*Insert lame movie pun here*

Rating: 5/10 (21 May 2005)

The first two films of the highly anticipated new trilogy disappointed hardcore fans of the series and alienated many casual ones, but Episode II, while bogged down by a terribly executed love story, had its moments and laid the groundwork for a return to the series' glory days, but Episode III comes through, even if the end of this sextilogy leaves a lingering sense of departure.
The aptly named Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is not nearly as tightly wound as any of the trio found in the original trilogy. That being said... it delivers with a bang. This is far and away the best of this new trilogy; gone are the shockingly awful decisions Lucas made with his first two attempts at reliving past glory. There are no more childish characters. Jar-Jar Binks is in the film, yes, and it seems Lucas simply did this to poke fun at all of his fans... but he doesn't speak and both of his appearances are thankfully beyond brief.
By returning to the twin-intercutting format successfully used in Empire Strikes Back, Lucas has made us all very happy fans. Thankfully, the wooden acting and corny lines to be found in the first two are NEARLY nonexistent here. There are still some iffy scenes... but Christensen is much better than in the second one and here we can really see how he becomes Darth Vader. McGregor, while some of his delivery comes off terribly ("I cannot watch any more of this", which on paper is one of the defining moments of the film, was pulled off unbelievably poorly), is solid once again. His acting in the entire final fight scene with Anakin was outstanding.
This film features, far and away, more Jedi lightsaber sequences than in films past. Some of the lightsaber scenes still seem a bit sprung on us... but the battles in RotS build on the awesome potential of the final battle of Episode II. While I know that there are but a couple Jedi still remaining in Episodes IV-VI... just as much, if not more, of the classic films were about either spaceship battles or blaster fights as there were lightsaber bouts. But they are here, and in greater number, in Revenge of the Sith. While I still contend that the CG fights will never be as entertaining nor suspenseful as the older, more realistic ones, these are still a treasure to see, even if the fact that we know which combatants won't die is a slight detriment. The standout is perhaps the fight between Palpatine and Mace Windu.
The focus of the film, which shows how Supreme Chancellor Palpatine at the same time killed nearly all of the Jedi, turned the Republic into the Galactic Empire, and seduced Anakin to the Dark Side of the Force, borders on brilliant. While a Star Wars film has never been, and never will be, on the same level artistically as more drama-based films, for the first time since Empire Strikes Back a dramatic element as fundamental as this works almost perfectly. There are even some scenes of symbolism and subtlety at work here. Ian McDiarmid steals the show; I would say he deserves an Oscar nomination for his depiction of the conniving Palpatine, although there is one scene near the beginning where he comes off... rather shoddy. The scenes where Palpatine tempts Anakin are some of the best in the entire film; you can visibly see Anakin changing, but not in the customary villain sense to be seen in most action movies.
While near the beginning of the film it seems very similar to, say, Attack of the Clones in terms of tone, as you get a bit farther in the film becomes considerably darker and, in turn, better. In fact, the final hour of this film was one of the best I have witnessed in all of 2005 at the theater. The battle scenes between not only Anakin and Obi-Wan but also Palpatine and Yoda were priceless, and the entire scene depicting both the fight between Windu and Palpatine and the complete turn of Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Side was my favorite scene of the entire film. Gone are the fustilarian whines of Anakin and the dry remarks of Obi-Wan (for the most part; there are still some corny lines to be found). Here is a solid addition to the Star Wars universe.
One of the nicer aspects of Episode III is that it really sets the stage for Episodes IV-VI and adds a new level of significance. We now fully see how Luke and Leia became what they were, how Yoda went to Dagobah, etc. Not to mention the scenes of Vader near the end were chilling... even if his "Noooo!" cry slightly diminished the effect.
Still, the movie has its flaws. As I alluded to earlier, the storyline is perhaps not as tight as it should be. But that is to be expected when a film tackles a much more ambitious plot than that of the original trilogy. Instead of having a simple good vs. evil battle pulled of beautifully, this film is much more complex and has more wild-card elements. The character of General Grievous and the startlingly brief return of Count Dooku only add another dimension to the story.
In summation, the final film in the sextilogy is a return to form. Some have labeled it a masterpiece; I will not go that far. What it is, is a great film. This is the Star Wars we envisioned when Phantom Menace was announced all of those years ago. While in the end it doesn't match the originals, and there are still major problems with the acting and some of the dialogue, it is a must-see and so far perhaps THE best film of 2005. 8.2.
"You were the Chosen One!"