Fan Review

Rating: 9/10 (26 May 2005)

I must say that I pity any Star Wars fan who does not like this film. It is fantastic! 'Revenge of the Sith' is such a huge improvement from 'The Phantom Menace' and 'Attack of the Clones' it is unreal. The dialogue is much less formal and more natural, with no Shakespearian atrocities such as, "I am haunted by the kiss you should never have given me". This really does feel like the Star Wars film we dedicated fans have been waiting for.
I am not saying that the dialogue and the acting is perfect, but when has it ever been in Star Wars? The aspect that most people love about the original trilogy is the spirit of the films, and this film certainly has spirit. The acting has improved so much, that the relationships seem genuine and meaningful which pulls them up to a high level for them to be obliterated at the film's tragic climax. Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman all show gigantic improvements and, as ever, Ian McDiarmid is absolutely fantastic as the 'Iago-like' Chancellor Palpatine.
Another big improvement is the special effects. I felt that in 'Attack of the Clones' the effects were almost TOO clean and good so they looked a bit like a Pixar animation. This time however, they are nothing short of pure brilliance.
Finally the action sequences are the best in the entire saga. The amazing opening space battle is swiftly pushed aside by some phenomenal lightsaber clashes and ground battles. (Anakin Skywalker vs. Obi-Wan Kenobi is absolutely awesome!!)
The way that story plays out really makes the viewer feel sympathetic towards Darth Vader and the revelation of why he turns to the dark-side makes the audience feel a great deal of empathy. (Some fans may object to this as they feel it destroys the essence of Darth Vader but I felt it added a great deal of depth to his character)
The only negative note is that, despite tying up most of the loose ends, some important factors are not explained i.e why Yoda and Obi-Wan disappear when they die and why Qui-Gon did not.
In conclusion, great Story, satisfactory acting and dialogue, fantastic effects and amazing action sequences = one fantastic Star Wars film! (I would probably rank this film on par with 'A New Hope'. It comes second to the 'Empire Strikes Back' and it is easily better than 'Return of the Jedi')