Star Wars Prequel Trilogy [WS] [6 Discs]

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 6
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Surround EX, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
• Encoding: NTSC
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV, Color
• Subtitle: English
• Features:
  • cc
  • Commentaries for each film by George Lucas and crew, documentaries, deleted scenes and more

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Nominated Best Makeup - 2005 (Dave Elsey, Annette Miles)
•     Nominated Best Visual Effects - 2002 (Pablo Helman, John Knoll, Rob Coleman, Ben Snow)
•     Nominated Best Sound - 1999 (Gary Rydstrom, Shawn Murphy, Tom Johnson, John Midgley)
•     Nominated Best Sound Effects Editing - 1999 (Tom Bellfort, Ben Burtt)
•     Nominated Best Visual Effects - 1999 (Dennis Muren, Scott Squires, John Knoll, Rob Coleman)

• Cannes Film Festival

•     Film Presented - 2005

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Hayden Christensen - Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
       Ewan McGregor - Obi-Wan Kenobi
       Liam Neeson - Qui-Gon Jinn
       Hayden Christensen - Anakin Skywalker
       Natalie Portman - Queen Amidala / Padmé Naberrie
       Jake Lloyd - Anakin Skywalker
       Samuel L. Jackson - Mace Windu
       Ian McDiarmid - Supreme Chancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious
       Natalie Portman - Padmé Amidala
       Jimmy Smits - Senator Bail Organa

• Director:

  George Lucas

• Producer:

  Rick McCallum

• Screen Story:

  George Lucas

• Screenwriter:

  Jonathan Hales, George Lucas

• Cinematographer:

  David Franco, Ron Fricke, Giles Nuttgens, David Tattersall

• Composer (Music Score):

  John Williams

• Editor:

  Roger Barton, Ben Burtt

• Production Designer:

  Gavin Bocquet

• Art Director:

  Ian Gracie, Phil Harvey, Fred Hole, Taieb Jallouli, John King, Jonathan Lee, Michelle McGahey, Rod McLean, Ben Scott

• Supervising Art Director:

  Peter Russell

REVIEWS:

• Boasting visual effects stunning in their detail and imagination, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones continues to display both the familiar artistic strengths and weaknesses of director George Lucas. On the plus side, Ewan McGregor's delightful Alec Guinness impersonation is delivered with spot-on technical acuity and an ironic, subtle wink. Add to that the breathtaking vistas of completely digital imagery as seemingly real as anything ever put to film -- particularly eye-popping sequences involving an asteroid chase and a final battle between clone soldiers and droid robots. On the minus, there is bad writing, as evidenced by wooden, even immature dialogue and a dizzyingly complex plot line unlikely to be comprehended by the filmmaker's oft-stated target audience of young kids (a speciously revisionist argument from someone whose work once appealed to the kid in everybody). Lucas' touch with actors is not much more impressive than his screenwriting abilities, particularly in the laughably silly and strained love story unfolding between Anakin (Hayden Christensen, getting an "A" for effort in a whiny, unsympathetic role) and Padme (Natalie Portman, utterly devoid of personality and more robotic by a long shot than either C-3PO or R2-D2). Even the music from composer John Williams lacks the punch and scope of his career-high masterpiece score for The Empire Strikes Back, when he literally crafted a memorably rousing new theme for every one of the film's sequences. Both the best and worst moment is one in which ex-Muppet Yoda, formerly stiff as a two-by-four, comes to dazzling life as a whirling Tasmanian Devil of Jedi light saber-rattling payback. It's an audacious moment of heart-stopping frisson that stands as the prequels' high-water mark -- but it's also a reminder that gone forever are those days long, long ago, in movie theaters far, far away, when such genuine thrills arrived fast and furious. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
• {#Star Wars} fans have been put through the ringer when it comes to the prequel trilogy, with warring factions battling over the first two installments like rabid womp rats -- thankfully, the concluding film and the bridge to the beloved films of yore should hopefully please both camps and live up to the hype surrounding it. First things first, {#Episode III: Revenge of the Sith} is one dark, heartbreaking film. There's a reason that it's PG-13, and parents of youngsters should definitely take note. That said, those who are looking for a fitting tale of {%Anakin Skywalker}'s slide to evil will be pleased to know that {$George Lucas} did, indeed, pull it off. Easily the most intense of the series, the third installment fulfills its hellish promises and sets the stage for the next hopeful chapter in the story. Besides the first rousing 20 minutes, one thing that this film isn't is the type of popcorn crowd-pleaser that audiences have come to expect, especially after the kiddie-friendly {#Phantom Menace} and the {\action}-packed lovey-dovey schmaltz that was {#Attack of the Clones}. Thanks to a bravura performance from {$Ian McDiarmid}, running wild here as the supremely sinister emperor of the galaxy, this episode finally has what the other prequels didn't -- a thoroughly nasty and evil villain. For all of the range that {$Hayden Christensen} delivers in this one (and he's definitely filled into the role), the wicked Sith Lord commands the screen in a performance that virtually steals the show as he orchestrates the final coup in the prequel's complicated political plot that is at the heart of {$Lucas}' cautionary (and eerily timely) mythos. Now, don't worry, there are still epic battles with easily the biggest and arguably the best batch of lightsaber duels here, though the most engaging moments have to be what's underneath the digital flash. As it should, the action amply serves the story, and once the proverbial Sith hits the fan, the film's downward spiral pulls you in and doesn't let go. Drawing the series together in spectacular fashion is {$John Williams}' score, thus completing a sprawling saga of work that deftly weaves old and new themes together to create a unified piece that is unprecedented in film score narrative history. Additionally, the FX department should be given highest honors simply for the extraordinary, subtle work that went into {%Yoda}'s harrowing performance, helped out once again by {$Frank Oz}'s voice acting. Now, in all fairness, the flick still suffers from moments of overtly cutesy stuff, while the actors continue to suffer a bit from the same stilted dialogue that has plagued the last two entries. The good news is that those scenes are so few and far between that only the most cynical viewers would continually hold it against the final product. With {#Revenge of the Sith} working as both a stylistic and emotional bridge to the original trilogy, {$Lucas} completes his masterpiece the only way he knew how, by supplying a soul to one of the screen's most memorable villains. Everyone might not agree with how he went about doing it, but it'd be hard to say that this chapter didn't deliver the goods that audiences have been waiting for since 1977. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
• Star Wars fans have been put through the ringer when it comes to the prequel trilogy, with warring factions battling over the first two installments like rabid womp rats -- thankfully, the concluding film and the bridge to the beloved films of yore should hopefully please both camps and live up to the hype surrounding it. First things first, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is one dark, heartbreaking film. There's a reason that it's PG-13, and parents of youngsters should definitely take note. That said, those who are looking for a fitting tale of Anakin Skywalker's slide to evil will be pleased to know that George Lucas did, indeed, pull it off. Easily the most intense of the series, the third installment fulfills its hellish promises and sets the stage for the next hopeful chapter in the story. Besides the first rousing 20 minutes, one thing that this film isn't is the type of popcorn crowd-pleaser that audiences have come to expect, especially after the kiddie-friendly Phantom Menace and the action-packed lovey-dovey schmaltz that was Attack of the Clones. Thanks to a bravura performance from Ian McDiarmid, running wild here as the supremely sinister emperor of the galaxy, this episode finally has what the other prequels didn't -- a thoroughly nasty and evil villain. For all of the range that Hayden Christensen delivers in this one (and he's definitely filled into the role), the wicked Sith Lord commands the screen in a performance that virtually steals the show as he orchestrates the final coup in the prequel's complicated political plot that is at the heart of Lucas' cautionary (and eerily timely) mythos. Now, don't worry, there are still epic battles with easily the biggest and arguably the best batch of lightsaber duels here, though the most engaging moments have to be what's underneath the digital flash. As it should, the action amply serves the story, and once the proverbial Sith hits the fan, the film's downward spiral pulls you in and doesn't let go. Drawing the series together in spectacular fashion is John Williams' score, thus completing a sprawling saga of work that deftly weaves old and new themes together to create a unified piece that is unprecedented in film score narrative history. Additionally, the FX department should be given highest honors simply for the extraordinary, subtle work that went into Yoda's harrowing performance, helped out once again by Frank Oz's voice acting. Now, in all fairness, the flick still suffers from moments of overtly cutesy stuff, while the actors continue to suffer a bit from the same stilted dialogue that has plagued the last two entries. The good news is that those scenes are so few and far between that only the most cynical viewers would continually hold it against the final product. With Revenge of the Sith working as both a stylistic and emotional bridge to the original trilogy, Lucas completes his masterpiece the only way he knew how, by supplying a soul to one of the screen's most memorable villains. Everyone might not agree with how he went about doing it, but it'd be hard to say that this chapter didn't deliver the goods that audiences have been waiting for since 1977. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

CUSTOMER REVIEWS: