Classic Review: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

“Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith” stars Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, and Christopher Lee.  Released on May 19, 2005, the film has Obi-Wan Kenobi facing the ultimate test when he discovers Chancellor Palpatine’s true intentions while Anakin Skywalker gets closer and closer to the dark side.

The film is directed by George Lucas, and it is the third and final installment in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.  It is also the sixth film in the entire Star Wars film series.  The prequel trilogy had came to a close more than ten years ago with “Revenge of the Sith”.  Not only did it end off with a solid bang in terms of box office, but it was also well received by critics and fans alike compared to the last two prequels.  Even though we’re still months away from Star Wars 8, I still enjoy looking back at the other films in the saga, so I decided to keep the trend going.  So, what makes this prequel more likable than the other ones?  Let’s find out.

Out of the three films in the prequel trilogy that I’ve seen, I appreciate this one the most because of the story.  I like how it all comes together and fully explores Anakin’s path to becoming Darth Vader.  The story is also pretty dark, hence the film’s PG-13 rating.  There were plenty of deep moments in the film that were handled very well compared to the last two prequels that I had reviewed, especially the third act.  Sure, the dialogue wasn’t that very memorable, but as long as the story is as fun and engaging as the original trilogy, I couldn’t care less.  The performances from the cast are still decent, with the highlights being McGregor as Obi-Wan and McDiarmid as Palpatine.  Both of these actors did their part at bringing their characters to life, especially McDiarmid.  I thought he was perfect in the role as The Supreme Chancellor/Sith Lord.  Hayden Christensen’s acting is still problematic, however.  He managed to put some effort into portraying his character this time around, but it’s still not enough to cover up his wooden performance.  Another thing that I enjoyed out of this film was the film’s visuals.  When you read my reviews for Episode I and Episode II, I stated that the visuals in those films were very dated.  Here, the visuals still looked pretty good, and yes, they work pretty well with the action sequences, as usual.  The ending can get a bit draggy at times, but it works as a way to connect to the original Star Wars.   

Overall, with its deep storyline, decent performances, and its stylistic mix of visuals and action, “Revenge of the Sith” brings George Lucas’ prequel trilogy to a satisfying conclusion.  Not only that, but it is also a big improvement over the last two Star Wars prequels.  As always, if you don’t mind any of the flaws in this one and the other ones in the prequel trilogy, then you might like Episode III a bit more.  I would recommend it to some fans of Star Wars, depending on their taste in the prequels.

B