Movie Review – Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Our marathon continues with episode three, Revenge of the Sith.

Revenge of the Sith, like it’s previous films, has it’s problems. The thing that this one got right that Attack of the Clones got wrong was that this one entertained me. I can admit the beginning was a bit boring and had some pacing issues, but once it got into the plot of the film it started to pick up for me and became more enjoyable. I had always heard that out of the prequels, Revenge of the Sith was the best one and I can agree with that statement.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the good and bad of this film.

[IF THERE IS EVEN THE SLIGHTEST POSSIBILITY THAT YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THESE FILMS YET THEN BE WARNED THERE WILL BE SPOILERS BELOW]

Pros

• The chemistry between Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman was a lot better in this one compared to Episode II. I actually believed these two characters were in love with each other.
• Natalie and Hayden’s acting, both together and individually was so much better in this compared to a lot of what they delivered in Episode II.
• I think Hayden shines in this movie when he’s playing the dark side of Anakin. To me, he just was really good as showcasing that change and evilness.
• Palpatine to me had always been the obvious villain, but had never done anything to really showcase how good of a villain he was in the previous two films, but this one changed that. The way he manipulates Anakin by using his fear of losing Padme, plus using his uncertainty about the Jedi council is brilliant and Ian McDiarmid does a brilliant job at portraying that.
• I kind of hate putting this on the pro list, but it worked for what the movie wanted me to feel. That was Anakin killing the younglings. Like I said, I hate putting Anakin killing children on the pro list, but it accomplished it’s goal of making me hate Anakin. There would be no way for me to ever like him again after he murdered children.
• “So this is how liberty dies. With thunderous applause.” This line does come off a little dramatic, but Padme is not wrong. Also, it is definitely something Padme would say. Democracy has been important to her since the first movie and to see it die hurts Padme. In that short scene you can see that everything she has worked so hard at, as both a queen and a senator, die. You can read the disappointment and shock on her face and it makes that line all the more poignant.

Cons

• Before we get into specific things that annoyed me, my biggest complaint with this film is Padme. The fact that the only times we see Padme in this film are whenever she’s in a scene with Anakin is annoying. I’m fairly confident she was doing a lot more important things then being pregnant and Anakin’s secret wife. Why wasn’t I shown any of that? Then there is her end. Okay, so they don’t technically say what killed Padme, but the movie made me think it was a broken heart and you know what that is believable because there are people who lose the will to live when their loved ones die.
  Also, it’d be understandable if Padme did die of a broken heart because the love of her life has turned to the dark side, done horrible things like kill children, and even force choked her. So, to say she was heartbroken would be so accurate. Now, with all that said, I hate that that appears to be the reason. How hard was it to just make the reason for her death to be a complication from her pregnancy, or complication during birth, or I don’t know say the fact she was force choked did something to her. All of that makes more sense to me then Padme Amidala, senator and former queen of Naboo, dying of a broken heart.
  Everything that the first two films told us about her character showed that she was so freaking strong and had a strong sense of doing her duty. Even if she was heartbroken about her love betraying her and everyone else they cared about, Padme would have wanted to live for her children. The fact that she’s not in the original trilogy is not an good enough reason to kill her off the way they did. Like I pointed out above, there were better to ways to explain her dying in childbirth, but they decided to take the way that, to me, didn’t fit with Padme’s character.
• The opening sequence of Anakin and Obi-Wan saving the kidnapped Palpatine, which was obviously a trick on Palpatine’s part, was actually quite boring to me. It just didn’t flow right and the pacing was weird. I didn’t enjoy watching Obi-Wan and Anakin in their ships fighting, it just didn’t interest me at all.
• Then the whole rescue just didn’t hit the way I think they wanted it to. I understood that they were trying to show how Anakin is struggling with remaining on the side of the light and his draw to the dark side, but it fails to make it a real struggle. What I mean by that is that Anakin barely takes a minute to “struggle” with whether or not to kill Count Dooku. He “struggles” for a second, kills him, and then says he shouldn’t have done that. I mean, if you really wanted to play up Anakin’s struggle with the light and dark side in that moment, then play it up. Don’t make him think about it for a second, then kill the man. That doesn’t do anything to showcase the struggle.
• Also this movie doesn’t even try to hide the fact that Palpatine is not only evil, something I think everyone picked up on in the earlier films, but is the Sith lord the Jedi have been looking for.
• What was the point of all the build up of Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones? Seriously, you spend the whole second movie building up this villain, only for him to die in the first 15 minutes of the third movie. What sense does that make? It’s such a waste, and then makes his character completely pointless, and made me annoyed that I even tried to care about Count Dooku in the second film.
• There were two moments in this beginning sequence that made me question Anakin’s intelligence. I mean, how does he not see that Palpatine is evil? You have him telling Anakin to kill Dooku, even though Anakin knows this isn’t what he should do. Then when Anakin wants to try and get Obi-Wan, Palpatine tells him to leave him. How did Anakin not find any of this freaking suspicious?
• Where was all this chemistry in the second movie and why did Natalie act so dead during her scenes with Hayden in the second one, but bring Padme back to life in this one?
• The fact that Anakin Skywalker is supposed to become the great Darth Vader, and they decided to make the reason that happens is because he’s so easily manipulated by Palpatine is both frustrating, and kind of disappointing. Frustrating because of how stupid Anakin is portrayed that he can’t see he’s being manipulated. Then it’s disappointing because even if you haven’t seen Star Wars you know that Darth Vader is one of the best villains in this series. So, to find out that he only becomes this great villain because he’s so weak minded and easily manipulated just kind of ruins it for me.
• So, I’m supposed to believe that Palpatine is strong enough to take out three unknown Jedi, but not strong enough to take out Windu and then Yoda later?
• Another example how how dense I found Anakin was him really believing Palpatine would help him keep Padme safe. I mean, he so obviously just wanted Anakin’s power. Palpatine didn’t care if Padme lived or died.
• Anakin just agreeing to being Palpatine’s apprentice was so quick and didn’t seem realistic at all. Like a minute ago, he was was trying to convince Windu to just arrest Palpatine and now, he’s on his knees agreeing to be his apprentice? I mean…what?
• It’s the Council and Anakin’s fault he turns to the dark side. If the council had just treated him like any other Jedi and not made him feel different/ostracized then maybe Palpatine wouldn’t have been able to corrupt him. Plus there was the fact that Anakin was so desperate to prove himself and trying to get acceptance the he ended up siding with the person who gave him what he’d craved so desperately from the Jedi council.
• It’s both stupid and not surprising that it took so long for Padme to realize something was wrong with Anakin and that he’d turned to the dark side. Also, it was so stupid to me that the whole reason that Anakin turned was to keep Padme safe and alive, then he tries to kill her by force choking her. Then he doesn’t even check on her to make sure he didn’t kill her, he just starts a fight with Obi-Wan.
• How in the heck does Anakin survived being burned alive? Doesn’t make sense to me at all.
• The reveal of Anakin in the Darth Vader outfit is great, but then it is quickly ruined by Anakin being overcome with grief over losing Padme and him screaming “No.” Also, it’s a waste of James Earl Jones.
• Why do they think it’s a good idea to send Luke to Tatooine to live with his step uncle and aunt? I mean, sure Anakin might never go back to visit his step-family since you know he’s evil and all, but why risk it? Why risk the chance that he may go back and discover his son?

Side Note:

• For two people who want to keep their marriage a secret, they’re not doing a good job at hiding out in the open where everyone could see them.
• Every piece of advice Yoda gives Anakin is just drives him further to the dark side.
• So, Palpatine wanted Anakin to spy on the Jedi council and the Jedi council wanted Anakin to spy on Palpatine? Am I understanding that correctly?
• If Anakin and Padme kept their relationship a secret, then how did she explain her pregnancy? Weren’t people curious how she got knocked up?
• So, did Padme die of a “broken heart”? Is that her official cause of death?
• What was with the sequence of Padme looking out the window then cutting to Anakin looking out a window?
• Palpatine looked so gross for the rest of the movie. I hated looking at him.
• So, Palpatine’s whole plan was for the clone army to work with the Jedi until he got Anakin on his side, then have them turn on the Jedi?
• What was with the random droid hovering around Obi-Wan and Anakin during their fight on the pipe?
• So, if Anakin wasn’t the chosen one, is it Luke?
• Obi-Wan standing there watching Anakin burn was gross.
• So, C-3PO & R2-D2 don’t recognize anyone in the original trilogy because their minds were wiped?

In Conclusion

So, with how many problems I had with Revenge of the Sith, you’re probably asking how could I enjoy it better than Attack of the Clones? To answer that query, the difference between these two films is that even though I had problems with this one, it still entertained me. Which is something Attack of the Clones couldn’t do. The things that frustrated me about that film lessened my enjoyment of the film, but the things that frustrated me in this film still kept me entertained. The only huge issue I have with Revenge of the Sith is its treatment of Padme. If they had done a better job with her character then maybe I would have rated this a little higher, but they didn’t.

I’m going to give Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith .