A spectacular action packed and emotional achievement. The best Star Wars film ever. ***** out of 5

Rating: Null/10 (25 May 2005)

I actually camped out 20 hours in front of the AMC theater in Chicago before seeing this. It was a once in a lifetime experience and one that I will never forget. Being with my Star Wars fan friends and playing Star Wars Trivial Pursuit with them is a lasting memory.
I will whole heartedly and unashamedly admit I'm a huge fan of the prequels. I believe a lot of the bashing they have received is totally undeserved and the only reason they get slammed so hard is because they were made twenty years later and with more sophisticated special effects. When you get down to it that's the only reason because these are true Star Wars films but with very different stories. They aren't about a pirate, a young Jedi and princess being pursued and hunted down by the Empire. These films are about how the Empire came to be. They are political and more complex by their very nature.
With that bit of a rant towards supposed 'fans' that hate the prequels, let me carry on with my review of the film.
I have long said 'Empire Strikes Back' is the best Star Wars film. The reason being because it was the darkest and most sinister of the films.
Well, 'Revenge of the Sith' is about ten times as tragic and sinister. The only reason I could say 'Empire' is my favorite at this point is because of the addition of my personal favorite character in the Star Wars Galaxy, 'Boba Fett'.
However much I love Boba though, I must say 'Revenge' is without a doubt my absolute favorite. I knew the film would be dark, but I never imagined it would actually become unsettling. The Chancellor's transformation into the cackling hag Emperor was enough to give one nightmares. It's downright demonic.
And the slaying of younglings... wow.
John Williams score of course accompanies all these memorable scenes and boy does the score swell with emotions. There are moments in the score unlike anything you've heard in a Star Wars film. Such as the conversation between Anakin and Palpatine in the theater there is low monotone choral work here. Then there's Padme's Ruminations where it becomes somewhat depressing sounding. And who could forget the Battle of the Heroes as Anakin and Obi-Wan duke it out? And perhaps my favorite moment is when Vader finally dons the helmet and Padme gives birth. The choral music that we first heard during Qui-Gon's funeral appears here and brings the audience to tears. I had thought the transformation would have everyone raising a fist in the air exclaiming 'yes'!, but instead we feel the tragedy at hand and when Vader breaks down once he finds out Padme is gone, it becomes one of the most heart wrenching scenes in all of Star Wars. Well done!
General Grievous may perhaps be my second favorite character now. He's truly awesome. And the battle between droids and wookies in unbelievable!
I felt that the acting and dialog was especially good in this film. Lots of memorable lines here.
It's a perfect film and it leads right up to 'A New Hope' quite well. I couldn't have asked for a better film.
May the Force Be With You!