Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Rating: 8/10 (14 December 2015)

It's official; I'm no longer a Star Wars virgin. I have finally watched all six films in preparation for The Force Awakens which I eagerly await with my pre-ordered tickets. Revenge of the Sith is undoubtedly my favorite of the prequels and my second favorite overall, behind The Empire Strikes Back; I was surprised by how much they stepped up their game and ended the trilogy in a darker, more emotional way. In Revenge of the Sith, the Jedi Knights are spread out all over the galaxy leading a massive clone army against the Separatists. Obi-Wan Kenobi is sent to kill the leader of the Separatist Army, General Grievous. Meanwhile, Anakin Skywalker becomes closer to Chancellor Palpatine who is secretly a Sith Lord and eventually leads Anakin to yield to the dark side of the Force and become Darth Vader. Although Anakin's transition to the dark side was only foreshadowed in Attack of the Clones, it is a major theme in this movie and gives the film much more dramatic depth to explore. Watching his mind warp into that of an eventual Sith Lord is almost tragic in context with the rest of the trilogy, and it makes Episode III the most emotionally driven prequel. Hayden Christensen's acting is still questionable as ever, which I blame on poor writing. He has great facial expressions and body language, but the material he has to work with is dreadful at times. Even then, Revenge of the Sith is still a wholly satisfying and terrific ending to the prequel trilogy. From its memorable opening action sequence to the final scene showing Darth Vader's construction, Revenge of the Sith is a thrilling and impressive conclusion to the trilogy.