For the real Star Wars fan there’s nothing I could say that would change your mind about the release of Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith on DVD.  You probably have already purchased a copy or two, watched every second of every extra, and skipped the game demo because you already have it on your Xbox.  But for all the casual fans who may have missed the film in the theater or who want to check out the extras, then perhaps I have a chance to move you away from the dark side of your local video rental store.

Revenge of the Sith is the third episode in the six-movie saga but the last to be made.  It follows the story of Anakin Skywalker from chosen savior of the Republic and the Force that guides it to his fall into the Dark Side of the Force and transformation from Jedi Knight into the evil Darth Vader — the bad guy in the original films that encompass the last three episodes.  I could go on, but if you grew up in the 70s or later in any part of the world, you already know the story created by George Lucas and his team of amazing artists and technicians.  There isn’t another film franchise that has had the reach into popular culture like Star Wars, and nothing else even comes close, except maybe the Beatles.

Now that technology has caught up with the richness of George Lucas’s imagination, not only are the films themselves more vivid and exciting, but the DVDs have a load of extras that add on hours of compelling viewing no one should miss.  In terms of story, Revenge of the Sith ranks up there with the original Star Wars (now known as Episode IV) and The Empire Strikes Back, heralded by most critics and fans as the best of the entire saga.  If you’re rating quality of special effects, then this is by far the best of the lot, packing in everything that CGI can deliver in one film.  Besides the usual wide-screen, Dolby THX surround sound, and commentary track (provided by Lucas, producer Rick McCullum, and VFX producers Rob Coleman, John Knoll, and Roger Guyett), there is a bevy of extras that are worth putting in the second disk to watch.  There are a bunch of trailers and TV spots, but if you watch just one, check out the nostalgia teaser that reaches back to the original films and gives scope to the entire saga.  The behind-the-scenes stills give an easy glimpse into the world of making technical wizardry films, and if you like games but haven’t seen the new offerings from Lucas Arts, then the Xbox demos will thrill and compel you to buy them the next time you get to the mall. The deleted scenes amount to two sequences that were cut for time, but it’s interesting to hear Lucas’ explanation as to why they were exiled, even if his delivery is dry and plotting.

The most exciting extras are the Making Of documentaries, of which there are many.  The full-length documentary, Within A Minute, is by far the best and probably will be used in film schools in the future as a course all by itself. The doc takes the viewer through the creation of one sequence in the film from conception to the final completion.  The most mind-boggling aspect you come away with is the sheer number of people it takes to make just one part of a film like this and how you’ll feel compelled to sit through the five minutes of credits the next time you make it to the theater.  The other docs are just as compelling but more specialized.  The 15-part Web documentary collection used to help promote the film when it was first released repeats a lot of what appears in the other docs, but it gives you a sense of the time it took to make the entire film.  

All in all, this is a DVD that should be in every film fan’s collection and a must-view for all the young, George Lucas wannabees sitting at their laptop, hoping one day they’ll be making their own six-part, 25-years-in-the-making movie saga.  Knowing Mr. Lucas, there will probably be new and improved versions in the future with added effects he couldn’t do in 2005; but even so, you won’t be disappointed with the current disk offering.  

As Yoda would say, the force one be with, and buy or rent Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith available practically anywhere a DVD could possibly be sold.

Rich Burlingham