Rogue One, a Star Wars Story

a Star Wars excellent story!

When people talk about movies, they seem to have lots of different reasons to define what makes a film either entertaining & well crafted or boring and terribly executed. Star Wars has been around since 1977, that is 39 years! and no other franchise has lasted this long, hence the necessity to treat Star Wars movies as a unique event in the filming arts. 

Last night we were the lucky bastards, as a friend called us when he found out we got tickets for an advanced screening of Rogue One: a Star Wars Story, so, I checked my lightsaber collection for battery replacement and found myself deciding which lightsabers were worthy enough as to accompany my wife & I to an experience we've been sharing since we were dating in the early 2000's. The decision was evident: Darth Vader's lightsaber & Luke (or Anakin's, or Rey's) Skywalker's blue Kyber crystal lightsaber. As usual there was a fairly decent line of fans waiting anxiously for the movie. Complete families in costumes, many people with Star Wars apparel (I was wearing my 2013 "What Would Vader Do?" T-Shirt) and of course, lightsabers. A lot of them. 

The Empire.

The rebels.

Once the Lucasfilm logo showed up the theater was silent and that is where director Gareth Edwards told us from the very beginning this wasn't Episode VIII or Episode III and half, no title crawl, just instant giant space ships featuring a flashback story on Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and then the Rogue One title with music written by Michael Giacchino but somehow based upon John Williams' legendary work. The story by John Knoll & Gary Whitta, plotwise, is nothing longtime fans wouldn't expect, I guess fans spent years of their lives imagining how those Death Star plans got in the hands of the rebellion, namely Princess Leia Organa. 

Rogue One is supposed to play as a "side story", a "companion book" to a larger story and yet, what media and the trailers have shown us is, way too little to decide whether this film is a prequel to Episode IV: A New Hope or an actual spin-off film cashing out on the massive popularity George Lucas creation has. The burden of making a movie that wouldn't feel like a parody of itself was clearly an obstacle Edwards & Co. knew how to deal with to the very last drop. Surprisingly enough, Darth Vader, whose voice is once again played by the great James Earl Jones, is not the only "classic character" you'll see playing an important role during the development of the film. In addition, a big yet clever selection of nods to other Star Wars films are everywhere! don't blink because you'll miss a few! Obviously, watching this film solves the above mentioned "side story" or "sequel" conundrum, specially when it reaches its climax. 

Fuck everybody! Long live the Empire!

Black troopers.

The new characters are all victims of the brutal clone wars that destroyed the Jedi knights & galactic democracy. However, not much time is spent explaining why they are here and why they do what they do which is a valiant move considering the episodic Star Wars films feature quite a selection of characters that have a lot to do with plots and subplots, hence the need for explaining and/or developing a bit further than "I'm a good guy/bad guy" BUT, we all know what these characters did even without watching the movie. They're not going to be a part of future sequels, what matters most in this film is the mission, and the mission is clear: Obtain the Death Star's plan from the Empire's archive and send them to the Rebel Alliance in order to give peace a chance.

So, the "new story" has it, the Rebel Alliance is against an extremist group of rebels led by Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), a man who fought the empire long enough as to being turned into a half-machine half-man. it just so happens this man raised Jyn Erso while her father Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen)  a genius engineer who was taken by the empire and forced to aid them in the development of their most brutal state of the art technology to date: the Death Star. So, Gerrera is not willing to work with the Alliance because he prefers a more direct approach. Unfortunately for the Alliance, Galen Erso chose a rogue pilot (Bhody Rook, played by Riz Ahmed) to carry an important message to Gerrera himself, a man Galen trusted him with her daughter. So there you have it! They need Jyn Erso in order to interact with Gerrera and gain the secret message that will allow them to find out more about this new imperial weapon. While all of this happens, Jyn meets other characters that are willing to help her find her father. Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) a rebel alliance agent, Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen) a blind martial artists fond of the force (he throws the best joke of the entire movie, and perhaps one of the best Star Wars jokes of all time), Baze Malbus (Wen Jiang) a brave laser machine gun man & K2SO (Alan Tudyk) an re programed imperial droid. 

So, who's in?

I'm contacting my old friend.

In a nutshell, they obtain the message Galen Erso sent Gerrera realizing their weapon is far too powerful to actually do something about it. Leading the resistance, another returning character, Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) already seen in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith & Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, calls for a decision among all the alliance members and they all decide to cease the fighting in order to avoid a war that will put an end to rebel alliance. 

Now, for those thinking  the bad guy in the film is Darth Vader, and Vader only, they're extra wrong. Orson Krennic (Ben Mendehlson) is the director of operations from project Death Star, and he is actually the number one guy behind Galen Erso being forced to work for the Empire. Of course, a large collection of classic stormtroopers along with new troopers and lots of X-Wings, Tie Fighters, Imperial Destroyers & AT-AT Walkers are also there to add fun to a movie that feels like a warzone where there are no Jedi knights to bring balance to the force. 

Yes Director?

You don't know the power of...

Now for those fans craving for the dark lord of the Sith, Rogue One offers us a couple of interventions that are extra satisfying. The first even offers a glimpse on how... Well, you just watch it and see for yourself. The Second intervention is perhaps the most "Classic Star Wars" moment in the entire film. I mean, it's so fucking massive that you're like "Holy shit! Darth Vader! Go! Go! Go! " and it's this precise scene the one that reveals how this film is connected to Episode IV, so thank the producers of the trailers for not revealing any of the gorgeous surprises this film is packed with. Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) also appears briefly in the movie, and whether you like it or not he's the connection with the prequel trilogy. Darth Sidious, AKA The Emperor, the ultimate son of a bitch is only mentioned a few times. Another very important returning character has a lot to do with the Death Star and Episode IV but I won't reveal that here. 

So, yay or nay? Rogue One is clearly an excellent movie, the start of something bigger, the "Star Wars Anthology Films" premise has a long way to go yet but, if they follow the fine example set here, I'm sure all those spin-offs they're planning will not only satisfy fans but also film connoisseurs. With a story that is all too familiar, a selection of nods to the original trilogy and a few fantastic surprises, this clearly is the film of the year 2016. And speaking of spin-offs, Rogue One actually works, so we will finally forget about those two Ewok films and the Star Wars Holiday Special (the actual first, spin-off in the SW universe)

The Rogue One crew.

In disguise.

I have to admit I had my doubts whether the film would live up to the expectations and fortunately, after we left the theater those doubts were completely wiped out. Despite the fact, the story is about "how some rebels got the Death Star plans to reach the alliance hands" all that happens in between makes it a very good action movie, it feels like you're in the middle of a war where you know many good guys will die to deliver such important information. I mean, from Episode IV we all know that those plans were delivered but not how, so it's a pretty interesting approach that fortunately, for the viewer, was achieved to the summa cum laude degree. The only thing I didn't quite like was Michael Giacchino's score which was below my expectations. Whenever there was a SW moment, his music was about to sound like something classic and then nothing happened, not even the SW theme!!! that is something I cannot forgive. Music plays a major role in the SW movies.

Overall, a fantastic addition to the SW universe and the best last 10 minutes celluloid can deliver! I guarantee that! Also, everything is settled in a single movie! no need for sequels or prequels or anything like that, just sit back, munch your popcorn while sipping your favorite drink and wait for the multiple nerdgasms the last 10 minutes will deliver, oh by the way, did I tell you about the last 10 minutes?

Here's the movie trailer:

Star Wars, Episode VII The Force Awakens

The most important movie saga of all time returns.

1983 was the year that marked the last entry in the Star Wars saga. Later, in 1999 George Lucas would begin the (controversial) prequel trilogy with Episode I: The Phantom Menace. I was there, as I've been in every single Star Wars avant premiere my age and pockets could afford. I was born in 1981, so the way I experienced the original trilogy was through the tele and VHS rentals. In 1997, with the "Special Editions" in theaters I experienced the updated original trilogy in theaters. Star Wars is a significant part of my existence. To me, it stands for innocence, family values, survival, breaking through, fostering either  your strengths or weaknesses, and finding out that the only way of growing up a rather decent human being, has a lot to do with understanding pain. Pain teaches the most valuable lesson in life: life is a balance between the dark side and the light, just like Star Wars has always been...

Last night we had a blast, my wife frigging loved it, my friends, totally loved it, the people in the theater were blown away. What about me? I knew, I just knew it would be one of the most amazing (not to say the most amazing) birthday celebrations I ever had. A true Star Wars fan knows what to do when it comes to resisting temptation, and by temptation I mean spoilers, leaked plots and leaked stuff of all sorts. Before last night, I didn't give a shit about all these idiotic moronic motherfuckin' Star Wars connoisseurs who swore they knew beforehand what the film was going to be about. However, there was this forum (which I won't mention here) which did got right some stuff they spoiled and here comes the real question Do you really want to miss the joy of being surprised from start to finish watching a Star Wars movie? No, no you don't, you will not spoil the movie for me, these are not the spoilers you're looking for.  Browsing for spoilers is like going to a rock concert and instead of enjoying the show, you just spend the whole time taking pictures and recording crappy videos which no one, not even your friends will give a fuck about.

New heroes rise.

So do the enemies.

Star Wars, Episode VII The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Disney. George Lucas didn't have much to do with it, he kinda walked away from his creation for good here you can read his statement:

The issue was, ultimately, they looked at the stories and they said, 'We want to make something for the fans.' People don't actually realize it's actually a soap opera and it's all about family problems - it's not about spaceships. So they decided they didn't want to use those stories, they decided they were going to do their own thing so I decided, 'Fine.... I'll go my way, and I let them go their way.' George Lucas, (CBS This Morning)

After a lot of stupid speculations in the likes of "Luke turned to the dark side, he is Kylo Ren" or "They cloned Darth Vader", "The Emperor didn't die", "Darth Plagueis is alive" and forums created merely for the purpose of pushing Disney to embrace the expanded universe and consider it canon, all I can tell you, because I truly care about maintaining your Star Wars experience a surprise, is that every single internet theory was nothing but crap, bullshit, lies, and delusions of grandeure. Star  Wars returns to our world safe and sound. As a matter of fact it returns safer and sounder than ever. What I saw, what I felt was 12 parsecs superior than what happened to me when I was waiting in line for Episode I.  Hopefully, my fellow readers, I truly expect not to deliver a biased review, I want a correct review, the one this film deserves.

These stormtroopers don't miss.

Run for your life!

Ahem!, let's begin. Episode VII happens thirty something years after the fall of the empire. Legendary characters are there safe and sound. The story although not fully explained (Episode VIII & IX are on their way) is about the remnants of the galactic empire, these space Nazies now go by the name of "The First Order"  their goal as it wasn't clear already is to destroy the republic at all cost and restore the power of the dark side through a new Sith lord that goes by the name of Kylo Ren. The rebel alliance now goes by the name of The Resistance, suggesting they've been struggling with the first order longer than what the film shows. The jedi order has ceased to exist. Luke Skywalker is nowhere to be found. Of course he has reasons, he's a Jedi knight! But what good is the resistance without such a powerful ally? Well, they're well trained, as a matter of fact they have an ace pilot that goes by the name of Poe Dameron. Leia Organa is there, C-3PO is there, R2D2 is there and a lot of classic rebel characters are there too (trying not to spoil it for you) The thing is, without the Jedi to balance the force, there will be chaos, there will be destruction and there will be a  lot of suffering.

George Lucas has always described Star Wars as a soap opera, a family in constant conflict in an unbalanced universe.  In that sense, Episode VII is a true Star Wars movie. The never ending space battles, the amazing ships, serviceable droids and light saber fights are all there. But Star Wars is also a lot of fun with pun intended jokes that only true Star Wars fans will get. Episode VII has a lot of that too. 

The faces of evil.

I will finish what you started.

What if you've never seen a Star Wars movie before? Well, I hate to break it to you but if your plan is a complete experience you're mandatory required to watch the previous episodes. Also, I suggest to go to a psychologist, something's broken there. In this new film, the concept of the force (as shown in the trailers, so this is not a spoiler) seems to be a forgotten tale that has somewhat turned into a myth rather than a fact. When Han Solo utters "it's true, all of it" he's clearly explaining it to the new characters, characters which weren't even born by the time Luke & co took down the empire. Luke Skywalker is also a sort of a fictional character to those who weren't there. Nevertheless, Solo & Leia know he is real and top priority when it comes to dealing with the return of the dark side. 

As stated above Luke Skywalker as gone in hiding. The resistance is running short on both manpower & time. The first order is clearly not as forgiving as the empire once was. They will destroy & murder first, then they will ask the questions.  Is Skywalker running away because he's afraid of the First Order? If you're a Star Wars fan you know what happens when you're taken by fear, just bare in mind, Skywalker was so powerful he didn't need to finish Darth Vader to defeat him.

"Chewie, we're home"

"I'm no one"

The newly introduced planet of Jakku, seems to be the new Tatooine. People hate it as it's a dessert planet were there's nothing but debris and hundreds of miles of sand. However, this is the planet where Rey lives. In order to survive, she's become a scavenger like many in her planet. Seeing her appear in every trailer and TV ad, already suggested she was going to have a big role in the new Star Wars trilogy. But, who is she?, who are her parents?, is she an orphan girl? how does she get her hands in the Millenium Falcon? How does her path crosses with Finn's?

The first order has a mission, they're looking for something that they thing is key to bring down the republic for once and for all. Could the resistance be looking for the same exact thing? is it Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber which we've alredy seen in the trailers? how the hell did someone recovered it? Not even Luke had it when he lost it to Vader during The Empire Strikes Back most revealing moment. Earlier concepts of Star Wars (even before Episode IV was released) reveal that the original idea Lucas had, was the search for a powerful artifact that allowed whoever who owned it to have an unlimited amount of power. Could such legendary light saber hold something we yet don't know? Anakin's lightsaber passed onto Luke and then he lost but, a new character (nope, not telling) recovered it and kept safe for the future of the universe. Is it possible that this lightsaber will be passed on to new characters? Promo pictures and TV ads have already shown Finn wielding it. Could he be a new Jedi? is he the son of Lando Calrissian & Leia Organa (another stupid theory by the way)

BB-8 steals the show, he's highly emotional!

Fuck you all, I came here to kill Sith style!

Now, Episode VII is not only good guys versus bad guys, good guys always win and stuff like that. There's a brutally unexpected plot twist that will leave you half happy (because you watched a new Star Wars movie) and half sad because of what happens. The new action sequences where the force is used are truly incredible. Add to that the excellent sound effects that make you feel someone is using the force. There are moments where son of a bitch Kylo Ren will use it, and the sound engineer truly gets into your ears telling you "this is how the force sounds you little pussy" that is something entirely new, and although it is not that big, it is brand new. The lightsaber fights have spectacular light sounds that weren't even conceived this good in the prequel trilogy. Space battle lovers will also be very satisfied, you will see the X-Wing fighters fly like never before.

Some action sequences are so overwhelming that you're like "my god, there's too much going on, my eyes can't take it" And that's a very good thing I think, because you get the "I'm tired of war" vibes quite clearly.  BB-8 & Poe Dameron's mission will gladly remind you of Episode IV. In the past I never watched a J.J. Abrams film. As a matter of fact I didn't even bother watching his take on Star Trek. Nevertheless, he pulls a fine job here. He knows what old school fans are looking for, and he delivers exactly what we expected to find (with certain refreshing plot twists) He also, knows Star Wars is a larger than life institution, and every new character comes to life in perfect synchronicity with what was established in the previous episodes.

Meet Ace pilot Poe Dameron.

Kylo Ren is really a bad bad Sith.

Does Episode VII have big revelations and/or plot twists? Yes, yes it does! But, do you really wanna know them beforehand? isn't the force an energy you have to discover yourself? Although the film features plenty of tributes to the original trilogy (prequels? nope, not even a subtle hint) Episode VII features new evil and yet the good old battle between the Sith and the Jedi is still there, the story has somewhat evolved into a new story line and it's as open for the new characters as it is for the most iconic heroes. The film reunites the best elements from the original trilogy while offering brand new uncharted territories at the same time.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Star Wars film if it didn't feature a heartbreaking moment. Such moment will clearly be a turning point for the remaining episodes. As for the new characters, Daisy Ridley steals the show with her portrayal of Rey the Scavenger. And so does John Boyega whose Finn is the perfect mix of an escapee looking for a second chance to do what's right. As for Adam Driver and his evil role as Kylo Ren there's a lot of things you want to find out yourself, he's not just another Sith in the likes of Darth Maul or Darth Tyrannus. He goes beyond that, and in doing so, he makes you bite more than you can chew.

New creatures in new galaxies far, far away.

Captain Phasma.

Overall, on a scale of 10/10 I'd say The Force Awakens is a straight 10. Is it better than the prequel trilogy films? Yes, definitely, it even stands very close to Revenge of the Sith. Honestly, what the hell! this film is so good that I can easily state that is as good as any episode from the original trilogy. So ,waste no more time and "to the theater you will go". May the force be with you all my fellow connoisseurs.

Here's the first movie trailer:

   
Here's the second movie trailer:

And here a hilarious SNL toy ad parody you should be watching as of right now:

   

Star Wars, Episode III Revenge of the Sith

Dark side prevails.

So (finally) the time to close the Star Wars saga has come. All the unanswered questions from the previous episodes will at last let us understand the complex Anakin Skywalker's journey from the light to the dark, the dark side of the force. After all, has Lucas has stated many times, Star Wars is the tragedy of Darth Vader, he is the lead character, unlike many who could have been somehow mislead by the original trilogy focusing more on Luke Skywalker's story. Episode III, Revenge of the Sith is definitely what fans were looking for: the doomed journey into the dark side that would lead emperor Palpatine AKA Darth Sidious to control the universe through the power of his new  apprentice Darth Vader...

The film certainly has its clunky moments, but so did all the other "Star Wars" films. Just go back and listen to Mark Hamill whine to his uncle in A New Hope.

What gave me chills as I watched Revenge of the Sith were the numerous mythological and literary references. These were always highlights of the Star Wars films. It's what raised them above simple space adventures. There are references to Paradise Lost (Count Dooku to Anakin: "Twiced the Pride, double the fall), Prometheus, Frankenstein (Vader's birth) etc.

General Grievous.

Darth Sidious!

Anyone that enjoyed their first viewing of this film should see it again. There are so many details that are not explicitly stated but are meaningful none the less. These include plot details and various modes of symbolism employed by Lucas. Notice how, in their scenes together, Obi Wan is always more in the light and Anakin is more in the shadows. Additionally, there are hints at things that we are never told, but become more obvious with a repeated viewing. One such detail is that Anakin suspects Padame of having an affair with Obi Wan. He says accusingly to Padame, "Obi Wan was here," when they are in her apartment. Then, in one of his vision's of Padame's birth, Anakin sees Obi Wan helping her with the delivery, suggesting that he is perhaps the father of Padme's child. Finally, on Mustafar, when Anakin sees Obi Wan come off of Padme's ship, he feels betrayed, not just because he thinks she's siding with Obi Wan, but also because he feels there might be something between the two of them.

As for the criticism that Anakin's conversion to the Dark Side is unbelievable, I think that it is baseless. Lucas did a superb job of showing Anakin as someone who is too prideful and impatient. He will save Padame at any cost. Additionally, in the scene between Palpadine and Windu, the line between right and wrong has been blurred. By killing Palpadine, Windu would be violating the Jedi code. Palpadine also plays on Anakin's confusion by suggesting the Jedi are attempting to rule the Republic, something Windu already mentioned when he stated that the Jedi would have to take over temporary control of the Senate after Palpadine's arrest. Anakin draws his light saber, not to kill Windu, but to prevent him from committing a crime. He wants to stop Windu's light saber from killing Palpadine--the man who represents his only chance of saving Padame, but in his haste he accidentally cuts off Windu's hand. Once Anakin does this, he is lost. His life as a Jedi, the only life he's ever known, the only thing he's ever aspired to be, has been destroyed. When someone as prideful and immature as Anakin makes such a HUGE mistake it is often almost impossible for them to come to terms with what they have done. The result of this denial is often a defiant repetition of the bad act, a way of insisting to themselves and the world that they have done nothing wrong. These bad acts gain a momentum that eventually complete distorts their sense of morality.

"You're under arrest motherfucker"

Anakin's death scene.

We must also remember that Sidious, or his Sith master, has used the Force to impregnate Anakin's mother with the expectation of him one day becoming the galaxy's most powerful sith lord. Palpadine/Sidious has spent all of Anakin's life grooming him for the moment he changes his allegiance. Sidious has befriended Anakin, given him a taste of power and planted seeds of doubt regarding the Jedi's true intentions. He has been the closest thing to a father Anakin has ever had. With all this in mind, Anakin's conversion seems justified.

As for the acting and dialogue that are being relentlessly bashed, I submit that it's not as bad as some would suggest. Christensen's angry, confused brooding is mostly dead on while portraying a major shift in his character. MacGregor is at his best as Obi Wan. Even Portman's diminished role in this film is thoughtfully portrayed. Above all, the actors and Lucas seem to be having much more fun with this film. They have loosened up and it shows. There are humorous moments that cut through the political debate and relentless action. There are even a few quiet moments that subtly allude to strong emotions that Lucas fails to portray through his dialogue, such as the scene where Anakin is looking out of window of the Jedi council, across the city to where Padame is looking back across the city at him. This important scene illuminates Anakin's frame of mind before he hurries to the Senator's chamber to stop Windu from killing him.

the Dark side owns the movie, literally.

Darth Vader's early trainings.

Visually, this film is absolutely stunning, so much so that I had to see it a second time just to take in the tremendous amount of detail. The action, the score and the sound effects all work to enhance the main plot and theme of the film, rather than overwhelming them. Revenge of the Sith attempts so much more than most "popcorn" movies in terms of pure entertainment, and thematically, it trumps many of the more "serious" theatric releases. All of this combines to make Revenge of the Sith far and away the best film of 2005, and maybe of the last five years. It is certainly a galaxy far, far above Million Dollar Baby, though that is saying very little. Yes peeps, this is the movie we have all been waiting for.

Revenge of the Sith Secrets(finally?) revealed. 

Now let's rejoice with a collection of the most interesting behind the scenes/production secrets you probably would not want to miss from Episode III and if you did miss them on screen now it's the time to replay your Blu-Ray/DVD disc to find these weird moments. Remote control skills required.

Star Destroyer Kitchen set.

In the opening sequence when the second Separatist ship is destroyed, a piece of debris flies into the Clone Star destroyer that shot it. That piece of debris is a Kitchen Sink. It was it put in there by ILM as a joke from someone saying, "We're throwing everything in the sequence but the kitchen sink.

4 Hours of Episode III.

The original cut of the film ran nearly four hours. The opening battle/Palpatine rescue alone ran over an hour!

Wookie suit with Bat suit technology.

The Wookiee costumes from this film sport a new arterial system that pump ice cold water to help cool down the actor wearing the suit.   

Friend or...

...Foe?

Man of a thousand voices.

Apart from providing the voice of R2D2 and the heavy breathing of Darth Vader, which he has done since Episode IV, Ben Burtt provided the voices for every Battle Droid, Super Battle Droid and Buzz Droid in Revenge of the Sith. 

Millenium Falcon!

After the opening battle, as the transport lands at the senate building in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen the Millennium Falcon (or a ship of similar model, Corellian Engineering Corporation YT series YT-1300 Transport) can be seen landing. In the Expanded Universe Star Wars story outside the movies, the YT-1300 has been confirmed as the Millenium Falcon, then named Stellar Envoy, long before Han Solo owned it.

Qui-Gon Jinn Cameo.

Liam Neeson has said that he recorded a cameo as Qui-Gonn Jinn, which was to feature in a scene with Yoda, further explaining the concept of a Jedi communicating from beyond the grave. In the script, the dialog (in which Qui-Gonn is heard, not seen) appeared in the scene in which Yoda is meditating on the secret asteroid base, just before Bail Organa informs him of Obi-Wan's return with Padme. The scene does not appear in the deleted scenes section of the DVD, however an unfinished version was included in the Blu Ray Release Box Set.  

Forbidden love leads inevitably to...

...a Brutal intergalactic tragedy.

Yoda likes Hip-hop.

EASTER EGG: On the Options menu, press "11 Enter 3 Enter 8 Enter" (1138). Yoda will dance to hip-hop music. 

No Academy Awards for you Episode III.

This is the only Star Wars movie that did not receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects. The film's only nomination was for its make-up, which it lost to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)  

Obi Wan's gift to Luke.

After their climactic duel, Obi-Wan can be seen picking up Anakin's lightsaber, which he later gives to Anakin's son Luke in Episode IV. 

Han Solo? nope!

Originally, a young Han Solo was going to make an appearance in the film, living among the Wookies on Kashyyyk.  

George Lucas trolled Hayden Christensen.

George Lucas deliberately made the Darth Vader suit top-heavy (for instance adding weight on the helmet) to make Hayden Christensen not appear "too accustomed" to it in the movie. 

Long time friendship?

Survivors of a massacre.

Commissioner Gordon almost made it.

 

Gary Oldman had agreed to be the voice of General Grievous, but pulled out of the film because it was being made using actors who are not part of the Screen Actor's Guild, of which Oldman is a member. The role was read by Duncan Young on set, and finally voiced by Matthew Wood, who, being a Lucasfilm employee, submitted his reading under the name of Alan Smithee.  

Ian McDiarmid the emperor of the saga.

During the production of this film, Lucas also filmed a scene for Episode V. Ian McDiarmid, who first played Emperor Palpatine in Episode VI, was filmed in prosthetic make-up for use in the character's first appearance as a hologram in Empire, replacing the unknown woman and the voice of Clive Revill. 

William Shakespeare's Presence. 

Ian McDiarmid has likened Palpatine in this film to Iago in William Shakespeare's play Othello, in the way he manipulates other characters to turn against each other, to their own destruction. McDiarmid has in fact played Iago on stage, as has Ewan McGregor. James Earl Jones has played Othello himself. 

Alien Subtitles.

One of only two Star Wars films without English subtitles to translate alien languages, the other being Episode V. 

Anakin, the silent watcher.

Anakin was originally supposed to just watch the entire fight between Palpatine and the other Jedi Masters, with Palpatine even having stolen Anakin's lightsaber to do so. The entire fight would have had Anakin debating on which side he was going to choose. They even filmed it, but they figured that Anakin simply watching the fight meant that he had already made his choice, so it was refilmed to the current one. Further, the final fight between Windu and Palpatine was supposed to be an all-over-the-place masterpiece, but due to Lucas wanting Ian McDiarmid to do as many of his own stunts as possible, it was reduced to, largely, Windu forcing Palpatine down the hallway and then a bit of a scrap in the office before Anakin showed up and both started talking to him.  

Nothing left in the inside.

No love, only pain & hatred.

Grand Moff Tarkin.

George Lucas originally intended have Peter Cushing reprise his role as Tarkin, years after his death, through the use of stock footage and digital technology. However, the idea was scrapped when the footage of Cushing was deemed unusable. 

Darth Vader's shiny mask.

The Darth Vader mask for this film was rebuilt from scratch, using a new digital design to computer-lathe the base master, from which molds were made to cast the on-screen costume masks. The resulting masks are, for the first time in Star Wars history, truly symmetrical.  

Wookie Battle. 

The battle with Wookiees dates back to the earliest screenplays of Episode IV. Originally, the Wookiees were supposed to help the Rebels conquer an Imperial bunker. This idea was the basis for the Battle of Endor in Episode VI, but instead of using Wookiees, George Lucas decided to use a smaller furry race and call them Ewoks. 

Two month Jedi Training.

Actors Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen trained for two months in fencing and fitness in preparation for their fight sequences.  

Hey Grievous, remember your old pal Mace Windu?

General Grievous's breathing problems in this film, as well as his exposed gut-sack (later exploited by Obi Wan) are caused by his brief encounter with Mace Windu in Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003). Mace Windu "force-gripped" Grievous as the General was making off with Palpatine, crushing the cyborg's chest panel. 

Grievous Midiclorians, what!?

Many viewers were surprised the Grievous could be trained in Jedi arts, much less wield a lightsaber. The answer is that when Grievous was constructed, he was given the blood of a Jedi Master, who had a high midi-chlorian count. With this connection to the Force, Grievous had no difficulty learning Jedi ways. 

Anakin suffered borderline personality disorder.

In 2007, Dr. Eric Bui, a psychiatrist in Toulouse, France, co-wrote a study that diagnosed Anakin Skywalker as having borderline personality disorder. When the authors reported their findings at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association they stated that Skywalker fit the diagnosis criteria: difficulty controlling anger, stress-related breaks with reality, impulsivity, obsession with abandonment and a "pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of ideation and devaluation".  

a new hope is born.

Future days...

Anakin, bastard son of Darth Plagueis.

The first draft of the script also explained the mystery surrounding Anakin's conception. In the confrontation scene between Anakin and Palpatine (where Palpatine confesses to Anakin he is Darth Sidious), he would also explain that his master, Darth Plagueis, used the power of the Force to will the midichlorians to start the cell divisions that created Anakin. This explanation was later deemed unnecessary by George Lucas and subsequently cut. 

"You wil go to the Dagobah system"

A short clip of Yoda arriving with his ship on the planet Dagobah for his self-chosen exile was filmed, but not included in the final scene. According to producer Rick McCallum, he liked the shot very much, and he practically begged George Lucas to include it. However, Lucas preferred to keep the focus of the epilogue on the members of the Skywalker family (in order: Padme, Anakin, Leia and Luke). Yoda's deleted scene is included as a bonus on the DVD release of the movie.  

Palpatine, a real politician.

Chancellor Palpatine's strategy for maintaining power is known to political scientists, and is called Perpetual War. He comes to power through conflict with the Trade Federation, gains greater privileges through the Clone War, and solidifies his position through war on the Jedi. 

 Episode III video section.

The first video is the legendary teaser trailer that kept fans hoping for the better:

The second video is a compilation with all the TV spots made for the film:

The third video is the official trailer:

The fourth video is a compilation of the deleted scenes of the film:

Wow! it's been quite a trip finding all this information not only for Episode III but for all of the previous Star Wars reviews I have made. As a fan I can say I'm satisfied now. I know there are plenty of sites with more quality info, but hey! this is a regular people movie blog! We're not pretentious, we just like films as much as you do. Until then, may the force be with you!