Star Wars (Star Wars Episode III) Review

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(More customer reviews)Of all the prequels, I think there's unanimous agreement that Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is the best of the bunch. Yet, even this finale faltered at times with choppy dialogue and unclear plot twists. Now, imagine you could reedit the movie and make perfect. That's what Matt Stover's Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is like. This novelization takes the movie as a base and makes it even more of an epic.
First, Stover's writing style mixes "stream of consciousness" sections, with glimpses into the minds of characters. While potentially risky, Stover pulls this off well, showing the inner emotional turmoil at which the film can only hint. Anakin's motives for joining the Dark Side become a lot clearer as we Stover explores the depths of his confusion. And he manages to really capture certain character dynamics well with just a few choice phrases, such as calling Obi-Wan and Anakin a team.
Beyond that, Stover also expands the plot beyond what was covered in the 2.5 hours of the movie. Palpatine's discussions with Anakin are longer and more intense. I particularly thought Palpatine's depiction of the Jedi-Sith conflict as a dispute over "philosophical differences" was quite clever. In the book, he's so effective at blurring the line between good and evil that I almost felt like I was falling for the Dark Side! Meanwhile, we actually get to sit in on the deliberations of the Jedi Council and hear some of the shockingly candid disagreements amongst Yoda, Mace Windu, and Obi-Wan.
Just as important sometimes is what Stover left out of the book. For example, Palpatine does not scream "Power, ultimate power" when he's zapping Mace Windu with lightning. Nor does Vader scream "Nooooo!" upon hearing about Padme's death. In fact, overall, the book and the characters' dialogue have a more dignified "age of heroes" feel. If only Stover had had a bit more influence over the final script.
Of course, the novel isn't a substitute for the movie, particularly for the action scenes. They're short and often not particularly exciting. I thought the first few pages of the space battle were the only slow part of the book, although they're a visual feast in the movie. It seems - wisely in my opinion - that Stover essentially left the epic action to the movie and focused on plot and dialogue.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is probably one of the most compelling Star Wars stories ever told. If for whatever reason - the acting, CG special effects, Jar Jar Binks - you were not enthralled with the story as told in the movie, you owe it to yourself to enjoy it as told through Stover's adaptation.

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Based on the screenplay of the movie, Star Wars: Episode III, the novel brings the epic full circle, revealing at last just how the young Jedi, Anakin Skywalker, became the most evil villain in the galaxy, Darth Vader, and father to Luke and Leia. When the novel opens, the Clone Wars are still in full cry, and numerous Jedi have already been lost. Anakin is struggling with his dual life: Jedi Knight and husband (in secret) to Padme Amidala. The time is drawing near for the machiavellian Darth Sidious--the Sith Lord determined to wrest control of the galaxy from the Republic--to draw tight the noose he has been creating around Anakin Skywalker...and create a new Sith Lord with unmatched dark-side Force powers...Possibly the most anticipated Star Wars movie of all time, Star Wars: Episode III at last tells the tale of how the young Jedi Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader, the most feared villain in the galaxy. The novel will go "behind the scenes" into the characters' thoughts as well as expand on scenes seen in the movie.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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