makeup supervisor, Nikki Gooley; assistant director, Colin Fletcher; swordmaster/stunt coordinator, Nick Gillard; casting, Christine King. Reviewed at the Village Theater, Los Angeles, May 5, 2005. (In Cannes Film Festival--noncompeting.) MPAAMPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 140 MIN.

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Hollywood Reporter Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith

By Kirk Honeycutt

The final episode of George Lucas' cinematic epic "Star Wars" ends the six-movie series on such a high note that one feels like yelling out, "Rewind!" Yes, rewind through more than 13 hours of bravery, treachery, new worlds, odd creatures and human frailty. The first two episodes of Lucas' second trilogy -- "The Phantom Menace" (1999) and "Attack of the Clones" (2002) -- caused more than a few fans of the original trilogy to wonder whether this prequel was worth it. The answer is a qualified yes. It did take a lot of weighty exposition, stiffly played scenes and less-than-magical creatures to get to "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith." But what a ride Lucas and Company have in store!

Needless to say, international boxoffice will register in the hundreds of millions. The real question is how much money the entire series, now ready for packaging and repackaging for all sorts of formats and media, will eventually take in. Let's just say a lot.

What seems like the biggest drawback to "Episode III" turns out to be its strongest element. Even casual moviegoers know what is in store for the characters, who will wind up at the point where the original "Star Wars" -- now dubbed "Episode IV -- A New Hope" -- began the whole saga nearly 30 years ago. We know how Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker will turn to the dark side of the Force, how his twin children will be separated at birth and how his former master Obi-Wan Kenobi and the tiny Jedi Master Yoda will turn into his mortal enemies. Yet watching these fates unfold with such tragic inevitability, watching each piece fall into place, is genuinely thrilling. In fact, knowing that these strong characters cannot and will not escape their fate is what moves us.

The movie opens with a bang. Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor), swashbuckling Knights in jet planes, swoop into a Sith space armada, batting off various attack forces with seasoned aplomb. In the main battleship, Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) and his coyote-faced, metal-skeletoned droid ally General Grievous -- one of many computerized characters -- hold the Republic's Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) prisoner.

Action goes nonstop for more than 20 minutes as the two Jedi Knights supply the jaunty, gravity-defying heroics, while the robot R2D2 (Kenny Baker) delivers brilliant comic action. This holds true throughout the new film as writer-director Lucas does a much better job of interweaving comedy with the dramatic and even tragic.

The seduction of the troubled Anakin to the dark side and the turn of the cool, cerebral Palpatine into the dictator of the Galactic Empire occur in an intelligent and persuasive way. The movie opens with the now traditional receding title crawl, which informs us that in the galactic warfare that has broken out, there are "heroes on both sides" and "evil is everywhere." Understandably, Anakin doesn't know whom to trust.

As it is, he leads a double life, having secretly married beauteous Sen. Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). Her pregnancy will now force that secret into the open and cause him to lose his knighthood. Even more pressing, the rescued Palpatine brings Anakin into his confidence and plants doubts in his mind about the Jedi council. Sure enough, Council head Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) signals that he has lost his trust in Anakin.

Palpatine gets Anakin appointed to the council, but Anakin is not allowed to assume to title of master. Even more troubling, each side -- Palpatine and Obi-Wan -- comes to Anakin to ask him to spy on the other side. Soon dreams suggest to Anakin that Padme will die in childbirth. Palpatine hints to the distraught husband that only by exploring the Force more fully can he save his wife.

Poor dialogue and wooden acting still inflict the second trilogy. The tragic dimension of Anakin's dilemma can only barely withstand lines like this from Padme: "You're a good person. Don't do this." Many dialogue scenes, brief as they are, feel awkward and unnatural. Such scenes start cold -- we can almost sense the clapboard moving out of camera frame -- and end with long, lingering shots of actors' blank faces. Yet in face of the epic grandeur of the film's design and action, these are mere quibbles.

Now completely at home with digital filmmaking, Lucas can blaze a pioneering path as no one else. Shooting on soundstages in Australia and Britain with additional photography in China, Thailand, Switzerland, Italy and Tunisia, Lucas thrusts viewers into pitched battles in looming caverns and giant space ships or a lightsaber duel on a river of molten lava. Combining choreographic action aesthetics that are American, Chinese and other worldly, Lucas has redefined fantasy filmmaking with "Star Wars," while teaching a generation of filmmakers to accept no limitations.

Cinematographer David Tattersall makes everything match beautifully, while editors Roger Barton and Ben Burtt (the latter also credited with the ingenious sound design) propel the story ever forward. John Williams, Lucas' music collaborator through all six films, is content to rumble melodically in the background with only brief emotional swells at key moments. Trisha Biggar's costumes and all the props and makeup are delicious fun, genuinely integral parts of the storytelling. And the CG creatures are more lifelike than ever. A particular standout is a giant lizard McGregor gets to ride.
Yes, by all means, rewind!

STAR WARS: EPISODE III -- REVENGE OF THE SITH
20th Century Fox
A Lucasfilm Ltd. production
Credits:
Writer-director: George Lucas
Producer: Rick McCallum
Executive producer: George Lucas
Director of photography: David Tattersall
Production designer: Gavin Bocquet
Music: John Williams
Costumes: Trisha Biggar
Editors: Roger Barton, Ben Burtt
Cast:
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Ewan McGregor
Padme: Natalie Portman
Anakin Skywalker: Hayden Christensen
Supreme Chancellor Palpatine: Ian McDiarmid
Mace Windu: Samuel L. Jackson
Sen. Organa: Jimmy Smits
Yoda (voice): Frank Oz
C-3PO: Anthony Daniels
R2D2: Kenny Baker
Count Dooku: Christopher Lee
Queen of Naboo: Keisha Castle-Hughes
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time -- 140 minutes

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IO schrieb:

In den ProSieben News hieß es grad, dass Episode III das "Prädikat Besonders Wertvoll" erhalten hat.

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IO schrieb:

In den ProSieben News hieß es grad, dass Episode III das "Prädikat Besonders Wertvoll" erhalten hat.

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IO schrieb:

(einige heben halt auch ein paar negative Aspekte hervor [das wollte ich damit mit meinem letzten Post sagen ]).

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Darth Sol schrieb:

Hätte übrigens nicht gedacht, dass TESB damals so schlecht abgeschnitten hat...

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Darth Sol schrieb:

gemessen an den "Fresh Tomatoes" vielleicht, aber das "Average Rating" betrug nur schlappe 6,7/10

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"Auf imposante und eindrucksvolle Weise führt George Lucas sein epochales Galaxie-Abenteuer zum Finale: spannend erzählt und atemberaubend (Bilder, Ton) gestaltet."

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