Star Wars Reviews: Revenge of the Sith

Directed by: George Lucas
Written by: George Lucas
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman and Ian McDiarmid

6 years had passed since the release of the first Star Wars prequel The Phantom Menace and audiences were less than satisfied with its 2002 follow-up Attack of the Clones. In the time leading up to the final prequel and what was, until recently, the final Star Wars movie a fascinating kind of discourse came into being. On one end, we had fans putting a lot of faith into the next movie, believing that Lucas' two strikes would offer enough of a learning experience to deliver in full form on his last chance batting. On the other, many remained livid to what was considered the desecration of something sacred. A third film wouldn't do anything to honour the original trilogy. I don't consider 2005 to have been an outstanding year in the history of film by any stretch, but it did have its notables. Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Serenity, Batman Begins, A History of Violence and The Exorcism of Emily Rose are fine films, some of them even great. Were we to be let down again? The answer to that question seems to differ depending on which Star Wars fan you speak to. I'll confidently say that with Revenge of the Sith, George Lucas has done something right.

Starting off, I feel that I need to confess that I'm at somewhat of a bias. I'm in the camp that holds the opinion that Revenge of the Sith is the 'good' prequel. It was the very first Star Wars movie I had the opportunity of seeing in the theater. I was 11 years old, obsessed with everything Star Wars and the movie absolutely blew my mind, but then again should the view of a child really hold any weight when discussing what makes a great movie? In the years since, as I've matured and become more and more versed in cinema my attitude towards this film has changed numerous times. At many points I have both condemned it as much as the earlier prequels, and praised it as a breath of fresh air. How do I feel now? I feel that this movie still suffers from what we previously experienced, but nowhere near as much, as it has plenty of good qualities for me to give it a definite thumbs up.

The Galactic Republic has been at war with the Separatist forces for a few years. The Jedi Order is becoming increasingly untrustworthy of Palpatine's rule and the influence of the Dark Side in the Senate. There's a feeling that the war will continue indefinitely until the droid leader General Grievous is brought to justice. Anakin Skywalker has a vision that his now pregnant wife, Padmé will die in childbirth. This brings him closer to the malevolent chancellor and sets him on a path that would change the future of the Galaxy.

For once in the prequels, it finally feels as though things are coming together and the way to the original trilogy is being paved, perhaps not to the degree of excellence we'd have hoped for, but certainly the best possible with The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones acting as foundation.

Getting negatives out of the way first, it's become widely accepted among some fans to say that this movie doesn't have any of those unattractive qualities that ruined the previous two. I couldn't possibly be in more disagreement to this claim, but I will make it known that just because all three of these movies are flawed in similar ways, they don't suffer to equal degrees. Fortunately the film meant to link the two trilogies isn't crippled nearly as badly.

The dialogue continues to feel very forced and its success remains dependent on the performances of the cast, which in turn are also quite disproportionate. There's never any point where you feel like sighing in frustration at it, like you do several times during the soapy romance between Anakin and Padmé in Attack of the Clones, but it still has those moments that leave you scratching your head. I'm still quite baffled at certain word choices and an overall expository deliver. It greatly hurts some of the film's most dramatic moments, and becomes even more apparent in its out of place comedic relief.

Regarding character, there are some things I wasn't particularly impressed by, but I'm generally very happy with what we received and feel there's a big step-up. Seeing Count Dooku (played wonderfully by Christopher Lee) eliminated so early felt like a huge slap in the face. He was by far one of my favourite aspects of the previous film and I would have died to see more done with this person. In his place, we're given General Grievous. This I was not pleased with, not because the concept of the character is poor, but rather the execution. It's no Jar Jar, but he's almost as though he's been pasted from a cartoon because of his goofiness. It demonstrates that even with greater focus, Lucas is still a bit confused.

The remaining aspects of character are all huge improvements, and I'm willing to excuse those other issues. Ian McDiarmid finally gets the opportunity to play his character as he was in the original trilogy. Not as Palpatine, but who we know as the Emperor. There's always been something very fascinating about how this man was able to manipulate everything, but I'm mostly just pleased to see him the way he was meant to be. Not as a wicked politician, but a figure of devilish stature. The relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin becomes more compelling as a result of changes. Mostly gone is the bickering and whining, and Hayden Christensen's performance has barely improved, but at least the two are depicted as real friends and some major transformation occurs in light of other drama.

By far the reason I like Revenge of the Sith far more than the other two prequels really is bigger than its characters, but rather all the stakes that get raised. No longer does the trilogy feel like it's just building up to something. It's pay off in the form of countless tragedies. The Jedi Order and Republic collapse, friendships end and people die. In real The Empire Strikes Back fashion, the bad guy wins and you're left feeling as though everything that's happened is irreparable. That is drama.

While it's certainly still too much of a compliment for this movie, I'll go ahead and make it anyway, but there are rare times where the film feels like a real Star Wars movie, something with the spirit of the originals. It's not very common, and the feeling of it being a prequel greatly overpowers it, but it is there. Whether we're talking about Obi-Wan and Anakin's showdown on Mustafar, the fan service of a duel between Yoda and the Emperor, Anakin's physical transformation into Darth Vader, the beginning of the Death Star's construction and the birth of Luke and Leia. It's these images and the feelings that come with them that made watching these three films worthwhile, and this one has them all.

Now to make final comments about the prequels before I move on to the original trilogy. They aren't the movies we should have gotten and I can't help but to indulge in the alternate directions they could have taken whenever I speak to other fans. Everyone has at least one great idea that could have improved all three of these movies. The Phantom Menace was a disappointment of monstrous proportions, Attack of the Clones was as much a miss as it was a hit, and Revenge of the Sith made the most out of a less ideal situation and seems will likely remain a dividing point for fans for years to come.

My Rating: 8.5/10