The darkness of this one makes it the best of the prequel trilogy

Rating: 6/10 (29 December 2016)

Finally, the film all Star Wars fans have been waiting for, and really the only one of the three prequels that's worth watching: Revenge of the Sith is a dream come true, offering spectacle and excitement that is far more akin to the original trilogy than the flabby, pointless prequels which followed it. This is the only story, with the only characters worth bothering with. The action-packed plot line involves the betrayal and death of the Jedi council in a surprisingly poignant overview, and of course there are tons of space battles and light saber fights to liven things up along the way.
Hayden Christensen has developed his range remarkably since the last movie and, whilst not superb here, he's certainly adequate. McGregor I'm less happy with, as his Kenobi is lightweight and far from Alec Guinness's calibre, but he'll do. Revenge of the Sith is the first film that really grapples with the idea of the Dark Side, and it makes for interesting viewing; Lucas hasn't excelled himself but he's concocted a lightweight popcorn movie with some fabulous moments. The trio of bad guys seen here are good, although Christopher Lee is barely on screen, only popping up so he can get bumped off in a graphically nasty interlude. Grievous is a fine animated creation whilst McDiarmid finally gets a chance to sink his teeth into what has been a boring side-character for two moviesthis is the one where he turns into the Emperor we all know and love from Return of the Jedi, and his inclusion is a corker.
The film has many standout moments but the highlights have to be the Kenobi vs. Grievous showdown – complete with droids and monsters everywhere – and the execution of the Jedis. Samuel L. Jackson has a very cool showdown with McDiarmid which is worth the admission price alone. The Skywalker/Kenobi light saber fight on the lava planet goes on for far too long, and is quite ridiculous – Lucas seems to take a childish glee in teasing the the viewer by putting the two into impossible situations only for them to keep escaping over and over again – but the epilogue, in which Darth Vader returns, is brilliant and worth the wait. Add to this a high-cheekboned actor who portrays a young Peter Cushing, some graphically nasty moments for the most violent film of the six, and you have an engaging, entertaining action romp that finally nears the quality of the original three films.