Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

Concluding my rewatch of the Star Wars prequels is 2005's Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith that would tie together the events here with the 1977 original. The prequels began on a rough start that saw them attacked by critics and even fans but have gradually become held in a stronger regard as the years go by, which was then boosted by Disney's questionable trilogy. Revenge of the Sith would finally conclude how Anakin Skywalker became the masked Darth Vader and chart the rise of the evil Empire led by Darth Sideous. Expectations were high and I remember enjoying this in the cinema with fans generally accepting this as the best of the trilogy. 

Several years after the last film, Anakin now secretly married to Padme is disturbed by dreams of losing her but Chancellor Palpatine promises he knows a way that might save her. Meanwhile the Clone War is raging on and the Jedi Council are still no closer to finding the Sith leader but ask Anakin to spy on Palpatine believing he's withholding secrets. Anakin feels conflicted at the idea of betraying a friend but Obi-Wan tries to reassure him that it's for the best. 

Credit where credit is due, director George Lucas has learned from his past mistakes and the drama in this film, particularly in the middle act, is great and for the most part, it feels like his most accomplished film of the trilogy. The last two films suffered from kiddy humour that didn't belong in the series, and dialogue that was cringe worthy to the point of laughter. Thankfully, none of this can be found here in what Lucas treats as a Greek tragedy as we see the Jedi fall and Sith rise in power. I remember the trailers teased several confrontations and they really do deliver here. This is in thanks to Hayden Christensen being given better material, Ewan McGregor continuing to shine as he did in the last film with a more fleshed-out role, and Ian McDiarmid chewing up the scenery in the best way possible as the villain. 

However, for all of Lucas' achievements the film does still feel uneven and after a bit of research, this film went from a four cut to just over two hours in the editing room which is probably to blame. The story begins straight in the action as the two Jedi are sent on a rescue mission that was originally much longer and I feel this unbalanced feeling from the pacing in the first comes from a script that should have been tighter from the beginning. 

The film is still very enjoyable despite some of its top-heavy pacing problems and has that important Star Wars feel. Things do get better as the story progresses as we approach the iconic duel towards the end which is probably where the film should have focused its screen-time as the story enters some very dark territory with Anakin. Lucas hits many of the right notes as we see his character shift towards the dark side but we needed to see more of this as he makes an irreversible decision. Instead most of this happens off-screen somewhat undercutting the drama when Obi-Wan and Yoda learn of what's become of their friend. I wouldn't say this is lacking in character development but Lucas did miss an opportunity here. 

Overall, Revenge of the Sith is the strongest and most cohesive of the prequel trilogy that improves on its action, drama and visual scope. I personally found Attack of the Clones to be the more enjoyable for its light-hearted escapism but this one shows Lucas as a more capable director. He does make a few mistakes here and there which if amended could have led to a greater film but it's nothing that would spoil this for fans. 

The trilogy was once looked down poorly but as we have seen where the Disney trilogy went awry, it certainly has helped us fans appreciate what George has made. Hopefully with Dave Filoni's involvement going forward, Disney can learn from their mistakes and if they are to cash-in on the trilogy, they'll make it with those passionate about exploring this universe.