A vast improvement over 1 and 2 (WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS)

Rating: 9/10 (19 May 2005)

This film actually engrossed me in the story. It completely dwarfs Episodes 1 and 2 in story, action, acting. First of all, let me just point out that Hayden Christensen has greatly improved his acting skills. His performance was thoroughly believable, and though clunky at some bits, he impressed me. As usual, Ewan McGregor's performance was great, as was Yoda's. Natalie Portman seemed less wooden in this film, and showed emotion that was believable. Samuel L. Jackson didn't impress me, because his acting was more involved in 1 and 2 than in this one. Up until his death scene, which was powerful (after having his hand cut off by Anakin, Chancellor Palpatine lightning-blasts him out a window into Coruscant's traffic), his character was quite wooden. General Grievous, the cyborg villain who didn't last very long in the movie, wasn't particularly entertaining, though the short-but-sweet lightsaber duel between him and Obi-Wan was fun for what it was. The story was more entertaining and easier to follow than the political jibber-jabber of 1 and 2. One of the most emotionally intense sequences of the movie is when Order 66 is carried out. Obviously a plan long in the making, Palpatine contacts all of his clone leaders and tells them to "Execute Order 66." Subsequently, clone troopers all across the galaxy turn on the Jedi they had been fighting alongside with, mercilessly blasting them to death. The montage of this sequence shocked and saddened me. Anakin's turn to the Dark Side is riveting and disturbing. The clones aren't the only ones executing the Jedi. A particularly shocking scene is when Anakin, amidst all of the Jedi extermination, walks into the Jedi Council room with his hood up, looking sinister. Remember the Jedi younglings from Episode 2? They come out from hiding behind chairs and one of them says something to Anakin along the lines of, "What should we do, Master Anakin? There are too many clones!" Anakin ignites his lightsaber. The next time we see these younglings is when Yoda and Obi-Wan are inspecting their dead bodies on the floor. The long-awaited fight between Anakin and Obi-Wan is up to par with expectations. Anakin is dismembered by Obi-Wan (loses both his legs and left arm), and lies immobile on the shore of a lava river. Obi-Wan tells him how he was the chosen one. As he begins to walk away, Anakin screams venomously, "I hate you!" (great acting job) and catches on fire. Very powerful. There are some minor downsides to SITH - more cheesy, nonsensical love dialogue, though there is a lot less than in Episode 2. On a good note, Hayden's acting managed to make the lines seem somewhat decent. Also, some parts seemed rushed (Mace vs. Palpatine, the ending). One major gripe is that the wipe-transitions George Lucas uses almost always takes away the effect of the scene because it doesn't leave any dramatic pause i.e. when Vader is told that he killed Padme, he screams "Noooo!" The scene abruptly ends, quite awkwardly, by wiping quickly from this scene to the next. Revenge of the Sith: 9 out of 10. Incredible improvement.