Movie Review: 'Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith'

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“Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”
Written and directed by George Lucas
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Frank Oz, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee


On Wednesday. May 19, 2005, 20th Century Fox and Lucasfilm Limited released “Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.” Written and directed by George Lucas, the film is the third chapter of the Prequel Trilogy and the sixth of a projected 9-film saga set “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.”

The Tragedy of Darth Vader

Set three years after “Star Wars - Episode II: Attack of the Clones”, “Revenge of the Sith” reveals how Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) falls under the influence of a Dark Lord of the Sith, turns to the dark side of the Force, and becomes the evil Darth Vader. Anakin’s transformation from the selfless former slave to fallen hero is tragic in many ways. His friendship with his Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) is sundered by Anakin’s jealousy and distrust. As the newly-minted Darth Vader, Anakin ends up breaking his wife Padme Amidala’s (Natalie Portman) heart when she learns about his terrible deeds.


Anakin Skywalker: [during the opening space battle] This is where the fun begins.

“Revenge of the Sith” doesn’t start out on such a dark note. It begins with Anakin and Obi-Wan as the Jedi Order’s go-to duo of stalwart heroes set out to rescue Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) from Separatist leader Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) and the cyborg General Grievous (voice of Matthew Wood). Obi-Wan and Anakin infiltrate Grievous’ flagship and have a lightsaber duel with Dooku, Dooku, a former Jedi Master, incapacitates Kenobi with his dark side powers, but is killed by Anakin, who is influenced by Chancellor Palpatine.
The Steelbook Edition of Revenge of the Sith. (C) 2015 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) 


Palpatine: [Anakin cuts off Dooku's hands, ending the battle. Anakin catches Dooku's lightsaber and ignites it and puts both lightsabers to his neck] Good, Anakin, good. Kill him.
[Dooku looks at Palpatine in shock]
Palpatine Kill him now.
Anakin Skywalker: I shouldn't...
Palpatine: Do it!
Anakin:[Anakin decapitates Dooku] I couldn't stop myself.
Palpatine: You did well, Anakin. He was too dangerous to be kept alive.
Anakin Skywalker Yes, but he was an unarmed prisoner.
[frees Chancellor Palpatine]
Anakin Skywalker: I shouldn't have done that. It's not the Jedi way

During the battle, the Separatist warship is severely damaged. Grievous makes a last-minute escape, and Anakin, Obi-Wan, R2-D2, and Palpatine crash land on Coruscant, shaken but alive.

On that city-planet, Anakin is reunited with Padme after a long separation caused by the Clone Wars. She tells her young husband that she’s pregnant. Anakin is happy at the news, but he’s burdened by having to keep his marriage a secret from the Jedi Order. (Jedi Knights are forbidden to make any personal attachments; if Anakin’s marriage is discovered, he will be expelled.) Worse, Anakin starts having nightmares of Padme’s death during childbirth.

Anakin’s already-difficult relationship with the Jedi Order is further stressed after Palpatine appoints him as the Chancellor’s  personal representative to the Council. Ambitious and headstrong, Anakin is angered when the Council reluctantly grants Palpatine’s request but doesn’t promote him to the rank of Master. Sensing the Council’s distrust of him and his relationship with Palpatine, Anakin becomes further estranged from Obi-Wan, Yoda (voice of Frank Oz), and Council leader Mace Windu.

Now, as the Jedi dispatch Obi-Wan to hunt General Grievous and bring about the end of the Clone Wars, the stage is set for Anakin’s tragic downfall. Consumed by anger and jealousy, young Skywalker falls deeper into Palpatine’s influence and turns his back on the two people who love him the most - his Jedi mentor and his wife.

My Take
“Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”  is the Prequel Episode that comes closest to replicating the pacing and spirit of the Classic Trilogy. It has the strength of “A New Hope's” linear narrative and the emotional depth of ”The Empire Strikes Back.” Like  “Return of the Jedi,” Episode III takes all the loose ends of the prequel Trilogy and ties them all up in a satisfying fashion.
Yes,  the end of the film is preordained.  The Jedi Order is nearly annihilated, the Republic falls and becomes the Galactic Empire, and the events that lead to A New Hope are set in motion. These are all story plots established as far back as 1977.  Yet, the film’s structure dovetails beautifully into the existing Star Wars narrative, which continues in with J.J.Abrams’ “Star Wars - Episode VII: The Force Awakens" and Rian Johnson's upcoming "Star Wars - Episode VIII: The Last Jedi."

As a space opera/action film, “Revenge of the Sith” is  visually stunning; the opening dogfight over Coruscant outdoes even the Death Star battles of the “Star Wars” Classic Trilogy, and the action sequences that follow are fast paced and well-done. Particularly worth watching are the various lightsaber duels, especially the one between the half-droid, half-alien Grievous and Obi-Wan. Even in a franchise known for its set piece battle sequences, it's hard to top the scene when Kenobi is up against a four-armed mechanical opponent capable of using four lightsabers at once.

Of course, it wouldn't be a “Star Wars” movie without a John Williams score, and Episode III is no exception. Here Williams blends themes from the Prequel and Classic Trilogies and joins them to new cues such as the rousing "Battle of the Heroes" and the quietly dark-and-ominous "Palpatine's Teachings."

Although the film never quite reaches the level of fan appreciation earned by the “Classic Trilogy”, Lucas’s  “Revenge of the Sith” completes the second of three Trilogies on a satisfying note.
Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy Blu-ray Specs
Includes:The Phantom Menace / Attack of the Clones / Revenge of the Sith
  • Formats: Blu-ray + DVD
  • Studio: 20th Century Fox
  • Years of Original Theatrical Release: 1999-2005
  • Total Running Time: 419 min
  • MPAA Rating: PG-13
  • Date of Release : October 8, 2013
Video
  • Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
  • Resolution: 1080p
  • Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
  • Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Audio
  • English: DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
  • French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
  • French: DTS 5.1
  • Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
  • Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles
  • English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Discs
  • 50GB Blu-ray Disc
  • Six-disc set (3 BDs, 3 DVDs)
  • DVD copy
Packaging
  • Slipcover in original pressing
Playback
  • Region free

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