"Anakins conversion to the dark side was very weak."
It was certainly weak on film, and to me that was the most disappointing part of the movie.
I understand the premise. That he started off going down the darkside for a specific reason, even noble, and that the darkside corrupted him. When he started out all he wanted was to rescue padme, but the darkside corrupted him and he became obsessed with power, greed and ruling the universe.
What I have a problem with is the sequence of events.
At first I primarily took a problem with 2 scenes. The murdering of the younglings and the scene where he chokes Padme. I've rescinded one. I no longer have a problem with the younglings.
So here's how I follow it. At first he did the right thing, turned the emperor in. To me, this shows that at least turning for Padme gave him conflict. Then he follows Mace. Makes sense. Then he tries to stop mace from killing the emperor, rather take him into custody. Makes sense, wants the emperor alive to use him, but still hasn't turned, is actually upholding the jedi code. Then he realizes that mace is going to kill the emperor, and that would be the death of padme. Having exhausted all of his options, he kills mace. Now he can't go back to the jedi order, as he'd most likely been expelled and probably tried for murder.
All this makes sense. You can tell he didn't buy into Palpatines cause or plight that the jedi were turning on him, because he originally went to the jedi, then tried to get Palpatine arrested. He realized Palpatine was wrong, but also that he needed Palpatine. He turned for a specific reason, to use Palpatine to save Padme, thinking he could then turn back, kill Palpatine, and end the war.
Not having the option of returning to the Jedi, he had to follow Palpatine's command to go through this course of action. So when he killed the Younglings, he didn't have a choice. He knew it was wrong, but incorrectly thought he had to do it. I believe he actually cried at several parts of this movie from here on out, because he knew what he was doing was wrong. But as I said, he thought he didn't have a choice.
So he kills the separatists leaders (and noone on either side is going to get on him for that), then comes the scene I don't like. First he talks with Padme. And his focus shifts. No longer is it her fate he's worried about, but he immediately talks to her about ruling the galaxy together. And he really didn't have time for the dark side to corrupt him, as it was only 1 day after he turned. When Padme brings Obi-Wan with her, he force-chokes her. I thought this was completely out of character. His priorities changed too quickly. If she wasn't going to be with him, he didn't care anymore. And he wouldn't change back for her.
I can see his focus changing over time, especially after Padme dies, but right away I think it would have been more believable to have him stay focused on his initial goal.
IMO this didn't work for me. Here's how I thought it should have happened.
- He saves Palpatine from Mace (his turning point, but for a specific reason, saving padme).
- He does the emperors biddings, killing the younglings and the separatist leaders, showing his loyalty (needs to to get palpatine to trust him so he can use him to save padme).
- Padme realizes what he's done, she dies from her broken heart.
- Anakin finds out, no longer is justified in his mind for turning.
- Then the Anakin and Obi-Wan duel.
By the end of the movie I had completely bought Anakin being Darth Vader. The reason he turned, Padme, was dead. Obi-Wan had seemingly turned on him, leaving him to die. All of his friends were dead. He had nothing left to live for, except a lust for power. What I didn't buy was his turning from the killing of mace to the choking of padme.
But I have to see it again.
