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

 

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

Revenge of the Sith follows Anakin, who in a desperate bid to save Padme, turns to the dark side, destroying the Jedi Order from the inside, forcing a battle of the ages with his former master Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

Episode 3, for the prequels, is peak Star Wars and if you are a sucker for lightsaber duels, not only does this have a ton, but it also has some of the all time best. Obviously, this is in no means a perfect movie, contrary to the way I might gush at times because realistically, this has some of the most laughably bad and memeable dialogue of the entire series. It’s probably what separates this movie from anything on the level of the original trilogy. 

But, taking that in stride, you’re also left with an excellent plot of downfall, betrayal, and sacrifice that finally pays off THE duel in Episode 4, giving us arguably the best fight in all of Star Wars between Anakin and Obi-Wan. It’s a battle, intercut with that of Yoda vs Palpatine as well, that is so emotionally charged, perfectly choreographed, and full of so much pain and anguish, that you can’t help feeling for both men in a literal battle for their lives. Quite literally too, as for once, you feel the danger they are in, within the fiery fields of Mustafar, you may know their fate but it always feels in doubt in the final act. 

The build up to Anakin’s downfall has been a long time coming, and frankly, if this movie did nothing right, at least it nailed that. Gradually showing his disillusion with the Order, forcing him to make the tough calls against Windu and Obi-Wan, all while Palpatine manipulates everything from the sidelines as usual. It’s intense, along with the complete fall of the Jedi, with Order 66, making one of the most important films in all of Star Wars genuinely feel important. 

We get a terrific cast in Episode 3, starring Frank Oz, Jimmy Smits, Matthew Wood, Samuel L. Jackson, Ian McDiarmid, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, and Hayden Christiansen. Christiansen, this time around, really brings it, letting loose and really giving us the scope of why Anakin is the most feared Jedi in the galaxy. His chemistry with McGregor, who is also fantastic as usual, is great, and I love their friendly banter and mutual respect, but also how well they bounce off of each other come Anakin’s downfall. I should also mention just how off the rails McDiarmid finally goes here, just an absolute rabid animal but movie’s end; awesome to see. 

Revenge of the Sith, directed by George Lucas, is certainly the darkest of the bunch, but boy does it pack a deep punch and pull out all the stops in giving us the Anakin we’ve been waiting 3 movies for, all culminating in genuinely the best lightsaber battle ever (and frankly it’ll never be topped) in the duel between the last of the Jedi and the last of the Sith, for control of the galaxy. 

7.7/10