Customer Reviews

The Art of Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fantastic, beautiful book. Full of gorgeous artwork and pictures. The only reason I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because for some inexplicable reason, the script is NOT included in the US version. However, the complete illustrated script IS included in the UK version, which I bought from Amazon.co.uk. I can't imagine why this was done, it is a real disservice to the US market. I highly recommend getting the UK version even though it will cost a bit more than the US version.

Packed with behind-the-scenes info, storyboards, early concepts, and the full shooting script, the "Art of" books have captivated Force Fans since the "episode 4" in 1977. The only flaw with this one is that there are script excerpts in this version and not the full version, as in other "Art Of" books. One hopes this will be rectified in future editions. Still, as captivating as the film version! Must-have for hardcore fans and film students!

Length:: 0:25 Mins

Putting this book down is difficult after you flip through a few pages. There are hundreds of pieces of conceptual art and beautiful paintings. It is apparent right from the start that George Lucas only hire the best artists for his movie.

The art genre is science fiction. You'll see a lot of concept art on cityscape, robots, planets, costumes, creatures, architecture, props and characters relating to the Star Wars movie. This book is all about art, you won't see any movie stills.

There are two versions of the book. The one with the movie script has 272 pages. The one I'm holding has only 224 pages.

Design concepts are explained for the characters and set. There's not much text but enough. The level of detail, effort and creativity displayed by the artists is simply marveling. This genre is really a playground for artists to explore with their imagination.

For Star Wars fans, there's no reason not to get this book. For artbook lovers, especially those who like sci-fi, this book should be on your shopping list also.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

I thought this was an excellent visual of the film. The color plates were outstanding and the text limited. Too much description can be boring and detract from the viewing. This book is a keeper.
MKE/Huntingdon Valley, PA

I own the "Art of" ... Episode I and Episode II, so the "Art of Episode III" was a must purchase for me. These three books are very classy, being the pick of the Star Wars books for those who have an interest in how the movies develop through sketches and storyboards, hence the 'art' of Star Wars. While the art-books for the first two movies focused heavily on characters, the Art of Episode III focuses particularly on the worlds created for the movie, presumably as most characters have already been seen.

I'm not interested in art, so I don't have a bias toward this type of product. I'm a Star Wars fan first and foremost. The art work is, however, of a high quality and shows diagrams, paintings, drawings and sketches of the characters, planet locations, vehicles and weapons - everything that was designed by Lucas' own art team for the movie. The book (this time) is arranged in chronological order, taking place over a period of two years where the author documented the development of the movie from preproduction to principal photography to digital shot creation. The author, Rinzler, was allowed to work with the artists and therefore had first-hand experience with Lucas and the team. Typically, the art team generate their own designs which are bounced off Lucas and then manipulated to his satisfaction. This is all documented with discussions with the artists themselves and Lucas as to why something is kept and another discarded.

Not only do you find the items that made the final cut of the movies but concepts that didn't make the big screen. I don't want to give anything away about Episode III, so an example from the 'Art of Episode II' is the exciting concept of the Sith villain. Count Dooku was the eventual villain chosen by Lucas (reportedly due to Dooku's regal manner) but the character found in some alternative Star Wars literature called Asajj Ventress (the female dark jedi with the black and white martial arts appearance who carries two curved lightsabres) has a series of sketches and paintings attributed to her. So we see Lucas doesn't omit any ideas from his designers, and uses them in various side projects. It is fascinating seeing these characters etc pop-up in various side projects.

Overall, all Star Wars fans should have the "Art of ..." books. They provide a classy addition to the bookshelf and provide hours of intriguing reading and dreaming of a galaxy far, far away.

I am a huge fan of the artists in this book. I've loved the other two books in this series and believe Sith is the best of the trilogy. The sheer scale and breath of alien worlds Lucas has conjured up for Revenge of the Sith is amazing. The drawings in this book have totally inspired me to work on my sketching more and have set the bar for industrial design. The drawings are something you can study and absorb for years. Many kudos. I'd give my eye teeth to study art with Church, Tiemens, Fu, McCaig, Frame, Zu... - Way to throw it down guys!

This third installment of 'The Art Of', or should I say sixth, is once again a wonderful book. The contents are again one step further into the digital age, most pieces being made on a screen, not on paper. This is the only 'con' I have to all the 'pro's'. I miss the marker-made-visuals of for instance Doug Chiang. Even though this corresponds greatly with the way the movie was made, it is simply a thing I really like to see. But on the whole, it is a must-have for every Star Wars/movie art lover!

I have reviewed every Star Wars Art book and have enjoyed them all to differing degrees. Episode II marked for me a low point in this series. The art didn't look like I expected. Not sharp which is what I expect when I see Star Wars art. Well this one has that sharp art work I love and a few extra surprises.

The layout of the book follows the chronology of how the projects were taken on by George Lucas and his art department. This was an interesting window into the "behind the scenes" activities. The quotes from Lucas and the crew were also very interesting.

The concepts that evolved while arriving at Grievous were great, the worlds were only caught a glimpse of in episode three was something I was pleased to see more of, and Lucas' fascination with lemurs...well lets just say we already know what happens when he gets his mind set on a concept, be glad Episode III didn't end up with another Jar Jar.

There is no script, but in time, I'll know it well enough like I do the others. So I can't take points off for that.

All in all, a great book.

I know that his is part fo teh 'pre-release hype' for a blockbuster movie. But in this case, the hype is well justified. One look through the art in this book makes a convicing case that the promotions and other media events being used to entice people into theatres (and later to buy DVD's) is probably not hype at all.

It is clear that a lot of work went into making the Star Wars movies, and for REVENGE OF THE SITH, Lucas-Films, et.al pulled out all the stops and spared little (if any) expense to ensure that this would be a 'movie for the ages'. It might work.

The story line for the movie is more or less revealed in this art book. That should come as no surprise, since it is almost impossible to present the visuals without providing some context in which they fit. Because reading the book and discovering what is involved in crating the scenes is so engaging, and fun, I'll let you read the book, and not reveal any plot details in this review.

As a book, this might remain popular long after the movie is released. Unlike a lot of movies, the Star Wars series is about the art and technology of movie making, as much as it is about the final product. It seems that Luas and his production company paid a lot of attention to fan criticisms of EPISODE I, and after largely redeeming them in EPISODE II, appear poised to 'go out on top', ending the STAR WARS sagas with a true 'magnum opus'.

This book will whet appetites for the movie itself, but from all appearances, it's a movie that will be well worth the wait, and satisfying to audience expectations.

If this book could win an award for Best Illustrated STAR WARS* Script...AND any number out of ten, I would give the award and a 2000!