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"STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH"
(2005) (Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor) (PG-13)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
None Heavy Extreme *Moderate Extreme
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Mild None Extreme None None
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Mild None Moderate Heavy Extreme


QUICK TAKE:
Sci-fi: A handful of Jedi knights try to save the Republic from a member who's been corrupted by both his quest for more power and being drawn to the dark side of The Force.
PLOT:
In this sequel to "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" and prequel to the original "Star Wars" (from 1977), unrest continues to grow in the Republic. Under the command of evil Lord Sidius, General Grievous (voice of MATTHEW WOOD) -- leader of the droid army -- has taken Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (IAN McDIARMID) hostage. As a result, Jedi knights Obi-Wan Kenobi (EWAN McGREGOR), his apprentice Anakin Skywalker (HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN) and their droid R2-D2 (KENNY BAKER) fly in for a rescue mission where they must not only battle General Grievous, but also Count Dooku (CHRISTOPHER LEE).

General Grievous manages to get away, but the rescue attempt is successful. To show his gratitude, Palpatine places Anakin on the revered Jedi Council, but none of its members -- including Obi-Wan, Mace Windu (SAMUEL L. JACKSON) or Yoda (FRANK OZ) -- think it's a good idea, especially since they don't trust the chancellor. In fact, they ask Anakin to spy on him, believing he's making a power play of some sort. At the same time, Palpatine tries to convince Anakin that the Jedi are plotting to rule the Republic.

Torn about what to do, he knows he can confide in Padmé Amidala (NATALIE PORTMAN) who's just discovered that she's pregnant in their marriage that they've managed to keep secret from everyone else. Beyond being torn in opposite directions about who to trust, Anakin is haunted by troubling dreams where he sees Padmé dying in childbirth. Palpatine senses that very fear as his way of swaying Anakin over to the dark side of The Force, particularly when he informs the young man that such powers can even be used to protect loved ones from death.

With Anakin becoming increasingly consumed with his concern over Padmé and his desire for more power, the Republic faces its biggest challenge yet when a deadly coup breaks out. Faced with quickly dwindling numbers of allies, Obi-Wan, Yoda and Senator Bail Organa (JIMMY SMITS) do what they can to stop those who've pledged allegiance to Lord Sidius and the dark side of The Force.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
That's a definite yes for the majority (with peer pressure likely making the non-fans feel the need to see it).
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
For sci-fi violence and some intense images.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN plays a young Jedi knight who's torn between allegiances and finds himself drawn to the dark side of The Force due to his concerns about his wife as well as his growing quest for power. He ends up killing various people, including children.
  • EWAN McGREGOR plays his Jedi instructor who becomes concerned and dismayed by his pupil's involvement with Palpatine and the dark side of The Force.
  • IAN McDIARMID plays the Supreme Chancellor who wants to rule the Republic and slowly starts to influence Anakin and convert him over to the dark side. He's responsible for the deaths of many innocent people.
  • NATALIE PORTMAN plays Anakin's secret wife, the former Queen of Naboo who discovers that she's pregnant and becomes concerned about Anakin's change in demeanor and behavior.
  • SAMUEL L. JACKSON plays a Jedi master who becomes increasingly suspicious of Anakin and his involvement with Palpatine.
  • YODA is the wise Jedi master who tries to maintain peace and stability in the Republic and becomes dismayed about the recent turn of events in it.
  • CHRISTOPHER LEE plays the renegade Jedi master who's gone over to the dark side and works to undermine and overthrow the Republic.
  • JIMMY SMITS plays a senator who joins the surviving Jedi in attempting to save the Republic.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    Much has been made of this final entry in the "Star Wars" series receiving a PG-13 rating rather than PG like its predecessors. To be honest, the last film -- "Attack of the Clones" -- easily could have been rated PG-13 (especially for a boy seeing his father be decapitated -- sans any blood -- and then holding his helmet covered head). For much of this film, most of violence is on par with the last two offerings, meaning there's plenty of sci-fi based fighting and/or killing via light sabers, lasers and such, and while most of that remains bloodless, it's stepped up a notch or two in intensity.

    Then the killing spree begins, with many characters -- good and bad -- meeting their demise, including some young kids (we only see their bodies), while a major good character is corrupted by evil and is then severely wounded. The repeated sight of him as a charred and bloody torso (with just one mechanical arm left on it) may be too much for some kids (and even adults).

    Thus, the film may be too intense for younger viewers (depending, of course, on their level of maturity and past exposure to such material), but for those concerned about the PG-13 aged crowd, the film isn't any more violent than the "Lord of the Rings" films and isn't anywhere as intense or scary (for kids) as "Jurassic Park." That said, here's our standard content summary:

    The following is a brief look at the content found in this sci-fi film that's been rated PG-13. There's no profanity, only a handful of colorful phrases, and the sex/nudity category is limited to a wife being pregnant (and later wearing a strapless nightgown) and some brief, miscellaneous cleavage.

    Violence consists of all sorts of intense, sci-fi based fighting with a variety of weapons where various characters (human and otherwise) are injured or killed and all sorts of space ships are destroyed or damaged.

    Most of that's bloodless, although some limbs are severed, two characters are decapitated and then a main character has his legs and one arm cut off before catching on fire (we see then see his charred and bloody torso -- with one mechanical arm). Such violence and visuals, along with other moments of peril, may be rather intense for some viewers, particularly younger kids. Other kids may be enticed to imitate the fighting and other such stunts.

    All of the villains have bad attitudes, including a hero who progressively turns evil and murders various people, including kids (thus the thematic element of succumbing to evil). Before that, he worries about premonitions about his wife's death in childbirth that eventually comes true.

    Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • None.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • Anakin cuts off an opponent's hands with a light saber (we very briefly see the glowing/burning ends on the stumps).
  • We briefly see small, organic looking body organs inside General Grievous' otherwise mechanical body.
  • Two Storm troopers try to kill Yoda, but he decapitates both with his light saber (we briefly see the helmeted heads come off, but there's no blood).
  • We see various dead Wookies, storm troopers and droids lying about following a large battle. While there's no blood, they are dead bodies.
  • In a swift move, Obi-Wan severs Anakin's two legs and one arm (leaving him with just his mechanical arm intact on his body). There's no blood, but just the glowing stumps on Anakin's body from the light saber cuts.
  • Cut down to just a torso with one mechanical arm, Anakin catches on fire on the bank of a lava river. He becomes completely engulfed in flames and screams in pain/terror until we see just a burned/charred/smoking torso lying there. He then uses his lone mechanical arm to slowly drag himself up the river bank, with more views of his charred and now bloody body. We then see various views of his charred and bloody body, including a close-up of his face in that same condition. We then see him lying on a table as he's retrofitted with various mechanical limbs (and somewhat writhes about in pain as they're fitted on him).
  • We see a dead body in a funeral procession (beyond being dead, there's no related gore).
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • All of the film's villains -- Palpatine, Count Dooku, General Grievous and all of their minions -- have bad attitudes for wanting to take over the Republic by killing those who don't agree with them.
  • Anakin eventually becomes increasingly corrupted by the dark side of The Force, turns against his allies and kills many of them (including children) and others in his quest for ever more power.
  • Anakin becomes infuriated that others on the Jedi Council don't recognize him as a "master" (after Palpatine places him on the Council which should be an honor by itself).
  • Some viewers may see The Force -- whether on the good or dark side of it -- as an evil supernatural force.
  • We learn that the storm troopers are under the control of Palpatine and then follow orders to kill all of the Jedi.
  • Anakin lies to Padmé about what's occurring as well as his intentions.
  • Anakin has intentions of ruling the galaxy with Padmé, but she wants no part of that.
  • Anakin uses The Force to choke Padmé and she falls to the ground unconscious.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Scenes listed under "Violence" (including the various fighting sequences where the heroes seem outmatched) and "Blood/Gore" (particularly the sight of a bloody and charred torso) may be unsettling, suspenseful or even potentially scary to younger viewers (all depending on their level of maturity and past exposure to such material).
  • The film's theme and thematic material of evil, the corrupting force of power and death is much greater than in the past films and may be more unsettling for younger kids than the other "Star Wars" films.
  • Anakin's turn to evil will obviously be unsettling for some viewers (particularly since he was the heroic figure earlier in this film and the preceding ones).
  • We see a massive outer space battle, where various ships fire upon other ships with lasers and plenty of resultant explosions. One such explosion sends a clothed body flying off through space. Missiles are then fired at Obi-Wan and Anakin in their separate ships, with the Jedi having to avoid being hit by them (and Anakin eventually causes the missiles to collide and explode).
  • On a rescue mission, Obi-Wan & Anakin find themselves in and then on the top of an elevator that first flies down the shaft at incredible speeds and then reverses its course and ascends the shaft at high speed.
  • As a damaged ship goes vertical in a planet's atmosphere, R2D2 starts to slide down the surface toward an opening. Obi-Wan, Anakin and Palpatine also start to fall down an elevator shaft, but Anakin catches the other two and just manages to get them through an opening as an elevator car quickly approaches and then zips by them.
  • Obi-Wan & Anakin try to land a badly damaged ship on a planet. The ship starts to burn up in reentry and part of it breaks away, before Anakin brings it in for a crash landing on the surface (with more damage to the ship and an adjacent tower that's hit in the process).
  • We see just a facial image of Padmé screaming in pain, and then see that it was a nightmare Anakin was having (of her dying in childbirth).
  • An alien leader, with raised vertical marks down his face and sharp teeth, might be scary looking to some kids. That also holds true for General Gregarious (more his demeanor than appearance) and both Anakin and especially Palpatine when they turn evil and have glowing eyes shaded by their hoods, etc. (and Palpatine's face turns old and craggy looking).
  • Two Storm troopers try to kill Yoda, but he decapitates both with his light saber (we briefly see the helmeted heads come off, but there's no blood).
  • Some young Jedi kids are hiding in a room that Anakin enters. They look scared and ask what's happening and he pulls out his light saber. The scene ends there, but we later see the bodies (no blood) of the various kids (called "Younglings") lying on the floor and it's thus implied that he murdered them.
  • Anakin uses The Force to choke Padmé and she falls to the ground unconscious.
  • Cut down to just a torso with one mechanical arm, Anakin catches on fire on the bank of a lava river. He becomes completely engulfed in flames and screams in pain/terror until we see just a burned/charred/smoking torso lying there. He then uses his lone mechanical arm to slowly drag himself up the river bank, with more views of his charred and now bloody body. We then see various views of his charred and bloody body, including a close-up of his face in that same condition. We then see him lying on a table as he's retrofitted with various mechanical limbs (and somewhat writhes about in pain as they're fitted on him).
  • We hear that medical personnel dealing with Padmé in labor state that they're losing her.
  • Spoiler Alert: We see Padmé screaming in pain during labor and childbirth and then see that she's died from that. We later see her funeral procession with a shot of her body and face (beyond being dead, she otherwise looks "normal").
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Laser guns & other laser type weaponry/Light sabers/Large space ships/Missiles: Used to threaten, wound or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "In the name of..." "You stupid little astro droid," "Jedi scum," "Good is a point of view," "Jedi slime" and "My little green friend."
  • Some kids might be inclined to imitate all of the fighting and "sword play" that appears in the film.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • None.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • An extreme amount of dramatic, action-oriented and suspenseful music occurs in the film.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • None.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • Padmé tells Anakin that she's pregnant by him (they're secretly married).
  • We see Padmé in a strapless nightgown that shows her bare shoulders.
  • We briefly see some miscellaneous cleavage from a woman wearing a revealing dress.
  • A young Jedi woman shows some cleavage in a midriff-revealing top (before being killed).
  • SMOKING
  • None.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • Anakin increasingly worries about Padmé and her safety to the point of taking extreme measures to save her life.
  • Anakin lies to Padmé about what's occurring and his intentions (although he later lets that slip and she's then very upset with him).
  • Anakin uses The Force to choke Padmé and she falls to the ground unconscious.
  • Darth Vader learns that his wife has died.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • The battle of good vs. evil.
  • The concept of The Force and what it represents.
  • Succumbing to temptation and evil.
  • Whether Anakin was justified in turning to the dark side of the force in an effort to save his wife's life. There's a comment that the fear of loss is a path to destruction (and the "dark side" of The Force).
  • The comment that death is a part of life and that attachment to life leads to jealousy and the shadow of greed.
  • Yoda's command to Anakin to train himself to let go of everything he fears to lose.
  • The film being rated PG-13 rather than PG like its predecessors.
  • Anakin has a robotic arm.
  • Padmé tells Anakin that she's pregnant by him (they're secretly married).
  • The fact that Anakin becomes infuriated that others on the Jedi Council don't recognize him as a "master" (after Palpatine places him on the Council which should be an honor by itself).
  • Anakin states that war is destroying the principles of the Republic.
  • The comment that "good" is a point of view.
  • The fact that Anakin even kills children in his swath of violence.
  • VIOLENCE
  • Regarding the violence -- and aside from entries toward the end of this list -- much of it's quite similar to that found in the previous two "Star Wars" films (meaning lots of sci-fi fighting and deaths, but little to no blood), but everything has been stepped up a notch or two in terms of intensity.
  • We see a massive outer space battle, where various ships fire upon other ships with lasers and plenty of resultant explosions. One such explosion sends a clothed body flying off through space. Missiles are then fired at Obi-Wan and Anakin in their separate ships, with the Jedi having to avoid being hit by them (and Anakin eventually causes the missiles to collide and explode).
  • During the above space battle, Obi-Wan and Anakin fly separately and fire upon various ships, while vulture and buzz droids (small robotic things) attack Obi-Wan's ship, trying to cut into it (we earlier see one of them cut the top dome off "R4" -- a droid that's similar to R2D2). Anakin fires various shots at these small droids to blast them off Obi-Wan's ship, while R2D2 zaps one in its "eye" to disable it.
  • Obi-Wan & Anakin fend off and destroy many droids with their light sabers when the droids fire at them with laser guns.
  • Some robotic "destroyers" fire laser blasts at Obi-Wan & Anakin who proceed to destroy more droids.
  • R2D2 causes some droids (that are after him) to spill something flammable from their bodies that R2D2 then sets on fire (they burn up).
  • Count Dooku battles Obi-Wan & Anakin with light sabers, with Obi-Wan destroying more droids at the same time. Count Dooku then lifts Obi-Wan using The Force and tosses him across a room, with a huge piece of debris then landing on Obi-Wan's lower half, pinning him to the floor (he's unconscious).
  • Anakin cuts off an opponent's hands with a light saber (we very briefly see the glowing/burning ends on the stumps). Torn about what to do, Anakin then kills the man with two light sabers (we don't see the impact, but do see the body fall to the floor -- with no blood).
  • As a space battle continues, we see all sorts of blasts causing exterior and interior destruction on ships, including knocking many characters aside in the latter explosions.
  • R2D2 zaps another droid that then kicks him to the floor (played for laughs).
  • Obi-Wan & Anakin fight more characters with their light sabers, while General Grievous purposefully breaks a huge window on a spaceship, with Palpatine, Obi-Wan and Anakin barely holding on to avoid being sucked out into space. Obi-Wan & Anakin then destroy more attacking droids.
  • Obi-Wan & Anakin try to land a badly damaged ship on a planet. The ship starts to burn up in reentry and part of it breaks away, before Anakin brings it in for a crash landing on the surface (with more damage to the ship and an adjacent tower that's hit in the process).
  • We see a large scale battle between droids and Wookies, with many laser blasts and explosions hitting and wounding or killing opponents on both sides (no blood, but various bodies of both lying about). We come back to this scene every few minutes, with storm troopers arriving to help the Wookies by blasting away at the droids, and then again with more massive-scale battling, with various characters hit and killed, but there's no blood.
  • Obi-Wan causes a large piece of metal (or some other such material) to fall on and crush some attacking droids.
  • Obi-Wan and General Grievous battle with light sabers (Obi-Wan has one, General Grievous has four in his four hands). The fighting is swift and intense as General Grievous comes after him with those light sabers, but Obi-Wan manages to sever some of his mechanical arms before using The Force to blast him back against a wall.
  • Anakin pulls a light saber on Palpatine, but nothing else happens.
  • Obi-Wan, riding a large lizard type creature, chases after General Grievous who's in some of fast-moving vehicle. Obi-Wan eventually hops onto General Grievous' vehicle and the two knock each other around there and then on a platform. The two exchange blows, but General Grievous delivers the most severe, knocking Obi-Wan around and seemingly injuring his leg. Obi-Wan eventually ends up hanging onto the edge of the platform, but fires various laser blasts into General Grievous, injuring, setting him on fire and eventually killing him with more blasts.
  • Palpatine attacks and kills three Jedi (no blood) and then battles Mace Windu with his light saber. A huge window in their big room shatters and Mace Windu knocks Palpatine to the floor. Palpatine retaliates by firing electrical-type energy beams at Mace Windu who blocks them with his light saber. That causes Palpatine to react in pain, start to smoke and quickly age (or at least look older on his face).
  • Anakin comes across a Jedi who's prepared to kill Palpatine. Torn about what to do, Anakin eventually cuts off the Jedi's arm (no blood) and Palpatine then zaps him with his electrical-type energy beams that shock the Jedi (with a few skeleton type flashes of light) and then blasts him out through a window and across the city (we don't see any impact but presume he's killed).
  • Storm troopers fire upon Obi-Wan and he and the large lizard he's riding fall a long way into a body of water (Obi-Wan is okay).
  • Storm troopers repeatedly shoot a young female Jedi with laser blasts, killing her (no blood). We then see other storm troopers firing upon and killing more Jedi. Two try to kill Yoda, but he decapitates both with his light saber (we briefly see the helmeted heads come off, but there's no blood).
  • Some young Jedi kids are hiding in a room that Anakin enters. They look scared and ask what's happening and he pulls out his light saber. The scene ends there, but we later see the bodies (no blood) of the various kids (called "Younglings") lying on the floor and it's thus implied that he murdered them.
  • A young Jedi kills several storm troopers with his light saber before being shot dead with laser blasts.
  • We see various dead Wookies, storm troopers and droids lying about following a large battle, but there's no blood.
  • Many characters fire lasers at Obi-Wan and Yoda who deflect that with their light sabers that they also use to kill many of their attackers (no blood).
  • Anakin kills various innocent people with his light saber, including running one through with it (but no blood). One person who's sliced almost seems to have green blood on them, but that later appears to have been the glowing cut from the light saber attack.
  • Obi-Wan sees a security hologram (like a surveillance security tape) of Anakin killing various people (the view is from a distance).
  • Anakin uses The Force to choke Padmé and she falls to the ground unconscious.
  • Anakin and Obi-Wan get into a light saber battle, with the former kicking the latter back. He then grabs Obi-Wan by the neck, with the two then knocking each other around, both with their bodies and by using The Force.
  • Yoda uses The Force to knock various attackers back. Palpatine then zaps Yoda with his energy beams, blasting him back against a wall (and Yoda briefly ends up unconscious on the floor). Yoda then knocks Palpatine back and the two battle with light sabers. Moments later, Palpatine causes various large seating pods to fall toward Yoda and smash everything in their path. Yoda then uses The Force to send one flying back at Palpatine who gets out of the way just in time. Palpatine then zaps Yoda with his energy beams, followed by Yoda knocking him back with The Force. Yoda then tries to hold onto the edge of a ledge, but his nails slip and he falls and lands hard on various surfaces below.
  • While battling each other, Obi-Wan and Anakin must avoid erupting lava that flies through the air and lands near them. The two then end up battling on a large structure that slowly collapses into a massive lava flow (like a huge river) that's racing toward a "waterfall" of lava. They then end up on various floating objects in the lava flow and continue their light saber battle. Obi-Wan ends up on a dry river bank, with Anakin coming at him with his light saber. In a swift move, Obi-Wan severs Anakin's two legs and one arm (leaving him with just his mechanical arm intact on his body). There's no blood, but just the glowing stumps on Anakin's body from the light saber cuts.
  • Cut down to just a torso with one mechanical arm, Anakin catches on fire on the bank of a lava river. He becomes completely engulfed in flames and screams in pain/terror until we see just a burned/charred/smoking torso lying there. He then uses his lone mechanical arm to slowly drag himself up the river bank, with more views of his charred and now bloody body. We then see various views of his charred and bloody body, including a close-up of his face in that same condition. We then see him lying on a table as he's retrofitted with various mechanical limbs (and somewhat writhes about in pain as they're fitted on him).
  • Upset about a death, Darth Vader causes various bits of structural damage via The Force.



  • Reviewed May 5, 2005 / Posted May 13, 2005

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