Warning: This Movie Contains Spoilers

Rating: 4/10 (1 July 2005)

The most disappointing aspect of the last two movies in the genre is that Lucas has completely removed all elements of mystery and surprise with respect to the storyline. Should anyone wish to view all six movies in numerical order, there is no element of surprise as to whom Luke, Leia and Darth Vader are with respect to each other.
I saw The Empire Strikes Back on opening day back in 1980. Audiences gasped at the revealing of Darth Vader's identity. Kids left the theater crying, and no one could believe that Vader was telling the truth. For the next three years, until Return of the Jedi was released, fans speculated as to whether or not Vader was who he said he was. Unfortunately, Revenge of the Sith removes all element of surprise.
Some might argue that there was no need to maintain this "secret", but what about for future movie viewers who want to see the episodes in numeric order? If one remembers Lucas' original vision of this movie series, it can be argued that he sold out the storyline for sake of getting the series completed. According to Lucas, the Star Wars series was supposed to pay homage to the old Saturday matinées, full of surprises and cliffhangers from one episode to the next. Well, there are no more surprises when viewers get to episode IV. Many will wonder why Ben Kenobi is lying to Luke about Darth Vader.
So, from an armchair quarterback perspective: what could have been done differently? One possible scenario would have been to have Padme marry a figurehead instead of secretly marrying Anakin in Ep II. As a senator and member of royalty, this would help maintain her public image (think Charles and Diana). She and Anakin could still pine for one another, but he would keep his distance until finally giving in to his passions (think Lancelot and Guinevere). This lapse could fuel his starting weakness with respect to the Force. Later, Padme announces she is pregnant - who is the father? As Anakin slips to the dark side and begins his murderous rampage, Padme's husband could be one of the victims. Anakin becomes Vader, Padme's twins are born (and don't tell us who they are), and the mystery is preserved for the next two episodes. Now, when Ben tells Luke that Vader "betrayed and murdered your father," it seems like the truth.
After seeing the DVD version of The Empire Strikes Back, I wish the mystery could have been maintained. The dialog between Vader and the (digitally corrected) Emperor has been altered slightly. Vader has no idea who he is until the Emperor tells him to "search his feelings". That is why Luke never realizes the truth - even Vader doesn't understand until he tells Luke who he is and then states, "Search your feelings, you know it to be true." Luke has a meltdown and the element of surprise is maintained.
Oh well, what's done is done. There are dozens of plausible alternatives, but the most effective one would have been for Lucas to let someone else write the storyline and he can stick to directing.