A night at the movies: Revenge of the Sith

11/6/09 Five Star Wars Rebel Soldier action figures, sold on eBay for $10

Finally, score one for the good guys. I sold five Rebel Soldiers in Hoth Battle Gear -- which is basically what we wear here in Maine six months of the year -- for $10. It's just as well that they are headed off to Mattytown, New York, since the good guys don't do so well in...

Tonight's film:

Star Wars, Episode III, Revenge of the Sith

Order in which it should be watched: Fifth

Why: We're on the homestretch, now. This movie is great to watch next to last for several reasons. First, it's the darkest of the films, and it's best to hit the low point just before the happy ending. Second, this completes the flashback sequence we began after Vader asked Luke, "Who's your daddy?." The film, as the most recently made, is certainly the grandest visually and shows that enough computers can make anything happen. Most interestingly, Revenge of the Sith mirrors Return of the Jedi (spoiler alert: that's what we're watching tomorrow) in many ways beyond its name. Check out the parallel lightsaber battles on the bridges of the starships for the most significant connection.

Most memorable line: Vader's first mechanical breaths. That's about as iconic as any sound can get.

Coolest moment: Star Wars fans had been waiting for almost three decades to see the fabled Obi-Wan/Darth Vader duel on a volcanic planet. It lives up to expectations.

Funniest moment: Anakin tells Obi-Wan that he's just saved him for the tenth time, and Obi-Wan replies, "Ninth time. That business on Cato Neimodia doesn't count."

Best character: Obi-Wan Kenobi. So, we've loved this guy since the first hour of Star Wars, but it took us this long to really see him show off. He flies starfighters, rides a giant lizard, fights a guy with FOUR lightsabers, wins his battle against the biggest villain in movie history, has all the best lines, and even uses a blaster to kill someone ("So uncivilized!"). Yep, he rocks it.

Thing that bothers me: It's still hard to buy that Anakin would turn so bad, so quickly.

Who loses their arm/hand: This was a busy one. Let's count 'em up: Count Dooku (by Anakin), General Grievous (by Obi-Wan), Mace Windu (by Anakin), and Anakin (by Obi-Wan).

Who says, "I've got a bad feeling about this": Obi-Wan

What the film teaches us: It's all a woman's fault.

Final thought: Say what you will about bad acting (if you're criticizing Star Wars films for their acting, you're kinda missing the point), Lucas really nailed two casting decisions in the prequel trilogy: Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor. The worst thing about finishing Revenge of the Sith is that we don't get to see those two in their roles anymore.