Review: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
'So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause.'
★★★★
The dark times have begun. The saga is complete! It all ends here.
The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy has been met with mixed critical responses from both critics and audience members. But Revenge of the Sith is a rare exception, with most fans finding it as good as the original trilogy, while others still think it's inferior.
Do I think that? Well, continue reading to find out.
The film opens three years after The Clone Wars began with our two main leads, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), on a mission to rescue the Chancellor (Ian McDiarmid), who has been captured by the rebel General Grievous (whose voice, provided by Matthew Wood, sounds curiously wheezy, considering the general seems to use replacement parts). After rescuing the Chancellor, Anakin faces another problem. His secret wife, Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), is pregnant. His reaction is kinda cute. He's young, after all, so I can't find any faults with that. Believing something might happen to her, he begins to talk to the Chancellor about it. Palpatine continues to manipulate Anakin until the time is right. After revealing himself, Anakin tells Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) who attempts to arrest Palpatine until Anakin shows up. Anakin kills Windu, and believes the only way to save Padmé's life is become Palpatine's apprentice, after Palpatine tells him he has the power to save others. Even though it was a lie. This leads to the fall of the Jedi and the rise of the Empire.
Revenge of the Sith excels with its great usage of visual effects, storytelling, character development, action, tone, score, sound design, pacing, and excitement. This is the film where we see everything wrap up. Everything is filmed in front of a blue/green screen, which can be challenging for an actor. Regardless, Revenge of the Sith is a film that Star Wars fans and filmmakers can enjoy. Not only is it a great Star Wars film, but it's also become a cult classic. The fans who've grown up with the prequels say this is their favorite Star Wars film. I can't blame them. It's got great action, excellent stunt work by Nick Gallard, a great score, Order 66, the fall of the Jedi, the birth of the Empire, great chemistry between Anakin and Obi-Wan, funny moments, and so much more.
Like the previous two Star Wars films in the Prequel Trilogy, the dialogue is an issue here. George Lucas's weakness when making a film is writing the screenplay and directing. But his directing is a bit better here than in Attack of the Clones. You'd think Lawrence Kasdan would've realized his mistake by now. It is my belief that Rick McCallum is the true culprit behind the conflicting reviews of the Prequel Trilogy. Although he's an "adequate" producer, you shouldn't hire him if all he does is accept everything and not challenge the director. To the screenwriter, McCallum gives off the impression of a boss, yet to George Lucas, he behaves completely innocent. Given this, it makes sense that Jonathan Hales declined to return for Revenge of the Sith. Rick McCallum scared him away!
These are just criticisms, after all. Even if the dialogue may not be the best, "Sith" is pure entertainment that fills in the gaps between the original and prequel trilogies. It's a tragic masterpiece and to say Revenge of the Sith isn't your favorite isn't something to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. Don't let the prequel hates tell you that. Even Ian McDiarmid and Hayden Christensen said Revenge of the Sith is their favorite Star Wars film. Revenge of the Sith is my second favorite Star Wars film, behind The Empire Strikes Back.