It all hinges on this one, and Lucas blew it

Rating: 2/10 (18 February 2015)

When people talk about prequel disappointment, they're usually talking about "The Phantom Menace". And it was a shaky start, to be sure. Still, there was always promise that the next movie would be better and finally hit the groove again (even after "Attack of the Clones"). But "Revenge of the Sith" crushes that promise and buries it six feet under. This movie was beyond disappointing; it was a total waste.
It suffers from the same awful dialog that's plagued both its predecessors (Ewan McGregor still has that knack for rising above it, for the most part) and there are more awkward CGI effects - but by now, that's expected. No big surprise. What was odd this time around was some really strange swordfighting choreography, with lightsaber experts leaving themselves open to attack and fancying some weird twirling like an airplane propeller. It's very strange. And that duel between Kenobi and Skywalker felt like some sort of weird dance routine. But the "Matrix" sequels were like that, so it's no big surprise.
It's character motivation that really ruins the whole thing. Take Padmé, for instance. There she is, on the birthing table, and she's dying. Is it because her husband tried to kill her? No, it's because she's "lost the will to live". What kind of contrived nonsense is that? In both prior episodes, this is a chick who takes up arms and fights. She's no damsel in distress. And now she's giving birth to two children, and just gives up? No way. She's a fighter, she's not going to just give up. And do you know how unyielding the Mama Bear instinct is? It's an unbelievable cop-out what happens to her in the final moments.
But more than just Padmé, this is supposed to be the big payoff; we're all finally getting to see what sends Anakin Skywalker over the edge and Darth Vader rising from the abyss. But Lucas has spent so much time on other things that, even 20 minutes into the final movie, Skywalker has to start being evil fast. He wasn't irredeemable in the last movie, but all of a sudden, after one scene with Palpatine, he's . . . a bad guy. But it's not a turn that comes about organically. Every single time someone in this movie (or an event) tells Anakin not to trust Palpatine, he ignores it. He's kind of a moron. Which means that he's marching toward the dark side for no reason. Even after Palpatine reveals he's a bad guy, Anakin just sorta goes with it. Even after Palpatine reveals that the trick to keeping a loved one alive (that he's been stringing Anakin along with) doesn't really exist - but maybe it can if they work together - Anakin shows no signs of reason, logic or being the normally functioning person that he's been for most of his life. So by the end, when he's frothing at the mouth with hatred at everyone who's been talking sense this whole time, He's just some guy that doesn't listen. That's the fall from grace we've been teased about for decades? It doesn't fit. At all. And to top it off, after he tries to choke the snot out of Padmé, he's shocked that she eventually dies? He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer. It's such an incompetently handled characterization that you can't help but feel short-changed. Luke Skywalker's going to have to save some guy who's just been an obtuse dick.
Sure, Lucas was against the clock with the Skywalker turn, but there had to have been a better way to turn him while making us feel something for the guy. He didn't do it for anyone but himself, and it's a completely wasted opportunity. It's (mostly) the reason I can't stomach this movie, even after ten years. It's not at all well-written or thought out, and does more harm than good in bridging the two trilogies.
2/10