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74%
Overall Rating
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Ranked #130
...out of 20,704 movies
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Years after the onset of the Clone Wars, the noble Jedi Knights lead a massive clone army into a galaxy-wide battle against the Separatists. When the sinister Sith unveil a thousand-year-old plot to rule the galaxy, the Republic crumbles and from its ashes rises the evil Galactic Empire. Jedi hero Anakin Skywalker is seduced by the dark side of the Force to become the Emperor's new apprentice – Darth Vader. The Jedi are decimated, as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Master Yoda are forced into hiding. The only hope for the galaxy are Anakin's own offspring – the twin children born in secrecy who will grow up to become heroes.
--TMDb
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In memoriam..."Star Wars"...1977-2005...
George Lucas has done it. After years and years of wondering how Anakin Skywalker would become Darth Vader, Lucas has finally delivered the final installment of the most beloved film franchise in the history of film. With "Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace", we were introduced to Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) at a very young age, as Qui-Gon Jin (Liam Neeson) and Obi Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) tried desperately to defeat the sinister Darth Maul (Ray Parks), who was under the control of the evil Sith Lord (Ian McDiarmid). In "Star Wars Episode II - Attack of the Clones", we caught up with Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and his master, Obi Wan many years down the road, with the villainous Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) busy creating a clone army to take control of the Republic. Now, in "Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith", everything comes full circle. All of the loose ends from episodes one and two are tied up, as well as paving the way for episodes four, five, and six. Everything that happens is already known to us, so very few "Star Wars" fans went in expecting anything other than heartbreak.
The opening sequence of "Revenge of the Sith" is one of the finest sequences George Lucas has ever given us, with Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and Obi Wan (Ewan McGregor) on a mission to rescue the recently kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). He is being held captive by Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) and the half droid/half Sith General Grievous (Matthew Wood). After this thrilling opening sequence, we slowly settle into the politics and the drama that make up the majority of this picture. We watch as Chancellor Palpatine slowly tries to convince Anakin that the only way to true power is through the dark side of the force. We watch as the evil Sith Lord slowly orchestrates his plan to destroy all of the Jedi and turn the Republic into the Galactic Empire. We watch as most of our favorite characters -- some of the most beloved in "Star Wars" history -- are picked off, one at a time, by the Sith and their servants. We already known that Anakin turns to the dark side, but watching the actual transformation take place is something hard to put into words. It is one of those moments that we have been waiting on forever -- something that became more than a mere scene in an exceptional film. This was what "Star Wars" is all about.
Most of the crucial scenes in the film are known to us. We know that Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) does not make it out of this film alive, because he does not appear in the latter episodes. The only question was exactly how he died, and Lucas handled that death with great respect for the character, and Jackson as an actor. For a guy like Samuel L. Jackson to get killed off in a movie, it has better be fairly bad ass. We know that Yoda picks up his light saber once more. The only question is at whom this light saber is pointed and whether or not it does any good. We see Yoda as more than a Jedi master here -- we see him as the embodiment of everything that is good in the universe, just as Darth Sidious is the embodiment of everything evil. We have no doubt that Yoda is probably the stronger of the two masters, but this is when fate comes into play. We know that Anakin is mortally wounded by Obi Wan, thus prompting his physical transformation into Darth Vader. The only question is just how amazing this duel is going to be, and George Lucas (with the assistance of one Mr. Steven Spielberg) has delivered quite possibly the most anticipated and rewarding fight scene in film history. And he does not underperform. We see everything -- the violence and the drama, the passion and the misery. We see Anakin, hideously disfigured, climbing towards Obi Wan, not wanting assistance, but wanting to finish the job because his heart has been consumed by the dark side of the force.
As far as the "Star Wars" franchise is concerned, this film is certainly the most visually stunning. Lucas has pulled out all the stops with this one and the result is nothing short of phenomenal. It has gotten to the point that you simply cannot tell when something is computer generated, or flesh and blood -- and most of it is computer generated. With this film, Lucas slowly shows the transformation from the world we have known in episodes one and two, to the world we know from the latter episodes. We see the color and the energy mutate into the dark and the ominous. For a film like this, that kind of closure is a must. Fans would not have tolerated anything going unanswered, and Lucas sums it up in one nice little package -- he promised nothing but despair and heartbreak and that is just what he delivered. The final sequence of Obi Wan delivering a young Luke Skywalker to his new family is probably the most bittersweet moment I have ever seen in a motion picture -- we are all intensely sad surrounding the events that led to this, but are hopefully when we think about what this event holds in store. We know where Luke goes from here. We know that he eventually reconnects with his sister, destroys the Empire, and proves that he was actually the chosen one.
With regards to the performances, Lucas most obviously made it perfectly clear to his cast and crew exactly what he wanted and exactly what this film meant. This is Lucas' life work. Hayden Christensen really steps it up from "Episode II" and shows why Lucas chose him in the first place. There is still the occasional bout of bad delivery, but nothing so substantial that it takes away from the film itself. Samuel L. Jackson soaks up every ounce of screen time he can before he is dispatched, and I can still hear cries from the audience when Mace Windu is no more. Ian McDiarmid, in his first substantial role in the series, electrifies as both Palpatine and the Sith Lord. He is sinister, villainous, and one of the greatest antagonists in film history. There is an absolutely marvelous scene between he and Anakin, where Palpatine explains one of the old Sith legends to his soon to be apprentice. This is vintage Lucas, the kind of scene that is a mirror image of something you would have seen in "A New Hope". There is another equally amazing scene when the Jedi Council come to arrest Palpatine, and he transforms right before our very eyes. We finally see how the Emperor came to look the way he looks, and we finally see how his transformation comes to light.
Knowing this was the final installment in the franchise, Lucas shortchanges no character. R2-D2 receives possibly more screen time than ever before, and even gets a chance to kick some ass early on in the film. Chewbacca pops up on his native planet, every bit as large and indecipherable as he ever was in the latter episodes. The only characters slightly shortchanged were Amidala (Natalie Portman) and Jar Jar (Ahmed Best) -- the first is a shame, the latter is a blessing. Amidala spends most of the film seeming like an inconsequential aspect of the film, while Jar Jar is seen only twice, and never speaks...thank God. But, make no mistake, Hayden Christensen is the star of this film -- this movie is all Anakin. He gets to flex a wide range of emotions, from discovering he is going to be a father to forcing himself to do what he knows is against the Jedi code. And, Alec Guinness would certainly be proud -- Ewan McGregor embodies everything Obi Wan Kenobi should be. To sum it up, the performances in this film were nothing short of astounding, and are what help drive this film into a different category of entertainment.
Everything is done. Yoda has gone into exile. Bail Organa has adopted Leia and taken her to raise. Obi Wan has taken Luke to his new guardians and has vowed to watch over him until the time is right. Darth Vader and The Emperor have begun their control over the galaxy. Mace Windu, Amidala, and hundreds of other Jedis are buried in the ground, of well on their way. It is a rare occasion when the good guys can be totally wiped out, yet a sense of happiness manage to stick with the picture. Everything we have grown to love since 1999 is gone in the blink of an eye, yet we cannot help but smile when we see the same horizon that we saw in the beginning of the original. Everything is in its right place. The course is set. Only Luke Skywalker can save the universe from the control of the evil Sith Lord, because Luke Skywalker, not Anakin, is the chosen one. "A New Hope" indeed. 10/10.
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#1:
Crispy
- added May 28, 2005 at 5:19am
Actually, if you'll remember in Return of the Jedi
it is indeed Anakin who kills the Emperor Darth
Sidious
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#2:
BuryMeAlive
- added June 20, 2005 at 10:49am
Anakin is indeed the choosen one, like crispy
says, he is the one that kills the Emperor in
Episode VI.
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#3:
phreak264
- added June 24, 2005 at 7:47am
This movie was awesome. One of the best movies
ever made.
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#4:
jedidude89
- added June 25, 2005 at 9:04pm
I did have some gripes, but this is the best movie
in the prequel trilogy by far. Very well done.
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#5:
Optimus Prime
- added July 19, 2005 at 9:32pm
I just liked how it came together with the other
movies. And if you were wondering, it IS possible
to get some limbs cut off, set on fire with lava,
and crawl 50 yards up a hill and then survive. I
shouldn't of gave this a perfect. But, I did.
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#6:
.
- added September 13, 2005 at 9:14pm
My favourite out of the 3 new ones made.
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#7:
Ginose
- added September 15, 2005 at 4:13pm
No, no, no, no, NO! This movie was steaming pile
of sith! The most redemable quality was the
General Grevious was in it. And his role was
played down due to the fact they made him seem
like a sickly coward, it anyone who watched this
movie, care to watch "Clone Wars" (the Genndy
Tartovoski animated series that takes place in
beteween episode 2 and 3) they would understand
that Mace Windu (God bless his soul) crushed his
heart and lungs in the last episode. Anyway, the
majority of this movie is jusy loud noises and
space ships! Not saying the other prequals were
much better, but they had dialouge! This movie has
very quick (yet still very long) scenes of 2
(sometimes 3) charecters talking. And on top of
all the crappy directing, why the hell did Anikan
force choke Padame? And don't say "Oh, he was
corrupted by the darkside" because as soon as he
gained his Vader armor, what's the first thing he
says? "Is Padame alright?". I'm running out of
letters here, but I give this a 2/10.
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#8:
MrDerp
- added September 20, 2005 at 4:54pm
Anyone who has seen the original Star Wars trilogy
will have some spine-tingling moments in the last
few scenes of this movie.
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#9:
Crispy
- added November 23, 2005 at 5:29pm
I love how Ginose gave a solid retyping of
Maddox's review on this movie. Almost to the T.
But to answer your (actualy Maddox's) question, it
has ALWAYS been said, even in the original
trilogy, that the Sith deals highly with emotions
run amuck. When he force choked her, he thought
she had betrayed him and his emotion, namely
confusion and anger, were incredibly out of
control.
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#10:
Griffinheart
- added December 3, 2007 at 2:58pm
I did get some enjoyment out of this largely due
to the gushy Padme/Anakin scenes being less
prevalent than in the second one. I didn't
believe Anakin's descent into darkness at all. If
I remember, his morality went something like this:
Good- Good- Good- Good- Good- Good- Good- Good-
"I'm an angry teenager!"- Ultimate Evil. It was
like they realized there wasn't much time left in
the movie and had to turn Anakin evil really fast
to catch up with Episode 4.
Also, I
still can't forgive Lucas for 9/10's of the
prequels' plots. After decades of letting dozens
of writers create thousands of pages of story, the
Star Wars universe ceased belonging to Lucas and
essentially passed into the public domain. To let
others add to your universe, while making money
off their work, and then to completely ignore
their contribution is about as arrogant as it
gets.
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#11:
bluemeanie
- added December 4, 2007 at 5:19pm
Oh, please. Leave George Lucas alone. So the man
made money? Big deal. He also have us one of the
most amazing and entertaining franchises in motion
picture history. He's a businessman. Oh, not to
mention a genius.
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#12:
Lucid Dreams
- added July 11, 2010 at 2:24am
This was more tolerable then the rest, but it was
decent at best. 5/10
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#13:
Roybot
- added July 31, 2010 at 1:20am
8/10
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