The circle is complete with a new "Star Wars" film worthy of the name, finally

Rating: 9/10 (26 May 2005)

"The Revenge of the Sith" not only undoes the harm inflicted on the "Star Wars" universe that its two predecessors did, it justifies the entire second trilogy. The power and energy of the original films flows through every frame of this latest installment, and fans finally have a new movie that they can fully appreciate.
The Clone Wars has left the Republic in dire straights. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and the rest of the Jedi suspect that Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is abusing his power to make his position permanent. Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) meanwhile is falling closer under the control of the Chancellor, whose corrupting influence is warping the young Jedi's sense of values.
Meanwhile, his wife Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) confides in Anakin that she is pregnant, and he starts having disturbing premonitions that she will die during childbirth. Obsessed with trying to prevent this, and also acting out his loyalty to the Republic, Anakin becomes seduced by the dark side of the Force and becomes an enemy of every Jedi.
With the Republic slowly becoming an Empire and the Dark Lords of the Sith seeking to wipe out the Separatists and Jedi to cover up their manipulations, the last remaining Jedi seek to halt the destruction of everything they hold dear.
"Revenge of the Sith" cranks up the emotional voltage that was lacking in the two previous installments. Writer-director George Lucas brings back the adventure, escapism and high ideals that were so important to the original trilogy. He wraps the prequel story up nicely, and now the whole dynamic of the Episodes IV-VI has been changed forever. We finally understand so much more about the history of Skywalker and Obi-Wan.
The special effects are all top notch, with space battles, highly detailed alien worlds and epic lightsaber duels. David Tattersall's cinematography is gripping and beautiful at the same time. The gradual seduction of Anakin and his subsequent transformation into Darth Vader are both striking and tragic at the same time, and the smashed hope for balance of the Force leaves everyone involved irreparably altered. When Vader finally appears in his traditional outfit, the reaction is not that of subtle dread, but instead a sad, heartrending sigh at the twisting of good into evil. With it, James Earl Jones' voice brings an unexpected tinge of heartbreaking emotion. This is Lucas at his finest.
The film is not without its flaws, however. The romance between Anakin and Padmé still seems stilted and forced, and neither Christensen nor Portman deliver their lines with very much conviction. Lucas is so concerned with telling the story of the fall of the Republic that he puts these two characters on autopilot for most of the film. It's really the relationship between Anakin and the Jedi council, particularly Kenobi that drives this film. Christensen and Portman, however, have both grown comfortably into their characters, so the audience accepts their actions perhaps more than the screenplay deserves.
McGregor remains serviceable but not overly enthusiastic as Obi-Wan, with a few hints of the sage he will be for Luke Skywalker in the next chapter. Frank Oz still gives Yoda a sad but optimistic wisdom, and McDiarmid brings a lively performance to the table as Darth Sidious.
"Revenge of the Sith" is also a surprisingly nuanced film, with a special nod to moral ambiguity on the part of the Jedi Council. In this film, more than the previous two, we learn that the sad fate of the Jedi may indeed have been equally due to their own attempts to control power as it was the Dark Lords attempts to destroy them. By seeking to deny passions and emotion, they created the perfect atmosphere of restraint to force Anakin to seek other venues for relieving his grief.
"Revenge of the Sith" is the darkest "Star Wars" film since "The Empire Strikes Back," and like that film ends on a down note but with an inkling of hope. Perhaps the greatest tragedy of the film is that Anakin and Padmé's selfishness and arrogance led to the destruction of the Republic, and that their sins would be visited on the heads of their children. And while "Return of the Jedi" shows that Anakin indeed would be the one who restored balance to Force, it would be Luke and Leia who are responsible for keeping the peace. This is one saga that has earned its place in history, and this final film rightly sets into motion the events of the original trilogy. As Darth Vader once said, "The circle is now complete."
9 out of 10 stars. Despite a few flaws, this is the best "Star Wars" film since "Return of the Jedi," not quite up to par with the original trilogy but pretty darn close.