Sith Happens: My review of the final Star Wars film, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

It would seem that in these early days of the 21st century, fewer people raise an eyebrow in distaste when it comes to science fiction or "sci-fi" films. I know many people who are not self-confessed "fans" who greatly enjoy sci-fi, fantasy, and even comic book films these days.

I personally think that one of the main reasons for this mainstream acceptance of genre films is because of a little film that debuted almost thirty years ago, "Star Wars." There are not many people who haven't seen these films at least once. For as long as I can remember, I have been in love with Star Wars. I remember watching the first film at the tender age of four, though my memories of it are spotty at best. I have a better memory of "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," which I watched in the theater at the ages of four and seven, respectively. My brother and I were drenched in Star Wars, from countless action figures to bed sheets to Band-Aids to lunchboxes to PEZ dispensers. One Halloween, we donned Star Wars costumes from the local TG&Y. I was C3-PO and my brother was a Stormtrooper. By today's standards, those "costumes," which consisted of nothing more than a mylar poncho with the name of the character and its picture on the front, are quaint at best. But for my brother and me, they transformed us into those characters. Because we loved Star Wars.

And I have ever since. Yes, even 1999's "Episode I: The Phantom Menace" and 2003's "Episode II: Attack of the Clones." Many folks I've talked to find the first two prequel films to be lacking. I often hear the complaint "they're not like the originals." An understandable argument when made by a generation for whom the original films were modern myths, transmitting truths of good versus evil, heroism versus selfishness, and light versus darkness. But as a more than casual fan of Star Wars, I have to disagree with those fans looking for the prequels to be just like the originals.

Which is why it will come as no surprise that I was thoroughly entranced--and disturbed--by the sixth and final installment in the Star Wars saga, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. I watched the film this morning with a youthful and excited group of filmgoers at the Grand Theater here in Lafayette. The following is my review of the film. Let me warn you now that I am not a believer in "spoiling" movies or books for other people. I detest it when people do that to me and so I will not do it to you. I will, however, address the quality of the film, its story, and whether or not the young Jedi hopefuls in your life should be taken along to see it.

In many of the countless interviews he's done since deciding to return to the Star Wars universe in 1999, George Lucas has referred to the six-film Star Wars saga as one twelve-hour movie. He's also likened the saga to a single poem comprised of six stanzas or parts. As all of us know, very few stanzas of a poem mean much outside of the context of the other stanzas. So it is with each Star Wars film when seen outside of their accompanying trilogies. Many have complained that the first two prequels were boring and uninteresting. But that's because those people have looked at the prequels individually, instead of seeing them as part of their particular trilogy and of the overall poem that is the Star Wars saga. And that was hard to do, without being able to see the third stanza. With today's release of Revenge of the Sith, the poem--and the saga--is complete. Two days ago, I began my own "Six Days of Star Wars," the plan being to watch a film a day. Thus it was that I went into Revenge of the Sith today well-versed in the first two prequels.

I highly recommend that you rent and watch "The Phantom Menace" and "Attack of the Clones" before watching "Revenge of the Sith." While the film can be watched without the other two films, think "entire poem" here and go watch 'em. Revenge of the Sith is an amazing entry into the Star Wars saga, and a more than fitting end to the "twelve-hour movie" that Lucas began in 1977. This movie, perhaps more than any other in the series, has had the most pressure on it to deliver. For Episode III had to show us how the Republic becomes the evil Empire, what became of the Jedi knights, and most importantly, how Anakin Skywalker, father to Luke and Leia, falls completely do the dark side of the Force and becomes everyone's favorite baddie, Darth Vader.

Revenge of the Sith more than delivers on all counts, though it still leaves room for fertile imaginations to piece together the intervening two decades between sagas. The film starts as Jedi knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker fight in the final, major battle of the Clone Wars, which began in Episode II, aptly-named "Attack of the Clones." The conflict has torn the galaxy asunder for three years, during which time both of our heroes have become known as legendary warriors. Anakin and Obi-Wan's valiant efforts bring the war to an end, but the Separatists second in command, the cyborg General Grievous, escapes. Obi-Wan's mission is to find the general and prevent him from continuing the conflict, while Anakin is tasked by the Jedi Council to discover the true agenda of Chancellor Palpatine, who is the leader of the Republic. Both heroes' missions toss them headlong on disparate paths which ultimately make them the characters we know them to be in Episode IV: A New Hope. When those paths intertwine one final time, the results are horrible and tragic.

Which brings me to the warning I think many casual Star Wars viewers need to be given: this movie is dark, grim, tragic, and even disturbing. I'm not easily disturbed, but this movie managed to make me cringe more than a few times with sadness and disgust. The special effects are amazing, bringing worlds and settings to life that are far grander than anything seen in the other Star Wars films. The fight scenes and battles are remarkably done, and both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda are shown to be the most skilled and, dare I say, "bad-ass" Jedi in the entire Star Wars saga. But none of the eye-candy takes away from the story, which is well-written and acted. And no amount of lightsaber duels and blaster shoot-outs can diminish the terrible events that befall those whom we've come to care about in the prequel trilogy: Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padme, Yoda, Mace Windu, and yes, even good ol' 3-P and R2.

Giving vibrant and wonderful life to these roles and the hellish chaos they're cast against are returning actors Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker), Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Natalie Portman (Padme Amidala-Skywalker), Sir Ian McDiarmid (Chancellor Palpatine), Frank Oz (Yoda), and, returning for one last time to Star Wars, James Earl Jones, providing the voice of Darth Vader. The stand-out performances for me belonged to Christensen's Anakin, McGregor's Obi-Wan, McDiarmid's Palpatine, Portman's Padme, and Frank Oz's Yoda. Each one of these actors brought these characters to life in new ways, effectively completing them as the saga draws to a close. Personally, I though McGregor and McDiarmid stole the show as Obi-Wan and Palpatine, respectively, but that's just me. Obi-Wan Kenobi has always been one of my two favorite Star Wars characters, both in the prequels and the originals, Darth Vader being the other favorite. McGregor really makes us love and feel for Obi-Wan Kenobi, and we get the sense of the sadness of the character that Sir Alec Guinness brought to the elder Obi-Wan in the original trilogy. And Ian McDiarmid, who George Lucas almost didn't hire, is hands-down THE greatest movie villain of all time. Maybe I'm just gushing, but the man is extremely talented, playing the two roles he's given in the film with equal gusto and strength. You won't see a more diabolical or fiendish bad guy this summer. He gives Hannibal Lecter a run for his money!

By now, you must be wondering, "do we get to see enough of Vader?" Well, I'll say this: Anakin becomes Vader fairly early on in the film, but the Vader we're more familiar with comes along a little later. Confused? Don't worry, you'll get it, and now you have something to ponder before the film. Darth Vader is truly terrifying and evil in this film, though you get the sense that Anakin is doing what he thinks is right. This makes his fall all the more heart-breaking. Speaking of breaking, should you take your child to see this? Should you go see this if you're squeamish? Well, Revenge of the Sith is rated PG-13 for a reason. It's sad to say that many kids in today's violence-saturated culture see worse than this film shows in video games and on television, but that shouldn't deter you from thinking twice about taking the kiddies to see this movie. There are a lot of decapitations, limbs are cut off left and right, and there's a lot of murder. And what becomes of Anakin at the film's climax is unsettling to say the least. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this film takes our heroes into Hell itself, a planet of lava called Mustafar. The place is black and red, roiling with lava and death. It is here that some of the most disturbing imagery is seen in the film. Is it anything kids haven't seen today? Probably not, but it's a safe bet they've never seen it in a Star Wars film. Be sure to let them know there are some scenes where it's okay for them to hide their faces or cover their eyes.

To sum up, Revenge of the Sith is an excellent ending to the Star Wars saga. Its story is tragic and horrific, but the requisite Star Wars battles and otherworldly vistas are there perforce. That said, there's a level of violence and darkness that your tiny Star Wars fans may not be used to, so consult your personal Force before letting them see the film. Finally, I thought I'd end by letting you all know a little about the future of Star Wars. Sadly, George Lucas has said that Revenge of the Sith is the last Star Wars film. But he's recently revealed that two years hence, a live-action Star Wars television series will debut, chronicling the adventures of the fledgling Rebel Alliance in the wake of the birth of the Empire in Revenge of the Sith. So though we will likely never see our favorite Star Wars characters again, Lucas is gearing up to give us some new adventures and new heroes. I for one am excited about weekly Star Wars with "real people," as we said as kids. It can't get here soon enough. May the Force be with you! Obi-Wan Kemeauxbi





Obi-Wan Kenobi and former apprentice Anakin Skywalker do battle against a hellish backdrop in THE lightsaber duel to end lightsaber duels in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Image courtesy of Star Wars.com

The End of an Era: A Trek Through the Stars Is Over

Today is Friday, May 13, 2005.

For many, today will be only vaguely memorable.

For me, and for a few others like me, today marks the end of a happy part of my life.

Today is the end of the phenomenon known 'round the world as Star Trek.

To be fair, the general audience's knowledge (let's say that's anyone who isn't a "Trekker"), Star Trek disappeared long ago. Most young people today don't know who Captain Kirk or Spock is, much less Captain Picard or the captains that followed him. To say nothing of having EVER seen the episodes that featured those characters. I'll be realistic and honest here. Star Trek, at least in the sense of the zeitgeist or general consciousness, has been out of sight and thus, out of mind, for some time.

But to those like myself, who know our Datas from our Odos and Archers from our Picards, today is a hard day. A sad day. Hello, I'm Christopher Meaux. I'm a Star Trek fan. A Trekker, or Trekkie. Whatever you want to call me. Sounds like a support group meeting, eh? The fact is, I am a fan of--a lover of, even--of Star Trek.

William Shatner, who many of you "regular folk" know from TJ Hooker, Rescue 911, Boston Legal, and yes, maybe even his little role as Captain James T. Kirk, once said in a Saturday Night Live skit: "It's just a TV show. Get a life." That skit was poking good-natured fun at me, and those like me. The really hardcore, intense Trekkers. The people who maybe aren't so sure sometimes that Trek isn't real. Or that it couldn't or shouldn't maybe become real. Honestly, as those who know me will attest, I'm not that zealous a Trek fan. I have some DVDs, a lot of books, some action figures, and a few model starships. And I've even written my own Star Trek adventures for my amusement.

But make no mistake, I love Star Trek.

Why, you ask? I guess the armchair psychologist, fresh from a viewing of Dr. Phil or Oprah, would say it's because my big brother used to watch Star Trek with me when I was a kid. As any younger sibling knows, what the older sibling does or likes is extremely cool. And to become cool, all that younger kid has to do is like what the older kid does. It's simple kid economics. My brother Jarrod, who's currently serving our country in Iraq, introduced me to the wonderful and at the time, somewhat frightening, Star Trek universe. We'd watch the reruns of the original Star Trek, with Captain Kirk and Spock. "Beam me up, Scotty!" and all that. And we watched the Star Trek movies. Many of you at least remember the one with Khan, played by Ricardo Montalban. You know, Mr. Roarke from "Fantasy Island." Yeah, that one.

My brother was seven years older than me, and quickly grew into more adolescent interests, though he still watched Trek when he wasn't out on dates or working. But for me, the journey had just begun. I was ten years old when "Star Trek: The Next Generation" debuted in 1987. I'd been excited for months about this show, which I'd read about in newspapers and magazines. (In the dark times, before the Internet...) I thought this new show was going to have Kirk and the gang in it, and I was thrilled. But then I learned it was going to be completely new, taking place eighty years after Kirk's Enterprise sailed the spaceways. I was a little disappointed, but still excited. New Star Trek was going to be on every week! Oh boy! When the show debuted, I was floored. It was beyond anything I could've imagined. TNG, as it's called in Trekker shorthand, coupled with new feature film adventures of the original crew, sealed the deal for me. I was a bona fide, dyed-in-the-wool Star Trek fan.

For the next seven years, I watched not only TNG, but the spin-off set on an alien space station called "Deep Space Nine" DS9, as we Trekkers call it, was also great to me, so I added it to my list of must-see Trek. As the nineties began, I watched the original cast of Star Trek say their goodbyes in the sixth and final Star Trek film to feature them all together. I also watched as TNG and DS9 developed and boldly went where none had gone before. When I began college, another Star Trek series, Voyager, debuted on a channel I couldn't catch in my dorm. So for three years, I only read about Voyager. But I watched the TNG films and continued to watch DS9, and was reading as many Trek books as I could.

To make a long story short, let me bring you up to today. To the end. Four years ago, a fifth Star Trek series, simply titled "Enterprise," premiered on UPN, a channel I'm sure many of you don't watch. I was excited about this new series for a number of reasons: it starred Scott Bakula, who I always liked on "Quantum Leap" (you know, the guy who jumped from person to person trying to get back to the future?), it was going to be set during a simpler time, one hundred years before Kirk and one hundred and fifty years from our time, and finally, because it was filled with potential. Talented, youthful actors. Some of the most expensive special effects in television. Good orchestral scores. And best of all, it was Star Trek. Sadly, "Enterprise" never caught on with the general populace, nor with many die-hard Trekkers. Sagging ratings and competition from other forms of entertainment and types of television programming, along with poor management on the part of the production staff behind the show, led to its untimely demise. Enterprise was cancelled. Two years ago, the last TNG film flopped at the box office. So here we are now. Star Trek is dead both on television and on film.

Why does this matter? To some of you, it may not at all. After all, it is "just a television show." To me, though, Star Trek was an escape from the struggles of life as an overweight kid in a small town. It was exciting and entertaining storytelling. It was fun. But above all of these, it was one man's dream that one day, despite ourselves, we will overcome war, disease, poverty, racism, and hatred. A vision of how we could be better in spite of our brokenness and flaws. That man was Gene Roddenberry. I won't go into details about Gene's life or who he was or wasn't. I'll let some of his words speak for him:

"I have nothing but admiration for this silly race of ours. Even with the Hitlers in it and so on. Sometimes it goes into ugliness, but, in all though, it is a beauty. It's like a rose, which also has thorns. We're something."

Let that sink in for a bit. It's an amazing, maybe even ludicrous kind of statement. But it's a beautiful dream nonetheless. Star Trek resonated with me because it told me that "yes, Chris Meaux, even though you're ridiculed or disliked based on appearance or other foolish reasons, there are those who will appreciate you based on the content of your character. There is a hope, Star Trek taught me, that you can be accepted and appreciated, even celebrated, because of your differences. Because you are a unique and irreplaceable human being." How many other TV shows can boast this kind of lesson, this kind of deep and abiding moral? A dream that only fools would say they don't share.

And Star Trek also taught me the value, the inestimable gift, of the journey. Of boldly going. Going where, you might ask? Going anywhere. Anywhere but where you've been, going beyond yourself and your limitations. Going into the "undiscovered country" as Shakespeare said, the unknown and mysterious land that is the human experience. As my friends and family can attest to, I have always loved the journey. The boldly going. As soon as I was old enough to drive and received a car, I went wherever I could, whenever I could. I wanted to experience everything that I'd never known before, even if that was a town or a city that other people knew about and took for granted. Star Trek taught me to boldly go where I had never gone before.

I've been on a lot of journeys, inward and outward. I've learned a lot about myself and the world around me, and the God responsible for all of it. And through all of that, through the years of struggle and self-discovery and, dare I say it, enterprise, Star Trek has been with me. It has been a comforting place to go when life has been unfamiliar and difficult. It has emboldened me to push on, to press on, to keep dreaming and hoping. I am a Catholic Christian, and I've struggled hard and long for the faith I daily treasure. So I know the difference between a television show and a religion, between fiction and faith.

That said, I'm reminded of a line in the Eucharistic Prayer of the Catholic Mass: "From God, through whom all good things come." Essentially, all good has as its source God. And God is the source of all things. Thus, all good comes from God and is sustained by God. As crazy as it may sound, the good that a crazy little television show named Star Trek has to offer is from God. That would seem, to quote Mr. Spock, "quite logical." So tonight, as Star Trek Enterprise goes off the air for good, I mourn the loss of something that has been with me since my childhood. I have watched Star Trek all my life, and for the last eighteen years of my life, there has been a new Star Trek episode every week, whether it was Star Trek The Next Generation, Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Star Trek Voyager, or Star Trek Enterprise.

After tonight, there will be no more Star Trek. Paramount, the company that produces Star Trek, cancelled Enterprise. They've made it clear that there will be no more Star Trek for a long time, if ever again. Let it be known that, though many said Enterprise was no good, it was a fantastic and enjoyable addition to the Star Trek mythology. In fact, Star Trek and Star Trek Enterprise are my favorite Trek series. Scott Bakula and the wonderful cast of Jolene Blalock, Connor Trineer, Linda Park, Anthony Montgomery, Dominic Keating, and John Billingsley, did an amazing job in their roles. They are extremely talented actors and I wish them the very best in the bright futures I know they have ahead of them.

Tonight marks the end of Star Trek for those of us for whom Star Trek was more than just a goofy television show with funky aliens and cool spaceships. For us, a mythology ends tonight, one that has taught us much about morality, goodness, virtue, equality, honor, justice, peace, and goodness. A show that even taught a lot of us about science, art, music, literature, and culture. A show that was based on Gene Roddenberry's dream of a future better than our present, a dream we Trekkers all shared with Gene. Though the mythology that grew out of that dream dies tonight, I know that the dream still lives. And it will continue to live, no matter what kind of new and different Star Trek is created in the future. Gene's dream has shaped lives, inspiring astronauts, scientists, pilots, doctors, teachers, lawyers, and countless others. That dream will continue to shape those who allow themselves to dream it, who dare to boldly go where they have never gone before.



"Second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning."

Whoa Begone

Saturday, April 16th, 2005

"Whoa Begone!"

Greetings yet again from the lovely land of Youngsville, Louisiana. The weather here today was quite beautiful. Perfect for being outside. Except that I decided to go and see a film that I'd long hoped would one day be made, "Sin City," based on the comic books of the same name that I read in high school.

It was excellent, but I'd rather not get into a film review here. Let me just say it's definitely worth the price of admission. One caveat: if you're in any way squeamish when it comes to violence and bloodshed, avoid this film. Or, at the very least, close your eyes when you think something's about to happen you'd rather not see. For those of you who, like me, love dark, gritty, crime drama, this movie is for you. You'll love it as much as I did. And when you consider that it was made entirely against a green screen with the use of only minimal foreground props, you'll be amazed. I knew this going in and never noticed. It's an amazing achievement and I really think it's where films are headed.

Moving on to the topic at hand, which is related to the cinematic experience I had today. I substitute taught one class at Lafayette High this morning before going to the film. As most of you know, LHS is only a few blocks away from The Grand, the only theater in the area with true stadium seating and quality digital surround sound. (That's not a plug, just a fact.) I left LHS around a quarter to one and was in the Grand parking lot a full forty minutes before the film started. I purchased my ticket and spent the thirty minutes I had left after visiting the restroom sitting in dim, air-conditioned bliss. No wonder summer movies are so damned popular. That half hour before the film was relaxing and serene. Damn night perfect except for one thing...

...the "music" playing before the trailers began.

I will attempt to describe this as best as I can, though I'm sure you're all familiar with this. A picture of tantalizing concessions will come on the screen, accompanied by "la la la la la la la la la la, oh whoa whoa whoa."
Let's go over that again for the folks in the back. "La la la la la la la la la la, oh whoa whoa whoa."

What gives with this? "Oh whoa whoa whoa?" The hell?! You're telling me that out of the nonsense syllables readily available to any composer/songwriter, "oh whoa whoa whoa" was the best they could do? I mean, "oh whoa. whoa. whoa.?" How does a singer even sing that with a straight face? My God. It's terrible. What's worse is that it's like that damn "She's a Barbie Girl" song from years back. IT JUST KEEPS PLAYING IN YOUR MIND.

OH WHOA WHOA WHOA. OH WHOA WHOA WHOA. It's...it's nightmarish, really.

I'm no musician, and I'm sure it's hard to come up with this stuff sometimes, but please. How about "la la la la la la la (you get the picture)...do doobie doobie doo?" That's much more acceptable. It's jazzy. It's funny. Reminds the kiddies of Scooby Doo. Everybody wins. And really, isn't that what we all want when we go to the movies?

I have a veritable plethora, a bona fide myriad of film-related topics I will ramble about here. But that's it for today. Thanks for reading, Meauxses