Anthony Lane Reviews Revenge of the Sith

I’ve always enjoyed Anthony Lane’s movie reviews. I laughed out loud several times at his review of the new Star Wars film (spoilers ahead, if you’ve been living under a rock). I could excerpt any paragraph, but this one’s particularly strong:

The general opinion of “Revenge of the Sith” seems to be that it marks a distinct improvement on the last two episodes, “The Phantom Menace” and “Attack of the Clones.” True, but only in the same way that dying from natural causes is preferable to crucifixion. So much here is guaranteed to cause either offense or pain, starting with the nineteen–twenties leather football helmet that Natalie Portman suddenly dons for no reason, and rising to the continual horror of Ewan McGregor’s accent. “Another happy landing”–or, to be precise, “anothah heppy lending”–he remarks, as Anakin parks the front half of a burning starcruiser on a convenient airstrip. The young Obi-Wan Kenobi is not, I hasten to add, the most nauseating figure onscreen; nor is R2-D2 or even C-3PO, although I still fail to understand why I should have been expected to waste twenty-five years of my life following the progress of a beeping trash can and a gay, gold-plated Jeeves.

I’d definitely recommend this collection of his reviews (and sundry articles). He’s a tremendously observant, incisive critic. His British dry wit is a welcome tonic from the average North America review.