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

 

Genre: Action/ Sci-fi

Time: 2h 10mins

Director: George Lucas

Quick Summary: Three years into the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi pursues a new threat, while Anakin Skywalker is lured by Chancellor Palpatine into a sinister plot to rule the galaxy.

Yeaaaah this slaps.

I'm personally not very sure on how this film opens by chucking us straight into the action as it took me a while to actually get into it. Sure, it was interesting but I barely had any idea of what was going on. There was also these moments where there would be a fight going on, but no background music or score. Just the noises of lightsabers and people fighting, It honestly felt a little bit empty and strange to me to not have anything. 

Thought that said, this has wall-to-wall action and jaw-dropping special effects (that are a bit dated but who cares). All the set up of Anakim going to the dark side that should have been in the second film is now shown in this one and is so thrilling to watch him spiral down into being full of hate and anger. This is the straw that broke the camel's back in visual format as his desperate efforts to keep Padmé safe ends up being caused by him. This marches through creating descrustion and the downfall of the jedi's, and also surprising manages to tie the ends to the original trilogy really well. 

This is grand and extra, with darkness and despair looming over. All out specifical effects are used and the drama is turned all the way to the max. Though, Palpatine was a bit too dramatic for my tastes and came across more silly and goofy than terrifying. At least the dialogue has improved by miles. We get soul-shattering monologues and heartbreaking discoveries, many more emotional moments with weight, emotion, meaning, humor, passion that are no longer ruined by comedic relief or being suddenly cut away from.  

I am so pleased that even though this focuses on quite a few plotlines at once that manages to keep the flow and not mess things up. We flawlessly flick between Obi-wan battling it out with General Grievous, Anakin's moral turmoil and involvement with order 66, and Palpatine's rise. No gaps are made and it continues at moments without leaving any information, as well as actually developing (or destroying) relationships without it feeling cringey or poorly written. This time we still get a political story that isn't over the top and for once is easy to follow without having to fill in those gaps. 

The action this time around is phenomenal. I'm sure I don't even need to explain what I mean when I say the end fight is amazing. It the type of fight you watch and think "God this slaps so good." That fight spefifically had amazing chorography and dialogue weaved throughout. It's a core moment for little kid me watching these films i'll never forget because of how perfectly it is produced, and because of how brutal the whole thing is; emotionally and visually. 

Honestly this is the best out of the three by miles. It's one of the most quotable too which is an instant win for me. While being dated even to nows standards, it's a classic that is loveable with it's flaws. It's a destructive tragedy that has people questioning which side is right and highlighting the moral grey areas that "good" has, and how far protecting the one you love can take you. 

8/10

"You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!"

"Anakin Skywalker: The Sith rely on their passion for their strength. They think inwards, only about themselves.

Supreme Chancellor: And the Jedi don't?"

"Anakin Skywalker: You turned her against me!

Obi-Wan Kenobi: You have done that yourself."

"Where is Padme? Is she safe? Is she all right?"