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Info About The Final Episode Of The First Trilogy:
The film takes place three years after the onset of the Clone Wars. The Jedi Knights are spread out across the galaxy leading a massive clone army in the war against the Separatists. The Jedi Council dispatches Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi to eliminate the evil General Grievous, leader of the Separatist Army. Meanwhile, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, separated from Kenobi, his former master, grows close to Palpatine, the Chancellor of the Galactic Republic and, unbeknownst to the public, a Sith Lord. Their deepening friendship proves dangerous for the Jedi Order, The Republic, and Anakin himself who inevitably succumbs to the Dark Side of the Force and becomes Darth Vader, changing the fate of the galaxy forever.
Lucas began writing the script before production of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones began. Filming took place in Australia with additional locations in Thailand and Italy, and lasted over three months. The film was released in theatres on May 19, 2005, and received generally positive reviews from critics, especially in contrast to the previous two prequels.
It broke several box office records during its opening week and went on to earn over $848 million worldwide,[1] making it the second-highest-grossing film in the Star Wars franchise (not adjusting for inflation). It was the highest grossing film of 2005 in the US, and the second highest-grossing film of 2005 worldwide behind Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.[1]
Plot
As the Clone Wars rage on, the Galactic Republic has suffered major setbacks against the Separatists. Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi infiltrate the flagship of Separatist commander General Grievous to rescue the abducted Chancellor Palpatine. However, they are confronted by Count Dooku, who engages the Jedi in a lightsaber duel. After Dooku knocks Obi-Wan unconscious, Anakin fights and kills Dooku at Palpatine's urging. After a skirmish with Grievous, who then flees, the Jedi crash-land the ship that has split in half on the planet Coruscant. There, Anakin reunites with his wife, Padmé Amidala, who reveals she is pregnant. Anakin is happy at first, but he then begins to have disturbing premonitions of Padmé dying in childbirth.
Palpatine places Anakin on the Jedi Council as his representative, but Anakin is denied the rank of Jedi Master and ordered to secretly monitor the Chancellor. Frustrated at being excluded from the Council, Anakin begins to lose faith in the Jedi and becomes more attached to Palpatine, who tells him that the dark side of the Force holds the power to prevent death. On the planet Utapau, Obi-Wan engages and kills Grievous. When Palpatine reveals himself as the Sith lord Darth Sidious, Anakin reports his treachery to Jedi Master Mace Windu. In the ensuing lightsaber duel, Windu subdues Palpatine by deflecting his opponent's Force Lightning back at him. Just then, Anakin rushes in and intervenes on Palpatine's behalf, severing Windu's hand; Palpatine then kills Windu. Desperate to save Padmé, Anakin becomes Palpatine's apprentice and is rechristened Darth Vader.
Palpatine issues Order 66 across the galaxy to have the Clone Troopers turn on their Jedi Masters, and sends Vader with a legion of clone troopers to the Jedi Temple to kill everyone there. Vader then travels to the volcanic planet Mustafar to kill the Separatist leaders hiding there. Palpatine addresses the Senate and reforms the Republic into the Galactic Empire, declaring himself Emperor.
Obi-Wan and Jedi Master Yoda discover Anakin's treachery, and split up to confront Vader and Sidious. Unable to convince Padmé of Anakin's turn to the dark side, Obi-Wan stows away on her ship when she travels to Mustafar. When Padmé discovers what Vader has done, she tries to take him back, but Vader accuses her of betraying him and uses the Force to choke her into unconsciousness. Vader and Obi-Wan engage in a fierce duel, taking them across the entire volcano, and eventually Obi-Wan severs Vader's legs and left arm and Vader falls down to the edge of the volcanic river. Soon after, Vader's clothing ignites, and Vader is horribly maimed by the fire. Obi-Wan takes his former apprentice's lightsaber to help Padmé. Meanwhile, Yoda confronts the Emperor, but is forced to retreat when their duel reaches a stalemate.
In a medical facility on Polis Massa, Padmé dies after giving birth to twins Luke and Leia. Meanwhile, Palpatine finds Vader barely alive on Mustafar and brings him back to Coruscant, rebuilding his apprentice's ruined body with cybernetic limbs and a respirator. Tormented by the discovery of Padmé's death at his own hands, Vader screams, the last vestige of humanity now driven from him. Vader begins overseeing the construction of the Death Star at Palpatine's side. A funeral is held for Padmé, her body dressed to continue the illusion of pregnancy. Knowing that the twins must remain hidden from the Empire, Senator Bail Organa adopts Leia and takes her to Alderaan, while Luke is to be taken to his stepfamily on Tatooine. Organa allows the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 to remain aboard the Tantive IV and has C-3PO's memory erased. Yoda teaches Obi-Wan how to commune with the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn before going into exile on Dagobah. Obi-Wan takes the infant Luke to Tatooine, where he intends to watch over him until the time is right to challenge the Empire.
Cast
- Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi: Obi-Wan is a General for the Galactic Republic and is a Jedi Master who sits on the Jedi Council. He often travels and performs missions with his best friend and former Padawan, Anakin.
- Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader: Anakin is a recently-knighted Jedi and hero of the Clone Wars. Upon learning of his wife's pregnancy, he begins to have recurring visions of her dying in childbirth. Because similar visions accurately foretold the death of his mother, he swears that he will do whatever it takes to save her, and in his determination, he falls to the Dark Side of the Force and becomes the evil Darth Vader. While many assume that James Earl Jones is the uncredited, briefly heard voice of Darth Vader at the film's conclusion, Jones, when specifically asked if he had supplied the voice, either newly or from a previous recording, told Newsday, "You'd have to ask Lucas about that. I don't know".[2] However, the commentary on the DVD release states that, while the voice will always be uncredited, any true Star Wars fan "should know the answer".[3]
- Natalie Portman as Padmé Amidala: Padmé is Anakin's secret wife; she has recently become pregnant with twins. As Senator of Naboo, she is deeply concerned about Palpatine's growing power, and her husband's increasingly disturbing behavior.
- Ian McDiarmid as Darth Sidious / Chancellor Palpatine: As the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, Palpatine enacted the start of the Clone Wars against the Separatists. As a result, the Senate has voted him vast emergency powers, effectively turning him into a dictator. By this time, he becomes a sort of mentor to Anakin, manipulating him into distrusting the Jedi. In reality, Palpatine is the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, who finally steps from the shadows to destroy the Jedi Order and the Republic it serves, and lure Anakin to his side.
- Frank Oz voices Yoda: The wise old leader of the Jedi Council. He is a friend and mentor to many Jedi. He plays a major role in the Battle of Kashyyyk.
- Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu: Windu is a Jedi Master who sits on the Jedi Council and is also a Jedi General in the Clone Wars.
- Matthew Wood voices General Grievous: Grievous is a fearsome cyborg and General of the Separatists' droid army. He is responsible for kidnapping Palpatine at the beginning. He is also skilled in lightsaber combat, having been trained by Count Dooku, wielding two green and two blue lightsabers taken from Jedi he has killed.
- Jimmy Smits as Senator Bail Organa: Bail Organa is a Senator in the Galactic Republic and friend to the Jedi, who grows concerned at Palpatine's growing power.
- Anthony Daniels as C-3PO: C-3PO is Padmé Amidala's personal protocol droid, created by Anakin Skywalker.
- Kenny Baker as R2-D2: R2-D2 is Anakin Skywalker's former astro-droid and C-3PO's counterpart.
- Silas Carson as Nute Gunray and Ki-Adi-Mundi: Gunray is the Viceroy of the Trade Federation, who distrusts Grievous and dares to question his leadership. Ki-Adi-Mundi is a Jedi Master who sits at the Jedi Council and General in the Clone Wars.
- Temuera Morrison as Commander Cody and Clone Troopers: Cody and the clone troopers are part of the army for the Republic. As seen in Attack of the Clones, they are the clones of the bounty hunter Jango Fett.
- Christopher Lee as Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus: He is a Sith apprentice to Darth Sidious, Leader of the Separatists, and Grievous' superior.
- Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca: Chewbacca is a Wookiee who is friendly with Yoda, and fights alongside him in the Battle of Kashyyyk.
It was announced in 2004 that Gary Oldman had been approached to provide the
voice of General Grievous,[4] however,
complications arose during contract negotiations after Oldman learned the film
was to be made outside of the Screen Actors Guild, of which he is a
member. He backed out of the role rather than violate the union's rules.[5] Matthew Wood, who ultimately voiced
Grievous, disputed this story at Celebration III, held in Indianapolis. According to him, Oldman is
a friend of Rick
McCallum, producer of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and recorded an
audition as a favor to him, but was not chosen.[6]
Wood, who was also the supervising sound editor, was in charge of the auditions
and submitted his audition anonymously in the midst of 30 others, under the
initials "A.S." for Alan
Smithee.[7] Days later he
received a phone call asking for the full name to the initials "A.S."[8] An
internet hoax said John Rhys-Davies was
considered for the role.[9]
Cameo appearances
Lucas makes an appearance at the Coruscant Opera House as a blue-faced being named Baron Papanoida; he can be seen outside Palpatine's box. It marks Lucas' only appearance in any of the Star Wars films. His three children also appear in cameos: his son, Jett, as a young Jedi-in-training named Zett Jukassa who is killed defending the Jedi Temple against clone troopers; his daughter, Amanda, as a character called Terr Taneel, seen in the security hologram; and daughter Katie as a blue-skinned Pantoran named Chi Eekway, visible when Palpatine arrives at the Senate after being saved by the Jedi, and talking to Baron Papanoida at the Opera House (she also has a brief speaking role in one of the deleted scenes where Padmé is meeting in secret with other senators). When Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Palpatine arrive via shuttle to the Senate docks after crash landing on Coruscant, the Millennium Falcon can be seen landing on one of the lower platforms as the shuttle approaches.[10] While not a direct cameo, it was confirmed in the Revenge of the Sith online text commentary that Tarfull's growl in the scene of Yoda's departure from Kashyyyk is actually Itchy's growl from The Star Wars Holiday Special.[11]
New Zealand actress Keisha Castle-Hughes appeared as Queen Apailana of Naboo. She is seen during the funeral scene.
Much of the crew also make cameos in the film. Nick Gillard, the stunt coordinator, plays a Jedi named Cin Drallig (his name spelled backward, without the k).[12] Jeremy Bulloch (who played Boba Fett in the original trilogy), appeared in a speaking role as Captain Colton, the pilot of the Rebel Blockade Runner Tantive IV.[13]
Releases
Revenge of the Sith premiered at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival (out of competition) on May 16.[30] Its theatrical release in most other countries took place on May 19 to coincide with the 1999 release of The Phantom Menace (the 1977 release of A New Hope and the 1983 release of Return of the Jedi were also released on the same day and month, six years apart). The global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas claimed one week before the premiere that it may have cost the US economy approximately US$627 million in lost productivity because of employees who took a day off or reported in sick.[31] Grauman's Chinese Theatre, a traditional venue for the Star Wars films, did not show it. However, a line of people stood there for more than a month hoping to convince someone to change this.[32] Most of them took advantage of an offer to see the film at a nearby cinema, ArcLight Cinemas (formerly the "Cinerama Dome").[33] On May 16, the Empire Cinema in London's Leicester Square hosted a day-long Star Wars marathon showing of all six films; an army of Imperial stormtroopers "guarded" the area, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra gave a free concert of Star Wars music.[34]
Leaked workprint
A copy of the movie leaked onto peer-to-peer file sharing networks just hours after opening in theaters. The movie was a time-stamped workprint, suggesting it may have come from within the industry rather than from someone who videotaped an advance screening.[35] Eight people were later charged with copyright infringement and distributing material illegally. Documents filed by the Los Angeles District Attorney allege that a copy of the film was taken from an unnamed Californian post-production office by an employee, who later pleaded guilty to his charges.[36] The illegal copy was passed among seven people until reaching an eighth party, who also pleaded guilty to uploading to an unnamed P2P network.[37]
Shortly after the above-mentioned print was leaked, it was released in Shanghai as a bootleg DVD with Chinese subtitles. The unknown producer of this DVD, for unexplained reasons, also elected to include English subtitles, which were in fact translated back into English from the Chinese translation, rather than using the original English script. This translation was particularly inept, translating many characters literally and losing the meaning of words, leading to unintentional humor; the title of the movie, for example, was given as Star War — The third gathers — The Backstroke of the West. One error in translation that recurs several times in the film is that the phrase "it seems" (好象) was rendered as "good elephant". Jedi Council becomes Presbyterian Church. The mis-translation also caused the word "fuck" (a mis-translation of "work") to appear four times in the subtitles, and rendered Darth Vader's cry of "Noooooooo" (不要) as "Do not want."[38][39] This last translation error would later be popularized as an internet meme.[40]
Rating
Revenge of the Sith is the only Star Wars film to receive a PG-13 rating from the MPAA, officially for "sci-fi violence and some intense images", namely for the scene in which Darth Vader is set aflame by lava and molten rock. Some critics, including Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper, later responded that children would be able to handle the film as long as they had parental guidance, hence a "PG rating".[41] At the same time, Lucas had stated months before the MPAA's decision that he felt the film should receive a PG-13 rating, because of Anakin's final moments and the content of the film being the darkest and most intense of all six films.[42] All previously released films in the series were rated PG. The PG-13 rating had not existed when the films in the original trilogy were released; however, the films in the original trilogy were later re-submitted to the MPAA due to changes in the re-released versions and once again received PG ratings. When Revenge of the Sith was released in Canada, it was given a PG rating in most provinces, excluding Quebec, where it was rated G. In the United Kingdom it received a 12A rating. In Australia the film was rated M for mature audiences (similar to PG-13).
Home video
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was released on DVD on October 31, 2005 in the United Kingdom, on November 1, 2005 in the United States and Canada and on November 3, 2005 in Australia. It was also released in most major territories on or near the same day.[43] The DVD was a two-disc set, with picture and sound mastered from the original digital source material. Unlike any other films directed by Lucas, Revenge of the Sith was released on DVD without any noticeable alterations from the film's original theatrical cut. The only alteration made was the change of a scene transition near the end, which involved the change from a wipe to a straight cut.
The DVD included a number of documentaries including a new full-length documentary as well as two featurettes, one which explores the prophecy of Anakin Skywalker as the Chosen One, the other looking at the movie's stunts and a 15-part collection of web-documentaries from the official web site. Like the other DVD releases, included is an audio commentary track featuring Lucas, producer Rick McCallum, animation director Rob Coleman, and ILM visual effects supervisors John Knoll and Roger Guyett. Six deleted scenes were included with introductions from Lucas and McCallum. An Xbox game demo for Star Wars: Battlefront II along with a trailer for the Star Wars: Empire at War PC game was featured on the second disc.
Also, a special two-pack exclusive, sold only at Wal-Mart stores, included another bonus DVD, The Story of Star Wars.
This release is notable because, due to marketing issues, it was the first Star Wars film never to be released on VHS in the United States.[44] However, the film was released on VHS in Australia, the United Kingdom and other countries in the world.[45]
The DVD was re-released in a prequel trilogy box set on November 4, 2008.[46]
The Star Wars films were released on Blu-ray Disc on September 16, 2011 in three different editions.[47]
Reception
Critical reception
Critical reaction towards Revenge of the Sith was generally positive. Film review site Rotten Tomatoes calculated an approval rating of 80% based on 253 reviews, making it the highest-rated out of the prequel trilogy and the third highest-rated film of the entire Star Wars saga: The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Return of the Jedi are rated 57%, 67%, and 79% respectively, while A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back are rated 94% and 97% respectively. Some critics considered it the best of the prequels,[49] while other reviewers judged it to be the best Star Wars film since The Empire Strikes Back. A. O. Scott of The New York Times concluded that it was "the best of the four episodes Mr. Lucas has directed," and equal to The Empire Strikes Back as "the richest and most challenging movie in the cycle".[49] In a 2007 summary of the 100 Best Science-Fiction Films on Rotten Tomatoes, Revenge of the Sith was placed 51 out of 100, making it the only prequel film in the Star Wars series to earn a ranking. Jonathan Rosenbaum, a critic who disliked A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, gave the film a positive review saying that it had a "relatively thoughtful story." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3½ stars out of four, writing "If [Lucas] got bogged down in solemnity and theory in "Episode II: Attack of the Clones", the Force is in a jollier mood this time, and "Revenge of the Sith" is a great entertainment."[50]
Though many critics and fans saw it as one of the best of the series, or at least, the strongest of the three prequels, some saw it as more or less on par with The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.[49]
Much of the criticism for the film was directed towards the dialogue, particularly the film's romantic scenes, and for Hayden Christensen's performance (which won him his second Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor). Critics and fans alike were quick to jump on such lines as "Hold me, Ani. Hold me, like you did by the lake on Naboo...where there was nothing but our love..."[49] Critics have claimed this demonstrated Lucas' weakness as a writer of dialogue, a subject with which Lucas openly agreed when receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute.[51]
Some American conservatives criticized the film, claiming it has a liberal bias and is a commentary on the George W. Bush administration and the Iraq War. Some websites went so far as to propose a boycott of the film. Lucas defended the film, stating that the film's storyline was written during the Vietnam War and was influenced by that conflict rather than the war in Iraq. Lucas did note, however, that "The parallels between Vietnam and what we're doing in Iraq now are unbelievable".[52]
Box office performance
Revenge of the Sith was released in 115 countries. Worldwide gross for the film eventually reached nearly $850 million—ranking making it the top film of 2005,[53] The film earned an estimated $16.5 million from 2,900 midnight screenings in North America upon its release. In total, it earned a record $50 million on its opening day.[54] It was surpassed the following year by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which earned $55.5 million on its opening day.[55]
With only the May 19 earnings, the film broke four box office records: midnight screenings gross (previously held by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, $8 million), opening day gross (Spider-Man 2, with $40.4 million), single day gross (Shrek 2 with $44.8 million) and Thursday gross (The Matrix Reloaded with $37.5 million).[54] Its single day gross record and opening day gross record were later surpassed by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest on July 7, 2006, when that movie grossed $55.5 million on its opening day,[55] and midnight screening gross was broken by The Dark Knight on July 18, 2008 with $18.5 million.[56] It still retains its record for Thursday gross, however. According to box office analysis sites, Revenge of the Sith set American records for highest gross in a given number of days for each of its first 12 days of release except for the seventh and eighth, where the record is narrowly held by Spider-Man 2. On its fifth day it became the highest-grossing movie of 2005, surpassing Hitch ($177.6 million). The film earned $158.5 million in its first four-day period, surpassing the previous four-day record held by The Matrix Reloaded ($134.3 million), and joining Spider-Man, The Matrix Reloaded and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as the only movies to make $100 million in three days. In eight days, it reached the $200 million mark (record tied with Spider-Man 2) and by its 17th day, Sith had passed $300 million (surpassing the record of 18 days of Shrek 2). It was eventually the third-fastest film (after Shrek 2 and Spider-Man) to reach $350 million.[1]
The film ended its run in American theaters on October 20, 2005,[1] finishing with a total gross of $380,270,577. It ranks 16th in all-time domestic grosses and is the highest-grossing movie of 2005 in the U.S., outgrossing second-place The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by nearly $90 million.[1]
International grosses that exceeded $10 million include Australia ($27.2 million), France and Algeria ($56.9 million), Germany ($47.3 million), Italy ($11.3 million), Japan ($82.7 million), Mexico ($15.3 million), South Korea ($10.3 million), Spain ($23.8 million), and the United Kingdom and Ireland ($72.8 million).[57]
Awards and nominations
Despite being the best reviewed and received film in the prequel trilogy, Revenge of the Sith received fewer award nominations than the previous films. It became the only Star Wars film not to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects; however, it was nominated for Best Makeup (Dave Elsey and Nikki Gooley), losing to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.[58] It also won "Favorite Motion Picture" and "Favorite Dramatic Motion Picture" awards at the People's Choice Awards,[59] "Hollywood Movie of the Year" award at the Hollywood Film Festival,[60] Empire Awards (Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film),[61] and the Teen Choice Awards (Action/Adventure Movie).[62] It also was nominated for Best Score Soundtrack Album at the 48th Grammy Awards in 2006.
As every film of the original trilogy, the film won the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film.[63] Williams also won Best Music. The film was nominated for ten Saturn Awards overall, including Best Director and Best Writing for Lucas, Best Actor for Christensen, Best Actress for Natalie Portman and Best Supporting Actor for Ian McDiarmid
The film did, however, receive the fewest Golden Raspberry Awards nominations: only one, for Christensen as Worst Supporting Actor,[64] which he won.[65] (The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones received seven nominations each, with one and two wins, respectively.) It is the only Star Wars prequel not to receive a Razzie nomination for "Worst Picture". Christensen further won the "Best Villain" award at the MTV Movie Awards.[66]
All Extracts Taken From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_III:_Revenge_of_the_Sith
More Info: http://www.starwars.com/explore/the-movies/episode-iii/ - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121766/
Cameo appearances
Lucas makes an appearance at the Coruscant Opera House as a blue-faced being named Baron Papanoida; he can be seen outside Palpatine's box. It marks Lucas' only appearance in any of the Star Wars films. His three children also appear in cameos: his son, Jett, as a young Jedi-in-training named Zett Jukassa who is killed defending the Jedi Temple against clone troopers; his daughter, Amanda, as a character called Terr Taneel, seen in the security hologram; and daughter Katie as a blue-skinned Pantoran named Chi Eekway, visible when Palpatine arrives at the Senate after being saved by the Jedi, and talking to Baron Papanoida at the Opera House (she also has a brief speaking role in one of the deleted scenes where Padmé is meeting in secret with other senators). When Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Palpatine arrive via shuttle to the Senate docks after crash landing on Coruscant, the Millennium Falcon can be seen landing on one of the lower platforms as the shuttle approaches.[10] While not a direct cameo, it was confirmed in the Revenge of the Sith online text commentary that Tarfull's growl in the scene of Yoda's departure from Kashyyyk is actually Itchy's growl from The Star Wars Holiday Special.[11]
New Zealand actress Keisha Castle-Hughes appeared as Queen Apailana of Naboo. She is seen during the funeral scene.
Much of the crew also make cameos in the film. Nick Gillard, the stunt coordinator, plays a Jedi named Cin Drallig (his name spelled backward, without the k).[12] Jeremy Bulloch (who played Boba Fett in the original trilogy), appeared in a speaking role as Captain Colton, the pilot of the Rebel Blockade Runner Tantive IV.[13]
Releases
Revenge of the Sith premiered at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival (out of competition) on May 16.[30] Its theatrical release in most other countries took place on May 19 to coincide with the 1999 release of The Phantom Menace (the 1977 release of A New Hope and the 1983 release of Return of the Jedi were also released on the same day and month, six years apart). The global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas claimed one week before the premiere that it may have cost the US economy approximately US$627 million in lost productivity because of employees who took a day off or reported in sick.[31] Grauman's Chinese Theatre, a traditional venue for the Star Wars films, did not show it. However, a line of people stood there for more than a month hoping to convince someone to change this.[32] Most of them took advantage of an offer to see the film at a nearby cinema, ArcLight Cinemas (formerly the "Cinerama Dome").[33] On May 16, the Empire Cinema in London's Leicester Square hosted a day-long Star Wars marathon showing of all six films; an army of Imperial stormtroopers "guarded" the area, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra gave a free concert of Star Wars music.[34]
Leaked workprint
A copy of the movie leaked onto peer-to-peer file sharing networks just hours after opening in theaters. The movie was a time-stamped workprint, suggesting it may have come from within the industry rather than from someone who videotaped an advance screening.[35] Eight people were later charged with copyright infringement and distributing material illegally. Documents filed by the Los Angeles District Attorney allege that a copy of the film was taken from an unnamed Californian post-production office by an employee, who later pleaded guilty to his charges.[36] The illegal copy was passed among seven people until reaching an eighth party, who also pleaded guilty to uploading to an unnamed P2P network.[37]
Shortly after the above-mentioned print was leaked, it was released in Shanghai as a bootleg DVD with Chinese subtitles. The unknown producer of this DVD, for unexplained reasons, also elected to include English subtitles, which were in fact translated back into English from the Chinese translation, rather than using the original English script. This translation was particularly inept, translating many characters literally and losing the meaning of words, leading to unintentional humor; the title of the movie, for example, was given as Star War — The third gathers — The Backstroke of the West. One error in translation that recurs several times in the film is that the phrase "it seems" (好象) was rendered as "good elephant". Jedi Council becomes Presbyterian Church. The mis-translation also caused the word "fuck" (a mis-translation of "work") to appear four times in the subtitles, and rendered Darth Vader's cry of "Noooooooo" (不要) as "Do not want."[38][39] This last translation error would later be popularized as an internet meme.[40]
Rating
Revenge of the Sith is the only Star Wars film to receive a PG-13 rating from the MPAA, officially for "sci-fi violence and some intense images", namely for the scene in which Darth Vader is set aflame by lava and molten rock. Some critics, including Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper, later responded that children would be able to handle the film as long as they had parental guidance, hence a "PG rating".[41] At the same time, Lucas had stated months before the MPAA's decision that he felt the film should receive a PG-13 rating, because of Anakin's final moments and the content of the film being the darkest and most intense of all six films.[42] All previously released films in the series were rated PG. The PG-13 rating had not existed when the films in the original trilogy were released; however, the films in the original trilogy were later re-submitted to the MPAA due to changes in the re-released versions and once again received PG ratings. When Revenge of the Sith was released in Canada, it was given a PG rating in most provinces, excluding Quebec, where it was rated G. In the United Kingdom it received a 12A rating. In Australia the film was rated M for mature audiences (similar to PG-13).
Home video
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was released on DVD on October 31, 2005 in the United Kingdom, on November 1, 2005 in the United States and Canada and on November 3, 2005 in Australia. It was also released in most major territories on or near the same day.[43] The DVD was a two-disc set, with picture and sound mastered from the original digital source material. Unlike any other films directed by Lucas, Revenge of the Sith was released on DVD without any noticeable alterations from the film's original theatrical cut. The only alteration made was the change of a scene transition near the end, which involved the change from a wipe to a straight cut.
The DVD included a number of documentaries including a new full-length documentary as well as two featurettes, one which explores the prophecy of Anakin Skywalker as the Chosen One, the other looking at the movie's stunts and a 15-part collection of web-documentaries from the official web site. Like the other DVD releases, included is an audio commentary track featuring Lucas, producer Rick McCallum, animation director Rob Coleman, and ILM visual effects supervisors John Knoll and Roger Guyett. Six deleted scenes were included with introductions from Lucas and McCallum. An Xbox game demo for Star Wars: Battlefront II along with a trailer for the Star Wars: Empire at War PC game was featured on the second disc.
Also, a special two-pack exclusive, sold only at Wal-Mart stores, included another bonus DVD, The Story of Star Wars.
This release is notable because, due to marketing issues, it was the first Star Wars film never to be released on VHS in the United States.[44] However, the film was released on VHS in Australia, the United Kingdom and other countries in the world.[45]
The DVD was re-released in a prequel trilogy box set on November 4, 2008.[46]
The Star Wars films were released on Blu-ray Disc on September 16, 2011 in three different editions.[47]
Reception
Critical reception
Critical reaction towards Revenge of the Sith was generally positive. Film review site Rotten Tomatoes calculated an approval rating of 80% based on 253 reviews, making it the highest-rated out of the prequel trilogy and the third highest-rated film of the entire Star Wars saga: The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Return of the Jedi are rated 57%, 67%, and 79% respectively, while A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back are rated 94% and 97% respectively. Some critics considered it the best of the prequels,[49] while other reviewers judged it to be the best Star Wars film since The Empire Strikes Back. A. O. Scott of The New York Times concluded that it was "the best of the four episodes Mr. Lucas has directed," and equal to The Empire Strikes Back as "the richest and most challenging movie in the cycle".[49] In a 2007 summary of the 100 Best Science-Fiction Films on Rotten Tomatoes, Revenge of the Sith was placed 51 out of 100, making it the only prequel film in the Star Wars series to earn a ranking. Jonathan Rosenbaum, a critic who disliked A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, gave the film a positive review saying that it had a "relatively thoughtful story." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3½ stars out of four, writing "If [Lucas] got bogged down in solemnity and theory in "Episode II: Attack of the Clones", the Force is in a jollier mood this time, and "Revenge of the Sith" is a great entertainment."[50]
Though many critics and fans saw it as one of the best of the series, or at least, the strongest of the three prequels, some saw it as more or less on par with The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.[49]
Much of the criticism for the film was directed towards the dialogue, particularly the film's romantic scenes, and for Hayden Christensen's performance (which won him his second Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor). Critics and fans alike were quick to jump on such lines as "Hold me, Ani. Hold me, like you did by the lake on Naboo...where there was nothing but our love..."[49] Critics have claimed this demonstrated Lucas' weakness as a writer of dialogue, a subject with which Lucas openly agreed when receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute.[51]
Some American conservatives criticized the film, claiming it has a liberal bias and is a commentary on the George W. Bush administration and the Iraq War. Some websites went so far as to propose a boycott of the film. Lucas defended the film, stating that the film's storyline was written during the Vietnam War and was influenced by that conflict rather than the war in Iraq. Lucas did note, however, that "The parallels between Vietnam and what we're doing in Iraq now are unbelievable".[52]
Box office performance
Revenge of the Sith was released in 115 countries. Worldwide gross for the film eventually reached nearly $850 million—ranking making it the top film of 2005,[53] The film earned an estimated $16.5 million from 2,900 midnight screenings in North America upon its release. In total, it earned a record $50 million on its opening day.[54] It was surpassed the following year by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which earned $55.5 million on its opening day.[55]
With only the May 19 earnings, the film broke four box office records: midnight screenings gross (previously held by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, $8 million), opening day gross (Spider-Man 2, with $40.4 million), single day gross (Shrek 2 with $44.8 million) and Thursday gross (The Matrix Reloaded with $37.5 million).[54] Its single day gross record and opening day gross record were later surpassed by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest on July 7, 2006, when that movie grossed $55.5 million on its opening day,[55] and midnight screening gross was broken by The Dark Knight on July 18, 2008 with $18.5 million.[56] It still retains its record for Thursday gross, however. According to box office analysis sites, Revenge of the Sith set American records for highest gross in a given number of days for each of its first 12 days of release except for the seventh and eighth, where the record is narrowly held by Spider-Man 2. On its fifth day it became the highest-grossing movie of 2005, surpassing Hitch ($177.6 million). The film earned $158.5 million in its first four-day period, surpassing the previous four-day record held by The Matrix Reloaded ($134.3 million), and joining Spider-Man, The Matrix Reloaded and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as the only movies to make $100 million in three days. In eight days, it reached the $200 million mark (record tied with Spider-Man 2) and by its 17th day, Sith had passed $300 million (surpassing the record of 18 days of Shrek 2). It was eventually the third-fastest film (after Shrek 2 and Spider-Man) to reach $350 million.[1]
The film ended its run in American theaters on October 20, 2005,[1] finishing with a total gross of $380,270,577. It ranks 16th in all-time domestic grosses and is the highest-grossing movie of 2005 in the U.S., outgrossing second-place The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by nearly $90 million.[1]
International grosses that exceeded $10 million include Australia ($27.2 million), France and Algeria ($56.9 million), Germany ($47.3 million), Italy ($11.3 million), Japan ($82.7 million), Mexico ($15.3 million), South Korea ($10.3 million), Spain ($23.8 million), and the United Kingdom and Ireland ($72.8 million).[57]
Awards and nominations
Despite being the best reviewed and received film in the prequel trilogy, Revenge of the Sith received fewer award nominations than the previous films. It became the only Star Wars film not to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects; however, it was nominated for Best Makeup (Dave Elsey and Nikki Gooley), losing to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.[58] It also won "Favorite Motion Picture" and "Favorite Dramatic Motion Picture" awards at the People's Choice Awards,[59] "Hollywood Movie of the Year" award at the Hollywood Film Festival,[60] Empire Awards (Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film),[61] and the Teen Choice Awards (Action/Adventure Movie).[62] It also was nominated for Best Score Soundtrack Album at the 48th Grammy Awards in 2006.
As every film of the original trilogy, the film won the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film.[63] Williams also won Best Music. The film was nominated for ten Saturn Awards overall, including Best Director and Best Writing for Lucas, Best Actor for Christensen, Best Actress for Natalie Portman and Best Supporting Actor for Ian McDiarmid
The film did, however, receive the fewest Golden Raspberry Awards nominations: only one, for Christensen as Worst Supporting Actor,[64] which he won.[65] (The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones received seven nominations each, with one and two wins, respectively.) It is the only Star Wars prequel not to receive a Razzie nomination for "Worst Picture". Christensen further won the "Best Villain" award at the MTV Movie Awards.[66]
All Extracts Taken From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_III:_Revenge_of_the_Sith
More Info: http://www.starwars.com/explore/the-movies/episode-iii/ - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121766/
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