There's so much good about "Revenge Of The Sith", that to talk about what is bad feels petty. It's a flawed gem. It's a dialogue doctoring and a few scene reshoots away from being a perfect film. It's a wonderful last film in the "Star Wars" saga that both makes the films preceeding it better and creates the desire to watch the original trilogy again.
Just as the visuals in "Attack Of The Clones" topped "The Phantom Menace", and "The Phantom Menace" topped anything that came before that, "Sith" tops anything FX-wise seen on film before. The opening action sequence is breathtaking, and so well paced that time just flies from scene to scene. But FX are not what this film is about, thankfully. Where the visual aspect of the film overshadowed the drama in "Episode I" and "Episode II", "Episode III" has just as much substance as it does style.
Hats off to Ewan McGregor. His Obi-Wan Kenobi completely steals the show. I can honestly say that after watching "Revenge Of The Sith", I will now think of McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi before I think of Alec Guinness. "Episode III" may be the film where Anakin falls to the Dark Side, but it is Obi-Wan who is the story's soul. The saga's most heart wrenching moment -- yes, I mean in all 6 films -- comes after the long anticipated duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan. With Anakin incapacitated and enraged, he shrieks and snears at Obi-Wan, gutterly yelling "I hate you." McGregor's Obi-Wan simple looks back, sincerely saddened by the sight of his fallen, now-monsterous friend, and regretfully replies, "You were my brother. I loved you." McGregor could not have delivered in a bigger way in this film. His performance is nothing short of outstanding.
Anakin's fall to the Dark Side is pulled off in a way that is completely understandable. Just as in "Attack Of The Clones" when he had a pre-monition that his mother was going to die, he has one in "Sith" telling him that Padme will die, in childbirth no less, with the fate of his child unclear. Anakin will do anything to stop this, and this is the place where Palpatine/Darth Sidious strikes and exploits. The Sith have the secret that can save his beloved wife and child. Up until his fall, Anakin in many ways tries to do the right thing. What the Jedi say is right doesn't give him the answer he wants, and doesn't feel right to him. Even just before he goes Dark, just before he loses it completely, Anakin tries to do the right thing. And then in one moment, he makes a snap choice, the only choice he feels can save Padme, and that choice changes everything.
"Revenge Of The Sith" is a gratifying film in every important way. As a person who grew up watching the "Star Wars" films and as someone who probably spent too much energy on them, I was very hard on George Lucas and his team when I was less than blown away by "The Phantom Menace" and "Attack Of The Clones." Therefore I feel obligated to say in no uncertain terms that they really pulled it off with "Revenge Of The Sith." It's an excellent film, emotionally moving, visually stunning and it doesn't pull any punches with the story it needs to tell. It's just shy of a complete masterpiece, and it holds its own with any film in the "Star Wars" saga.
4.5/5 Stars.
--Chris Kivlehan