The saga is over

Rating: 9/10 (22 July 2005)

With the release of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, George Lucas has brought his epic space saga to a close, and to what I would imagine is the relief of fans everywhere, he takes it out on a high note. Revenge of the Sith, is, by far, the strongest of the three prequel films Lucas began releasing in 1999.
Revenge of the Sith still exhibits many of the weaknesses of his previous two entries: questionable dialog, some occasionally silly scenes and performances that don't always show the actors in their best light. But this is all trivial compared to the good aspects of Revenge of the Sith: engaging action sequences, outstanding visual effects and the most involving dramatic moments featured in a Star Wars film.
As the film opens, the Galactic Republic is still in the throes of war with separatists that began at the conclusion of the previous film. We are treated to an breathtaking extended action sequence that features Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) attempting to rescue the Galactic Republic's Chancellor, Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), from the clutches of Sith Lord Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) and the robot army leader, General Grevious (voiced by Matthew Woods). After the success of the mission, Anakin is reunited with his secret wife, Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), who reveals she is pregnant with his child. Plagued by dreams of Padme's death during childbirth, Anakin finds himself more and more susceptible Palpatine's insinuations of learning the power available to one from the Dark Side of the Force. When a critical juncture is reached during the war, the Jedi, not trusting Palpatine's motives, decide to seize the Republic from him, with dire results. Palpatine then convinces Anakin to become his apprentice, with the reward being learning a method to save Padme from death, and so he takes the name Darth Vader. Palpatine then sends him on a mission to wipe out the remaining Jedi and bring the war to a close, while Palpatine manipulates the Galactic Senate into becoming the Galactic Empire under his rule.
Most of the details of the plot are familiar to anyone who is fan of the original trilogy, so the outcome of the events of this film are hardly a surprise. However, George Lucas imbues the film with a stronger element of drama than any previous entry in the series. There is some powerful, emotional material on display here, intertwining the fates of various characters in a complex web of deceit and betrayal. Especially moving is the plight of Anakin Skywalker. His character is so desperate to keep everyone that he loves that he actually causes the very things he fears by holding on too tight and making questionable choices. More than any character in the Star Wars saga, Anakin is a decidedly tragic figure, and you cannot help but feel a strong sense of pathos for him as the film progresses.
Lucas also delves into the nature of a totalitarian regime and how it can spring up, rather unforeseeable, from a strong and virile democracy. For the first time in the Star Wars movies, Revenge of the Sith also introduces some shades of grey into the conflict between good and evil, where previously everything had been depicted in black and white. The Jedi are presented almost borderline arrogant, sure of their passionless approach to the universe, while the Sith seem to embrace the affections of others. That does not necessarily change the conflict, the Sith are still evil, the Jedi good, but how Anakin perceives the situation is what gives the new nuances some strength.
Of course, a Star Wars film wouldn't be a Star Wars film without some serious eye-candy, and Revenge of the Sith delivers in spades. The elaborate opening space battle is impressive, the screen filled to bursting with visual information. There are several digital characters in the film, the most interesting being General Grevious. He is a mix of machine and living being, and he is no less a character than any flesh and blood actor featured in the film. Yoda returns to the digital fold again after first being rendered with ones and zeroes for Episode II, and again he holds up just as well as the puppet of old.
We are also treated to several elaborate action set-pieces, the strongest being the climactic lightsaber duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan. The battle unfolds on the surface of a molten lava planet named Mustafar, and setting is appropriate for Anakin's decent into his own personal hell. The battle on Mustafar is intercut with a similar duel between Yoda and Palpatine in the Galactic Senate chamber, and both hold our attention without fail.
If Episode III has a weakness, it's the acting and dialogue. While most of the performers do a serviceable job, at times they falter, struggling with clunky dialogue. That being said, Episode III does feature at least one standout performance, that of Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine. Delivering what I think is strongest performance to date in any Star Wars film, McDiarmid shines as Palpatine moves his plans from the background to the forefront. Ewan McGregor brings some levity to the proceedings with his jovial performance as Obi-Wan Kenobi, but is serious when necessary. Hayden Christensen brings his work up a notch from Episode II with the darker, more serious Anakin. While he is saddled with some of the worst dialogue, he still manages it well.
And so, after better than 20 years, the book is finally (theoretically) closed on Star Wars. I, for one, was glad to be there for the ride, and happy to see it go out on a strong note. May the Force be with you.