On its own merits, a very exciting, dramatic film.

Rating: 8/10 (5 February 2013)

I am a huge Star Wars fan, based on the original trilogy. I thought that Episode I was nearly unwatchable, and Episode II a bit better but still not up to snuff. So I do not approve of everything that says "Star Wars" on it. However, in spite of some occasional hiccups, I genuinely, tremendously enjoyed Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
Some point to this film as lacking in plot mystery, since anyone who has been paying attention knows basically what is going to happen. This is the part of the story that connects-the-dots back to the original Star Wars - A New Hope film. For me, though, this was one of the most suspenseful, eerie viewing experiences that I have ever had. That may sound like uncreditable fanboy hyperbole, and maybe it is, but I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. There is a sort of claustrophobic, buidling tension from the opening scene. One knows that at some point, there is going to be "the moment" where the Jedi finally realize what is actually going on, and where the central character makes his trade of allegiances. Even though the portrayal of Anakin Skywaylker in the prequel trilogy has often been far short of stellar, Revenge of the Sith frames it so effectively that it becomes genuinely gripping.
The main cast is still a mixed bag. Natalie Portman and Hayden Christiansen...enough has been said of that. If only their parts had been written better. But the two performances that make this film are Ewan Mcgregor (who really carried Episode II) and especially Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine. Talk about intense. This film would not have been half as good without his turn as the man at the true, dark center of it all. And in the cyborg "Jedi killer" General Grevious, George Lucas finally creates a truly dynamic CGI character, one who serves to add to the already complex mix.
Speaking of which, the visual effects are quite good, and for the most part actually serve the story, which could not be said of Episodes I or II. There is a little bit of out-of-place cartoonishness, true, but just a bit. The space sequences look very cool, starfighters and capital ships alike. Corsuscant gets darker here, and the final confrontation on Mustafar is a fiery crucible both literally and figuratively.
I have to say that I was surprised at this film. It is very dark and (for Star Wars) violent. I did not expect that, but credit George Lucas for finally delivering something genuinely dramatic and exciting. The pacing in Revenge of the Sith is generally quick and relentless. It slows down at all the right moments, to get inside Anakin's head and focus on the inevitably-turning torture of his internal state.
There are several deleted scenes, some of them dealing more with the formation of the Rebel Alliance. I would have loved to have seen those in the final cut, but there frankly is just too much action and exposition in play here to fit it all into a single film. I will not claim that Revenge of the Sith is perfect, or all that artistically deft, or as good as the first couple of original films. But it excited, mesmerized, and thrilled the heck out of me. For that, I have to give it high marks.