Not just the best because Jar Jar doesn't say a single line...

Rating: 7/10 (2 July 2013)

We've reached the last of the Star Wars reviews with the most recently released, and the best of the Prequels. This is not just because Jar Jar doesn't speak a single line. 'Revenge of the Sith' has the best storyline of the three, linking up well with the originals, and also has the best action and acting of all of them. Once again the visuals are phenomenal, with planets, cityscapes and fight scenes looking more impressive than ever.
The plot is much more interesting in this episode, as we finally see the transition of Anakin into Vader, and it's great that Lucas shows us his exact reasoning. The fact that it's a good reason, that Anakin wants to save Padmé and is then convinced that the Jedi are evil, makes the film much better than it could have been if he'd suddenly gone rogue. The reveal that Palpatine is Darth Sidious is no real surprise, but it's a nice moment when that's finally out in the open. Also, the montage of droids killing the Jedi masters is quite emotional, as you realise the devastating effects that Mace Windu's defeat and Anakin's turn to the dark side has had. That, along with Anakin's murder of 'younglings', makes for some of the saddest moments in the whole hexalogy.
The fight scenes are great in this episode too, and Anakin and Obi-Wan's final battle is gripping and exciting, with the lava of Mustafar playing the perfect backdrop to the fight. The final few scenes are really well done, in moving everybody around so that they're in the right place for the start of Episode IV. For example, Yoda's retreat into exile explains clearly why he's not in Episode IV. Lucas attempts valiantly to clean up the awful twist he created in Episode VI of Luke and Leia's relationship, and he explains well why they did not grow up together. I did dislike the erasure of C3PO's memory, but I suppose it was necessary to create a reason why he didn't remember anything in Episode IV.
The place where the film falls down most, once again, is dialogue. It is always clear that the prequels have been scripted by Lucas himself, unlike the originals, because the dialogue is so much worse. This episode is host to so many awful lines ("If you're not with me, then you're my enemy" and "Only a Sith deals in absolutes") that it does make the final battle, a very serious event, almost comical. It's hard to keep a straight face when Natalie Portman cries "Anakin, you're breaking my heart", and it does ruin the grim nature a bit. However, apart from the dialogue, this is by far the strongest of the Prequels, and if JJ Abrams can write even a slightly better film than this, a Star Wars sequel trilogy would not be a bad thing at all.