Movie Review: "Revenge of the Sith"

[Dave2112]

This review contains some very minor spoilers, but I'll try to keep from commenting on actual plot reveals. We'll let those develop as thread contributors get a chance to see the film. - Dave

Well, it's now 3 'o clock in the morning and I've had a bit to think about on the ride home from the midnight premiere of "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith". Where to start, oh where to start? Well, first off...

...this was the best Star Wars film since The Empire Strikes Back and the latter continues to hold the title mostly through pure sentiment, and slightly better acting.

That being said, what made this one so good after the first two prequels left a bittersweet taste in the mouths of Star Wars fans? (Although I personally loved The Phantom Menace)

First, you slowly come to realize that for all of thier faults, the first two were absolutely neccesary to set up the political atmosphere, the characters and the overall story so that ROTS could flow as freely as it did. This film takes off with a bang from the moment after the opening scrawl fades into the distance and doesn't let up until the final wash. The opening space battle above Coruscant was the best since the landmark mega-battle in Return of the Jedi. Huge capital ships, more animated droid fighters and an actual eye to the detail of how huge military ships actually duke it out made for a highly entertaining opening sequence that lets you know you're in for a hell of a ride. The ensuing intrusion of Obi-Wan and Anakin aboard a Trade Federation ship went above and beyond the opening fight scenes in The Phantom Menace by a long shot. If the latter finally showed us what Jedi in thier prime were capable of, then this sequence finally showed us what the really good Jedi could do when diplomacy failed and they just had to simply kick ass.

It's hard to write a good review while not giving anything big away, so I'll just say a few things about the stuff that stood out for me.

The absolute best job of acting in this film goes to Ian McDiarmid hands-down. His portrayal of Palpatine/Sidious took the slick evil of ROTJ's Emporer and removed all the happy parts. And yes, he gets to use his lightsaber, and yes...he's the Dark Lord of the Sith for a reason. The real power he wields, however, is his talent for manipulation. We all knew how he politically manipulated the Republic into becoming the Empire, but it's his level of personal manipulation that is astounding. As Palpatine draws Anakin deeper and deeper into darkness, we learn more about the nature of the Force here than the other films combined. We knew that Palpatine seduced Anakin, but it was how that I didn't see coming.

The mesh of political underpinings, with so many things coming together at the same time, happens fast...but is explained simply enough so that you don't get lost.

Natalie Portman was far better in this film than her horrible performance in Attack of the Clones, but she's also far less involved from a dialog/action sense. She has more room to just be tragic, which she does well. And speaking of tragic...

When they say don't bring the little kids to this one, they mean it. I don't want to give anything away, but there are a few moments and scenes when the shit starts to hit the fan that took me a back a little. The good thing about this, however, is that we finally fully understand how tragic a character Darth Vader truly was. (And by the way, the trailer was a little misleading about the moment he was dubbed "Lord Vader", plenty of pre-armor action here.)

When Anakin finally does succumb to the Dark Side, it happens kinda fast. I found this a little bit off, but in reality, it's only a movie and from the previous two we know how empassioned Anakin can be. However, the thing that really gets you is the fact that he went down not out of pure anger, jealosy and hatred as we'd all assumed...but out of love and loyalty, however misplaced. This is another testament to the manipulative power of Palpatine.

Most of the things we wanted answered are explained, which is good. There are a few points that might slip by the less-than-hardcore fans, such as how Palpatine got the Clone troops to turn on the Jedi. You have to remember a few things from Attack of the Clones for that one, especially the mystery of Sypho-Dias.

But, we find a lot of stuff out in a way that very neatly ties this film to A New Hope. What Obi-Wan Kenobi did with his time on Tatooine waiting for Luke to grow up. Why C-3PO didn't make the Anakin/Vader connection. How Anakin was concieved in the first place. And of course, why the big black suit for Vader at all.

Which leads us to the defining moments of Revenge of the Sith...the fated battle between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader. (Oops, mighta let something slip there...) This was Lucas' version of Dante's Inferno. The decent into Hell itself. On the planet Mustafar, the two go at it like nothing seen in a Star Wars film before. It's more than a lightsaber fight, though, it's a battle of wills...and Ewan MacGregor gives a tremendous portrayal of the betrayed mentor. Throughout this film, we see Obi-Wan not as the stoic monk-like Jedi of the previous films, but a real person with tremendous power and equally tremendous connection to life and brotherhood. His strong bond with Anakin in the first part of the film make the final fight even more intense.

The fight itself, however was artful, but a bit too fast in a few spots. Of course, you could argue that these were two desperate Jedi at the height of thier power locked in an emotional and physical war. We see from Palpatine and Yoda just how much power a true Master of the Force can muster. If you thought Yoda rocked in Attack of the Clones, wait to you see the lil' green guy here.

Well, not much more I can get into without giving too much away, so I'll just say this...

This was a fitting end to a mythology that's been a part of my life for 28 years. A long story, no doubt, but one that has struck a chord with millions of people across our varied societies. It was rather bittersweet on the ride home, the lingering exhiliration from a very entertaining film mixing with the knowledge that it's all over.

But it couldn't have ended better.

Kudos, George...you hit the nail on the head with this one.

 

[Oddjob0226]

I have seen SO many Star Wars/Sith product tie-ins for M&Ms, Pepsi, Topps, Blockbuster, Burger King, Playstation, Wal-Mart, cellphone ring tones, etc. it has been overwhelming. I even saw a truck stop today with an inflatible Darth Vader head! I guess I'm okay with it as part of the consumer culture, but the scene in the movie where Yoda says "Wassup?" while riding a West Coast Choppers speeder bike was just too much product placement for me.




(Hee!)

 

[LeeAllure]

And then..

There's this, for either you classic star wars fans,
or organic food enthusiasts.. 😉

http://www.storewars.org/flash/index.html

Lee

 

[Oddjob0226]

There's this, for either you classic star wars fans,
or organic food enthusiasts.. 😉

http://www.storewars.org/flash/index.html

Lee

Sheer brilliance!

 

[DGF1976]

I saw it last night at 12:01am. It was pretty good. Won't say anything else becuse I'd hate to ruin anything for someone.



PS yeah I know I'm a dork, lol.

 

[AphxA]

Oh man i was so impressed by this movie. Such a great piece of art. The movie went way beyond my expectations. Go see it!

 

[Oddjob0226]

Most of the things we wanted answered are explained, which is good. even more intense.

Well..... I liked it, but I have a WHOLE bunch of questions left over.

 

[OBleedingMe]

I'm a Star Wars fan... I have to say that this movie is best of the last three that have come out. BUT... this movie suffers from the same flaws as the other movies - TERRIBLE dialouge, mediocre acting, and excessive CGI. George Lucas CAN NOT write a good screenplay, lol. He had help with all three of the foriginal Star Wars movies, and now I can see why. The man really has trouble with writing a cognitive screenplay. Every time Yoda opened his mouth he said obvious and redundant things ("Miss you, I will", "Too long, your rule has been") while trying to sound wise and it brought me right out of the movie no matter what scene it was. I just don't understand why he sounded so wise in the first Trilogy but in this one he sounds like Captain Obvious, except he's a Captain Obvious who talks in backwards prepositional phrases. George Lucas's bad screenwriting really shows through with Yoda.

For the first 45 minutes, I thought this movie was going to be just as bad as the other two. Anakin was still sounding like a whiny angsty teenager, 90% of the onscreen characters were pixels, and Yoda was still Captain Obvious. The real turning point for me was when Anakin (without giving anything away) did something that was so terrible that you just KNEW the man had turned evil. The audience desperately needed something to despise Anakin for, and Lucas gave them that.

For me, CGI really takes away from the Star Wars experience. I prefer puppets/makeup/animitronics, especially when it comes to aliens and Yoda. You got a more human connection to a physical object rather than pixels. Yeah, Yoda wouldn't have been able to do any of his lightsaber scenes, but c'mon - he looked comedic in his lightsaber fights anyhow. Everyone in the theater laughed their butts off anytime Yoda got physical. There's a certain scene where a certain somebody's face is HORRIBLY distorted and looks VERY evil. This face was done up in makeup and prostetics and is the one face that really leaves and impression on you and emanates its essence - pure evil. It was the only time my g/f clutched at my arm and buried her face in my chest. I could see a mixture of revulsion and fear on the faces of everyone around me. You don't get that sort of impression with CGI. It's like watching a video game. I just can't connect with a CGI character.

There were a few holes in the plot/errors, although I can't remember them all at the moment. I will be seeing it again on Friday with my friends, so perhaps I'll remember them all after I see it again. I'll give you the three I can remember:

SPOILER ALERT






































1. Why doesn't Padame look pregnant in some scenes?? In some scenes she looks like her regular self and is jumping and running around in ways a woman 7 - 8 months pregnant with twins NEVER could. At one point she she just THROWS herself on a couch. Impossible to do if she was pregnant with twins.

2. Why does Padame still look 100% pregnant at her funeral???? Did Obi-Wan and Yoda stuff her uterus full of lightsabers so everyone would think she never gave birth?? lol.

3. When Darth Vader died in Return of the Jedi and he spoke to Luke with his mask off, he had a very British accent. Since we know Anakin doesn't have any such accent, where did he aqquire this accent? Perhaps from all the evil officers on the Empire's starships? Everyone who was evil in the original Trilogy had a British accent, lol.

 

[theshire]

Saw it last night and thought it was FUCKING AWESOME. The bad acting and dialogue were much less abundant than in the previous two films, although the first 15-20 minutes were pretty bad in that respect. The execution of certain scenes was simply breathtaking. The 'Order 66' scene...brilliant...Anakin storming the Temple...brilliant...the build-up to the final duel and the duel itself...brilliant...Yoda vs. Sideous...incredible...completely blew me away. I'm so glad I avoided the big spoilers; it made it a completely different experience for me. Mace vs. Palpatine was also a nice highlight for me.

Overall, EASILY the best of the prequels and one of the best in the entire series. Don't listen to anyone who says it sucked; THEY suck.

 

[AphxA]

question for the star wars fan

Ok we know seen revenge of the silth

Do you guys feel like you can almost feel sorry for anakin? I was silently cheering him on. The jedi counsel treated him like crap. His master, obi-won treated him like a child nearly all through episode II. I understand why he wanted to go to the dark side.

 

[theshire]

Not really. But I do think the story of Anakin's relationship with Obi-Wan was very tragic. Summed up by Obi's words on the edge of that molten sea: 'You were like my brother! I loved you!' When you look at their next meeting in Episode IV and what happens there, the rise and fall of their friendship is a very sad story.

 

[Dave2112]

Good feedback. To answer a few questions...yes, Obi-Wan and Yoda decided to make Padme look like she died prior to childbirth so that knowledge of the twins' existence could be held off as long as possible.

What I liked was how well even a lot of the small stuff tied into A New Hope. Knowing that Obi-Wan spent his time on Tatooine learning to transubstantiate into the Force makes watching his duel with Vader on the Death Star completely different. We now know that Vader never actually killed him, well...not directly anyway.

The scenes aboard the Tantive IV really made you feel like this was moving toward Episode IV.

Since most who are part of discussions like this have already seen the film, we can talk about specific stuff, I think. But, in case.....


SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!















While the film had many tracig scenes, the one that struck me the most was the twelve-year-old Jedi who rushed out of the Temple and cut down four troopers before being gunned down. Almost everyone else was already dead and outnumbered, and this kid comes in to help even though he knows he's gonna die. It was subtle way to let you know exactly what the Galaxy was losing with the Jedi.

Anakin's fall was done brilliantly, I thought. We all expected him to simply let his rage take over and turn, but the "selling his soul to the Devil" angle was shocking, at least to us geek fans.

 

[LVTicklr]

Saw it last night and thought it was FUCKING AWESOME. The bad acting and dialogue were much less abundant than in the previous two films, although the first 15-20 minutes were pretty bad in that respect. The execution of certain scenes was simply breathtaking. The 'Order 66' scene...brilliant...Anakin storming the Temple...brilliant...the build-up to the final duel and the duel itself...brilliant...Yoda vs. Sideous...incredible...completely blew me away. I'm so glad I avoided the big spoilers; it made it a completely different experience for me. Mace vs. Palpatine was also a nice highlight for me.

Overall, EASILY the best of the prequels and one of the best in the entire series. Don't listen to anyone who says it sucked; THEY suck.

You tell 'em,dude,for Dave is right in that the first two prequels were actually a set-up for both this film,and the previous Luke Skywalker trilogy,for Lucas was only depicting the Republic/Jedi-owned universe as a child-like innocent time until the Empire came along to desecrate it into a complete slum,which is something many fans couldn't accept or understand,for while I haven't seen it yet(but will this coming Sunday or Monday),I did read the story of it and enjoyed it(although I wished that Dooku,Bail Organa,and even Jar Jar[what becomes of him:does he die,or just disappear?!] would have had bigger roles,since they're a major part of the Star Wars events that happen,as well),and with all of the glowing reviews that are showing that the franchise is knocking aside both Lord of the Rings and Star Trek to reclaim its throne as the Numero Uno leading fantasy genre series,I'm highly looking forward upon seeing this very film.

 

[tommytikl]

When Anakin finally does succumb to the Dark Side, it happens kinda fast. I found this a little bit off, but in reality, it's only a movie and from the previous two we know how empassioned Anakin can be. However, the thing that really gets you is the fact that he went down not out of pure anger, jealosy and hatred as we'd all assumed...but out of love and loyalty, however misplaced. This is another testament to the manipulative power of Palpatine.

SPOILER ALERT Reply:






Actually Anakin's fall to the dark side takes more time than it seems.
If you look at Padme in the beginning of the movie she is MAYBE 4-5 months pregant and buy the time she is strangled by Anankin she is 9 months pregant.
Anakins fall takes roughly 4-5 months to happen, it doesn't happen in oh 5 days as it first seems in the movie.
When you watch again you will see Padme's stomach grow each time we see her!
FYI...otherwise Anakin's fall is too quick to be believable...but over a 6 month period it is more believable...

Oh and I think Ian McDiarmid should be nominated for an Acadamy Award for Best Supporting Actor if not Best Actor...he did the best job of any actor in the Star Wars Movies!!!

Oh and I LOVED when Yoda ripped the light saber out of the Clone troopers chest!!
Great Movie!!

 

[Darth Vegeta]

hmm

Best since Empires perhaps with a second watching better.
And the acting was actually very good.
Whatever people claim i have no problem with Hayden.
And certainly not with the actor portraying Palpatine.

I liked it entirely except the bit of slapstick at the start which in a way felt a bit out of place.
Though i suppose that reinforced the 'happy' link with the less gloomy previous parts.

The film is best in the second part even though the first is far from a bore like some claim.
The events were all excellently portrayed though one could notice that there was a timeproblem halfway the movie.

Vader's rise was very good. Although the 'noooooooo' might seem weird at first if you think about it... it is actually quite good.
Vader can't suddenly be grumpy, old and entirely secure and bitter like in the later era.
He's still young.

The finalé tied everything up but was a bit too hurried.
But i liked it. It was an original approach. And a very noncommercial one (the movie not the merchandising).
It is rare to see a movie where evil triumphs.

I also liked the morality and the way the jedi were portrayed.
War changes evertyhing Jedi included. They too had strayed.

In any case though purists will always stick to the old trilogy and claim that the first 2 movies were bad and sucky and that the acting was bad i disagree.

Episode I is equal to IV. A bit boring but essential to setting the scene.
Episode II was very good only Empires and Sith was better.
As it had some very good scenes in it.

Hated the way Anakin was defeated. Can you be unluckier? Obi was on the right side of the platform so he wins... .
Though i suppose it had to be like that just to give meaning to the EP IV duel and not to let Anakin seem the weaker one.

I also liked his fighting style. Watch closely how Anakin fights. Magnificent.
Arrogant but superior to Obi. Stronger and more talented but overconfident.
Too bad we didn't get to see the purge decently.

The reasons Anakin fell was good. I also loved that he had good reasons to do what he did. But the effects of it where completely different.
I'll never look at Vader the same way again.
he's not just 'the coolest villain' anymore. He's a tragic hero now too. More than before anyway.


I never was a big fan of Padmé but to my surprise she was the one i pitied.
I felt sorry she had to die.
Seems in a way she was the only one who stuck with Anakin.

Windu has completely ended up cursed in my eyes. I blame him more for the fall of the Order than anyone else.
Really really hate him.

Sidious was a psychotic bastard... but he was right on a lot of things.

That entire movie had no true hero... no absolute right.
And as the story progressed i found myself even more pro Darkside than ever.
But not for the usual reasons. This time I actually thought they were more right than the others.

 

[Biscuit]

Just saw this last night

My comments:

The fall of Anakin could have been played more artfully in the beginning. I really think Lucas made a mistake in having him kill Dooku right away, especially with his later thoughts about 'protecting the jedi order' and torn morality. He should have at LEAST been remorseful enough to confess to Obi-wan or Yoda, done penance, etc. Yes, it was believable that he could be brought to kill Dooku, but the ease with which the chancellor led him astray is entirley underwhelming. I'm certain that many think I'm making too much of this early scene, but I really think the movie would have better had this been handled differently.

Ok, Obi-wan. Yes, you're a brave strategic thinker. Someone please tell me how the Jedi were slaughtered by their clone-troop subordinates so easily but Kenobi could hop nonchalantly down into a ring of massed weaponry and not catch a blaster bolt in the back from a lucky shot. This could have been handled with more subtlety and fewer special effects, a clever ruse or ploy, SOMETHING. Scene was a bit believability-straining. Yes, he had reinforcements coming, but he could have easily caught a bolt in the back just before they arrived. What a cheap end.

General Greivous....coughs? He's a heart and brain strapped to a cybernetic body, no room for lungs! Where the hell would he get a cough? He survived hard vacuum unharmed, but he coughs? Please.

It's a large leap from 'OH my god what have I done' in killing Master Windu and protecting Palpatine to slaughtering Jedi children en-masse for Anakin. This fall was perhaps a bit too absolute and sudden to be entirely believable.

Davis, agree about the scene with the learner-jedi running back to protect the innocent. One of the more poignant scenes of the movie.

Lastly, ok Vader's near-death scene needed to be spectacular and the injuries obviously horribly disfiguring for dramatic effect. However, people were dying left and right from much less severe injuries onscreen, but he loses BOTH legs and then BURSTS into flames and lives? The legs I could see, as sabers cauterize wounds, but the flames were overdramatic. I also think his voice should have still been youthfully lighter when they put on the helmet, although similar. Since we hear the signature breathing, it obviously isn't computer generated, although certainly enhanced.

I really liked the movie, and agree that it was a fitting end to the series. Which is why I had so many nitpicks. 😉

Humph!

 

[desdemona]

Well, I'm off to see the film in about 2 hours (leaving now to get there and be ready...lol). But I confess I read the book first (ok, major cheat...but I had to know if it was going to be worthwhile this time).

All I can say....Lucas does not translate well into words (unlike some authors, whoever took the screenplay and ran with it this time didn't do a stellar job). This probably equates with Lucas's poor job of writing dialog period. He's much more a story teller through visual effects (and I'll take mine computer generated or otherwise). But so much is explained that I feel much better going into the theater this time around 🙂

I'll give you my thoughts after I see the production. Great thread dave, with or without spoilers.

 

[MrMacphisto]

Now that the series is done with, I have to rank the movies in order of how I liked them.

1. Return of the Jedi
2. Empire Strikes Back
3. Revenge of the Sith
4. A New Hope
5. Attack of the Clones
6. The Phantom Menace

I thought this movie was much better than the other two new ones. Still, I have to agree with an earlier poster that Lucas can't write dialogue very well. The acting was still as flat in this movie as it was in the other two. Granted, if you go back and watch the original three movies, you'll notice the dialogue is pretty cheesy in those as well. The acting wasn't that great in the original three either, but I think Harrison Ford greatly made up for all that. The problem is that the new movies didn't have a "Han Solo-esque" character. There was no Han Solo present to keep the new movies grounded with some comic relief.

Revenge of the Sith presents us with a far more interesting storyline than Episodes I and II, and the action scenes blow away most of the rest of the series. Unfortunately, the seriousness of the subject matter in this movie relies heavily on the acting quality of the cast. It's hard to make a movie feel deeply tragic when the dialogue is so bad. Thankfully, Lucas throws in enough action to distract us from this flaw. The special effects were simply amazing, and all the twists and turns of the movie's plot held my interest unfailingly. Also, there are a few actors that really stood out in their performances. Ian McDiarmid did an excellent job in his transformation into the Emperor. Christopher Lee was just as impressive as Count Dooku as he was in Episode II. Even Samuel L. Jackson gave us a good, if brief, performance as Mace Windu.

Aside from the acting and dialogue, there was one other flaw. Grievous really could have been left out or replaced. He essentially was the Jar Jar of this movie. I'm not sure what made Lucas think that making another main character purely out of CGI was a good thing. Yoda functions well as a totally CGI character, but Grievous was a goofy villain that really detracted from the movie's aura.

All in all, it was a good movie, but don't enter the theater thinking you'll watch Academy Award winning acting. Just sit back and enjoy the action scenes.

 

[nenezinho]

It's a large leap from 'OH my god what have I done' in killing Master Windu and protecting Palpatine to slaughtering Jedi children en-masse for Anakin. This fall was perhaps a bit too absolute and sudden to be entirely believable.

Does anyone else thinks that after all....it´s was all Mace Windu´s falt? 🙂

You see....if he had taken Anakin with him to arrest Palpatine, They would all face him together, Palpatine would fight also Anakin and this could have made Anakin forget Padme and concentrate on the fight. In my view...the problem was the time Anaking was left alone to think, he then made is mind to protect Palpatine and try and get the "knowledge" from him. Maybe if Windo had taken him in firts place, he would be focused on his mission to get the sith.

just a tought!

To me...Anaking never seemed to be willing to turn to the dark side. He didn´t seemed happy or confident, not even after he kneels and is "knighted" vader. It seems he is more like "ooohhh well....I have no other choice now so lets go with this quickly"

Maybe he is more torn apart by the idea that he destroyed his career as a Jedi and his future than curious with the dark side powers....at least it seems so at first!

The killing of the younglings....it can easily be explained as the anger of someone who knows he wont be able to have a regular career in the order as all those kids can. He was a slave as a kid, never was trully acepted by the order, never had what those kids have. Maybe all those feellings come in play specially against the kids.

 

[desdemona]

Well, I've seen it...and I agree, it's much better than the other two prequels. The plot came together (although there are still some "holes" in the story). Acting was more in sync with the true characters - Palpatine and Obi Wan really finally clicked in their roles. And yes, Anakin's actions make more sense...but still, a not so wonderful casting job (I can think of other young brooding actors who would have done a much better job filling those big shoes...) leaves it a little flatter than episodes 4-6. I liked having someone to root for in those films...whereas all you can do is stand by and watch Anakin's downfall, knowing the inevitable outcome. Sigh..if only he'd done these movies first...but, oh well. Still a fitting end to the second trilogy.

 

[german]

..........

I thought this movie was great.

Some parts were rushed but after seein an interview with Lucas most questions will be answered in the extended dvd (wonder why?????).

Personally i think Mace Windu has to be close to the greatest Jedi ever, seriously Palpetine with little work until he had to fight Windu, this makes me think that he is the strongest of them all. I have no symapthay for Vader due to he stabbed Windu in the back and cost all thos jedi their lives.

I think this movie with the original had 'those scenes' were its gives so much more to the movie, eg New Hope - Obi-Wan being struck down in front of Luke, Empire strikes back - Han Solo going into Carbon frezze.....etc........
This movie had all the Jedi's being struck down one by one, that scene touched me lol

I have an interesting thought and are wondering if any other star wars fans think the same.....Was Anikan really the chosen one??? Im seriously thinking it is Luke who is the chosen one, as it is him that brings balance to the force.

 

[jim66e]

I think Anakin was the chosen one and you can look at it from two percpectives. He was supposed to bring balance to the force. After a thousand years of Jedi control, he balanced it out by bringing the Sith back in power. Or he reduced the Numbers to 2 Jedi and 2 Sith, which is also balanced.

 

[ShadowFyre]

I think Anakin was the chosen one and you can look at it from two percpectives. He was supposed to bring balance to the force. After a thousand years of Jedi control, he balanced it out by bringing the Sith back in power. Or he reduced the Numbers to 2 Jedi and 2 Sith, which is also balanced.

According to Lucas, balance in the Force is NO Sith, since the Jedi do not manipulate the Force as the Sith do. Anakin accomplishes balancing the Force in Return of the Jedi when he comes back to the light side of the Force and defeats Palpatine, eliminating the Sith.

 

[jim66e]

Then Lucas has a strange understanding of the word balance.

 

[tommytikl]

I thought this movie was great.

Some parts were rushed but after seein an interview with Lucas most questions will be answered in the extended dvd (wonder why?????).

Well George said the first cut of this movie or at least the screen play as written is like 4 hours long and the movie clocks in at 2hours, 30 mins...so that is another hour and a half of stuff we didn't see.
I think George is taking the Lord of the Rings idea...give the people a 2 hour+ movie and give the fanatics another hour or so of "Bonus" DVD material.
Apparently, George had Padme start to create the "rebellion" and what not but didn't have time..that is why it seems that Padme is there simply to let you know that 6 months have passed from the beginning of the movie till the end...