‘Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith’ Review – George Lucas’s Last Star Wars Film Holds Up And Endures

Shortly before the release of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Time magazine, marking the film’s release, ran a cover story with the headline “The Last Star Wars.” For some time — ten years, in fact– this was the last Star Wars film. As Palpatine would say, “It’s ironic…” Star Wars is still around two decades since the film’s release, though the lightsaber may not shine as brightly. However, with the recent re-release of Sith, fans and audiences are proving the Force is still strong with what was, for a time, the last Star Wars film.

This is where the fun begins,” Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) declares as he and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) make a daring rescue amid a spectacular space battle. From the start of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, it hooks audiences with intense precision, giving us a thrilling ride to that galaxy far, far away. Yet, the film is far from mere popcorn fodder. Psychologically complex as it is emotionally raw, this is no simple pod race or trench run battle. For a time, what was the final Star Wars film, and the last under the direction of George Lucas, Sith fulfills the destiny of a twenty-eight-year story. In this film, darkness rises, but hope is born. Sith is an operatic tragedy brimming with epic mythos and historical lore. 

In many ways, fans have been waiting for Revenge of the Sith film since the backstory of Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the Dark Side was hinted at in the original movie. It certainly was the film fans expected when Star Wars returned to the big screen in 1999’s The Phantom Menace. Yet, fans had to wait six long years for the return of Darth Vader. 

At the time, many could not understand the decision. Indeed, if another studio had made the prequels, Darth Vader would have undoubtedly shown up in the first thirty seconds, wielding a lightsaber and force-choking Imperial officers. Lucas was wise to hold on to delivering the entry fans wanted in 1999. He took us on a journey, showcasing the corruption of innocence and the lure of power, all against the backdrop of how democracies crumble from within.

Revenge of the Sith is the darkest entry in the Star Wars saga, as it should be — as this is one where everything goes to hell, figuratively and literally. 

Set three years into the galactic Clone Wars, the Republic is in turmoil. The Jedi Knights are warriors, and Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is one crisis away from becoming Emperor of the Galaxy. Anakin Skywalker, fearing the loss of his beloved wife, Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), seeks guidance from Palpatine. The evil puppet master insidiously lures Anakin away from the Jedi and the light. Under the promise of new powers, Palpatine corrupts him. Now a Sith Lord, Anakin becomes a blunt instrument that will spell the galaxy’s doom: Darth Vader. As friends become enemies and the Republic transitions into the Empire, Sith delivers an intricate spectacle that is as much a blockbuster as an intimate story.

Sith plunges the mythos into emotional depths never seen before in the series—and yes, that includes The Empire Strikes Back. The story is dark, as it should be. If the original trilogy represents the return of light, then here is where darkness must reign, for there cannot be light without darkness. Here, writer/director George Lucas crafts a one-half space epic film while the other is a cautionary tale.   

The term space opera did not originate with Star Wars, but it certainly became tethered to it, and in Revenge of the Sith, Lucas embraces the term as he illuminates the weariness of war and the temptation of power. Anakin’s struggle in the film and ultimate turn into Darth Vader is told from a relatable emotion: Fear. Fear of loss, defeat, and fear itself. Anakin’s story is one of heartbreak, as is the political coup that works in tandem.

That is not to say this film casts only a bleak shadow. The thematic elements are deliberately heavy and linger in the audience’s imagination long after the credits roll. Sith is the most political Star Wars project (at least before Andor). Lucas is shrewd in layering his world with historical parallels that are similar to our own. Lucas knows his history and gives us a rich exploration of how power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  

However, as much as this is a treatise on the corruption of power, this is still a Star Wars film, and Lucas and the company serve up heart-racing action to coincide with the dire thrusts of the story. This is the final fight. Battles rage in every corner of the galaxy. Jedi vs Sith. Clone Trooper on the attack. And Wookies are ready and raring to go.

Lucas covers a lot of ground in nearly two and a half hours: the fall of the Jedi and the rise of Darth Vader, all while throwing in five lightsaber battles. The centerpiece is, of course, the legendary duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan. The energy is breathless but never overwhelming. It is an intense fight. We are left utterly amazed at Christensen and McGregor’s sword-fighting prowess.

Now, are there gripes with the film? Sure. The dialogue can be wooden, especially given the grandiose scope of the story. An entire subplot left on the cutting room floor involves the beginning of the Rebel Alliance. It is a shame, as it further enhances the political dichotomy at the center of the prequels. Further, it expands Padmé’s role in the story and gives her a proper conclusion, which is glaring 20 years later.

Yet, even with those nitpicks, Revenge of the Sith is riveting. Twenty years later, the film is as powerful as the day it marched into theaters. The action and digital scale are flawless. John Williams’s score is a soaring symphony. Ewan McGregor anchors the film, embodying the virtues Sir Alec Guinness brought to the original movie. Hayden Christensen, unfairly maligned twenty years ago, is gripping as he portrays a Jedi in conflict. We marvel at his heroics and plead against his dark deeds. Finally, there is the unhinged and unmasked (depending on your viewpoint) performance by Ian McDiarmid. Sith is as much the story of Vader as it is about the man who becomes Emperor. McDiarmid chews up the scenes as Palpatine and later as Darth Sidious, layering his performance with menace and intrigue. 

Star Wars, or at least George Lucas’s vision, tells the story of Anakin Skywalker, a headstrong and fierce Jedi Knight who, in making a Faustian Pact, loses his soul and tragically falls from grace like a Greek epic. Yet, he regains his humanity not through power and obsession but through his son’s unconditional love. Star Wars is as much a tale about the rise of evil as it is an inspiring story of hope. Revenge of the Sith is the capstone of that vision, serving as the connecting bridge between the original and prequel trilogies. Sith embodies all the trappings we associate with Star Wars. Sith and Jedi. Family drama. Political intrigue. Hope. It is all here. The film does more than hold up; it endures as the top echelon of modern Star Wars and the emotional backbone of the saga.

Today, Star Wars is certainly bigger as a multimedia franchise than it was twenty years ago. Yet, seeing Revenge of the Sith back on the big screen, it became abundantly clear that something is missing from Star Wars today. Artistic integrity. This film is neither a nostalgia trip nor a cameo bath. The film may be imperfect to some, but Lucas delivers on his vision. A vision that, at the time, was twenty-eight years in the making. Indeed, the franchise will continue, but if Sith proves anything, it is likely the last Star Wars film with a clear and unabashed point of view.