Here we go: The final chapter of the Prequel Trilogy and the final Prequel Trilogy film reviewed by yours truly. Just as a reminder, The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones garnered scores of 53 and 54, respectively. These two installments were underwhelming, to say the least, but George Lucas truly stepped up when it came to developing Revenge of the Sith. Some problems that plagued the prior two films are still evident in this one, but we, as an audience, have been more willing to ignore them, as we were finally treated to an epic story once again. This is the story of how Anakin Skywalker became the sinister Lord Vader, after all. And while the execution of his transition to the dark side was not the best, it still played a major role in making this installment one that ‘Star Wars’ fans won’t soon forget. Review time.
Story: 7
At last, we are given a Prequel film with a story that’s actually intriguing at its core. We’re no longer trying to work out trade negotiations or hide from enemies. We’re going on a wild chase for a fiendish droid. We’re spying on the most powerful man in the galaxy. And we’re witnessing the fall of arguably the most powerful Jedi in history. Like I hinted at earlier, the execution of these story beats could be better. There is so much to fit into this movie, and some of the plot points don’t get their fair share of exploration (had the previous two movies done their job in setting up this film, maybe these beats could’ve been explored more in-depth). This is the probably the most complex story in the entire ‘Star Wars’ saga, mainly due to the complex nature of Anakin’s turn. Unfortunately, it’s just not played out to the fullest.
Characters: 7
For the first time in the entire trilogy, you legitimately care about Anakin. I’ll repeat that. For the first time in a trilogy dedicated solely to portraying Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the Dark Side, we actually care about Anakin Skywalker. That’s kind of important. The reason we finally care about him is because we can relate to what he’s going through. Trying so hard to meet other people’s approval, but always coming up short. Caring deeply for a loved one in danger, sometimes to a fault. Getting blinded by greed and power. All are very human predicaments. I still think Hayden Christiansen isn’t great in this role. He does the bare minimum in this film to convey each of the character’s emotions. Ewan McGregor’s portrayal of Obi-Wan, though, is unbelievable, and Natalie Portman is at her best as Padme in this film. Some of the secondary characters don’t have stellar performances, but, overall, the characters are solid.
Locations: 8
These planets are still highly digital. However, I’m willing to dock off less points because these planets are really, really cool. Mustafar is one of my favorite planets in the entire ‘Star Wars’ universe; it serves as a perfect backdrop for Anakin and Obi-Wan’s final duel, both physically and metaphorically. Utapau is among the most unique planets we’ve ever seen on screen. And to finally see the Wookiee homeland of Kashyyyk was incredible. It’s a planet that had been teased ever since Return of the Jedi, and we finally got to witness this concept come to fruition. The consistency across each of these planets stems from the fact that they are not places with large populations. It’s not as if big cities are the primary locations featured in this film. The story mainly takes place on the frontier, which is refreshing since this was the case throughout the entire Original Trilogy.
Humor: 5
It’s still bad. Just better than the past two Prequel films.
Score: 9
This score is unbelievable. Revenge of the Sith is a story of epic proportions, and the score reflects that. The epicness of the music is most perfectly embodied in the “Battle of the Heroes” theme. This is the climax of the whole trilogy; it demands a magnificent theme to accompany it. John Williams does not disappoint, as he delivers an iconic piece of music that enhances his vast glossary of ‘Star Wars’ themes. I think another standout piece of music in this film can be heard within the final four minutes of the movie. We see four scenes in this span of time, with each one consisting of zero dialogue. John Williams’ score is completely at the forefront, and it is fantastic. He goes from a funeral theme for Padme to a rendition of the “Imperial March”. Then he transitions to a delicate theme for Princess Leia, which leads to the “Binary Sunset” theme for Luke. And it’s all seamless. His ability to mesh themes together to create one fluent medley is what, I think, makes him the best composer in Hollywood. This skill is most definitely showcased in these ending scenes.
Pacing: 7
This movie flows a lot better than its two predecessors. Anakin’s emotional journey is what really sets the pace for the film, and there is a definitive beginning, middle, and end in that journey. However, the amount of action thrown into this movie does cause the pacing to be a bit off at times. It’s hard to establish a steady rhythm when you go from lightsaber battle to lightsaber battle every ten minutes.
Dialogue: 5
It’s still not good compared to the dialogue of the original ‘Star Wars’ films. There are two scenes in particular, though, that have tremendous pieces of dialogue within them. The first one is the scene where Palpatine shares the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise with Anakin. If I’m not mistaken, this is the longest pure dialogue scene in all of Star Wars. It’s just Palpatine and Anakin talking for an extended period of time, but it’s so captivating in its entirety. It was well-written, but it’s Ian McDiarmid’s performance that makes this scene so special. The second scene is right after the end of Anakin and Obi-Wan’s lightsaber duel on Mustafar. It is powerful, man. I can’t describe how incredible this dialogue/acting truly is, so I’ll just let you watch the video and come to your own conclusions.
Action: 9
This film is a doozy when it comes to action. To start the movie off, we have arguably the most visually appealing space battle in ‘Star Wars’. Later in the film, we have the Battle of Kashyyyk, which, for the most part, synchronizes with the Battle of Utapau. When it comes to lightsaber duels, there’s a total of five of them. Count Dooku vs. Obi-Wan and Anakin. Obi-Wan vs. General Grievous. Mace Windu vs. Palpatine. Yoda vs. Palpatine. And, of course, the most intense lightsaber duel in the saga, Anakin vs. Obi-Wan. This duel is among the best scenes in ‘Star Wars’, and it is a huge reason why this movie scores so high in the Action category. It is the perfect way to cap off this trilogy. The tensions are so high, and they could’ve been even higher had the prior films done a better job of establishing a relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin. Nonetheless, this action scene, along with all of the other action in this movie, is the main reason why this trilogy ends with a bang.
Cinematography: 7
There’s nothing super special about the way this movie is shot, as is the case with the past couple films. Although, there are a few shots later in the film that are so pleasing to the diehard ‘Star Wars’ fans. This shot of Anakin in the medical chamber (down below) is genius because it looks as if he is surrounded by the Empire’s emblem, symbolizing what he is ultimately becoming—the face of the Galactic Empire. Anakin’s entire transformation into Darth Vader is well shot, actually. The still of Obi-Wan and Anakin dueling with lava flaring up behind them is a phenomenal image. And the last shot of the movie is awesome; it’s a stunning image, but it also perfectly sets up what’s about to come in A New Hope. These are highlights; the rest of the movie doesn’t hold up to this standard in terms of cinematography.
Moments: 9
Every scene we’ve discussed so far can be classified as an iconic ‘Star Wars’ moment. The battles, the lightsaber duels, the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise, Vader’s transformation, everything. This is why Revenge of the Sith is universally regarded as the best of the Prequels: It delivers so many moments that are unforgettable in the grand scheme of ‘Star Wars’.