Epic, Emotional, and Powerful. George Lucas' Farewell to the Star Wars Saga is an Operatic Masterpiece of Blockbuster Cinema

Rating: 9/10 (19 December 2015)

The final entry in George Lucas' Star Wars saga, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is one, giant climax to arguably the most popular movie franchise in history. It's also the most riveting of the series; A movie of such visual and storytelling intensity that it makes our typical standards for summer entertainment seem trivial. Sith has wall-to-wall action and jaw-dropping special effects, yes. By all measures, Episode III is a grand success when it comes to giving the legions of Star Wars fans any and everything they could have hoped for after Darth Vader uttered the words "We meet again" in 1977. The beauty of Revenge of the Sith is that it earns much more than diverting summer thrills. Strip away all the baggage that comes with the name 'Star Wars' and what you are left with is one of the most enthralling films of 2005.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith serves as a bridge to the first Star Wars, A New Hope, where we see the culmination of Anakin Skywalker's fall to the Dark Side. This is where Darth Vader is born. In addition to finally delivering on the promise of the entire prequel trilogy, Revenge of the Sith also has the gargantuan task of telling the story of how the Clone Wars ended, how an evil Empire emerged from a democratic Republic, and how Luke, Leia, Obi-Wan, and the rest found themselves where they are at the start of the original Star Wars movie. With all these massive story lines, it's a wonder that Lucas manages to squeeze the best out of every plot line, without straying from the film's most important element, Anakin's seduction by Chancellor/Emperor Palpatine. After having a vision of his wife, Padme, dying in childbirth, Jedi prodigy Anakin Skywalker consults with the chancellor, who expertly influences the young Jedi into turning to the dark side of the force.
The entire seduction works brilliantly. With the seeds of Anakin's tragic flaw planted way back in The Phantom Menace, and expanded upon in Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith is free to focus on the straw that broke the camel's back. Anakin's desperation to save Padme's life makes his eventual turn believable, and Ian McDiarmid and Hayden Christensen both do well portraying an icy relationship that turns into a destructive mentorship. Anakin's final fall, framed alongside the rise of the Empire is a storytelling masterclass. Palpatine's seduction is subtle, yet dramatic, and the numerous loose ends from the originals are all tied with a certain kind of poetry. For all his writing deficiencies, Lucas spins this fable elegantly, with a delicacy that makes you realize, he's been dreaming of telling this story for a long, long time.
The plot marches relentlessly forward with commanding momentum, but it is only one side of Revenge of the Sith. The special effects and action are in a class of their own. Episode III is the biggest of all the Star Wars movies in terms of story, and the visual effects return the favor. Once again, Lucas and company revel in all kinds of wide, sweeping shots of new worlds such as the lava fields of Mustafar or the city-sized sinkholes of Utapau. It's all part of a grand, dramatic style of filmmaking that makes Revenge of the Sith look like a finale, through and through. It's also remarkable how certain elements like the ships, soldiers, and costumes seamlessly blend into what is seen in the originals. As sophisticated as the effects are, its George Lucas and his painterly talent for composition that propel the effects from technically well done exercises of CGI and miniatures to truly beautiful cinematic images.
Lost in all this is the action. The film begins with an old-fashioned space battle on an epic scale. It's a feast for the eyes, and it feels distinctly like classic Star Wars. The lightsaber duels, the lizard versus mono-wheel chase scene (which includes the villain General Grievous; a half droid, half alien, wheezing wonder of imagination and digital wizardry), and the Clone War battles are dazzling on levels rarely seen in traditional summer blockbusters. The final duel between Obi-Wan and a newly christened Darth Vader is operatic and straight-up Shakespearian in its emotional complexity. Along with the Order 66 montage, the action of the last half of Revenge of the Sith is as powerful as anything in the series.
As with any movie, there are things in Episode III that could be criticized. The dialogue isn't dramatically better than it was in the previous two movies, and the acting can be wonky at times, but none of this amounts to anything in the grand scheme of things. In the end, Sith does so much right that complaining about a line or two that was corny or delivered awkwardly is an utter waste of time. The finale to the Star Wars saga aims so high and nails so many key notes, that its minor flaws are almost completely inconsequential. Revenge of the Sith is one of the boldest works of blockbuster filmmaking ever made. I can't name another tentpole franchise movie that comes close to the level of operatic emotional poignancy that marks the best moments of Episode III of the Star Wars Saga. Movies like this don't come around often. A New Hope is still the Star Wars movie we will cherish most, but in its boundless ambition and breathtaking power, Revenge of the Sith is high art in the form of a summer blockbuster. George Lucas puts every idea he's had about good vs evil, fathers and sons, and the rise and fall of empires into this masterpiece of popular entertainment. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is a brilliantly crafted epic, one that cements George Lucas' Star Wars Saga as one of the great achievements in filmmaking history.
92/100