Hi guys! So we just finished the third in our review and discussion of the Star Wars films with our look at Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith. This is definitely the strongest of the prequels and we had a great time talking about it.
PLOT-
Episode 3 starts out with war between the Republic and the Separatists. Obi-won and Anakin lead a rescue of Chancellor Palpatine from General Grevious. They confront Count Dooku who Anakin kills at Palpatine’s urging. Later on Coruscant Padme announces to Anakin that she is pregnant. Anakin is happy over the news but also worried because of the rules against Jedi loving. Anakin also becomes worried when he has dreams of Padme dying while giving birth.
Anakin is angry when the Jedi Council decide against making him a Jedi Master. Palpatine feels he will be able to manipulate Anakin and he goads his ego and tells him about the power of the dark side to possibly overcome death. He then tells Anakin that he is the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Anakin tells Mace Windu this who then confronts Palpatine. The two fight and Palpatine is nearly defeated but Anakin decides he needs to know how to save Padme so he stops Windu who then Palpatine kills. After this Anakin pledges with the dark side and is named Darth Vader.
Obi-won kills Grevious. Then Palpatine changes the orders of the Clone army using order 66 to kill the Jedis and Anakin is sent to the Jedi Temple and he oversee’s all Jedi’s even children in training are killed. The only survivors are Obi-wan and Yoda. Vader then kills the Separatist leaders on the volcanic planet Mustafar while Palpatine convinces the Senate to change from a Republic to a Galactic Empire. Padme hears of Anakin’s betrayal and goes with Obi-wan to Mustafar. Vader feels Padme has betrayed him by continuing to associate with Obi-wan and he force chokes her and she collapses. Obi-won and Vader have a light saber battle over the lava. Obi-wan severs Vader’s limbs and he is burned in the lava.
Meanwhile, Yoda battles Palpatine with the light saber and other methods but ends up escaping. Padme has twins Luke and Leia before dying. Palpatine creates a body and respiratory mask for Vader so that he can go on living creating the iconic Darth Vader we know. Obi-wan and Yoda hide the twins, Leia with Senator Organa in Alderaan and Luke with his uncle Owen in Tatooine.
THOUGHTS-
As I say in the video, my main response to Revenge of the Sith was ‘meh’. It’s not terrible but I didn’t love it either. It was ok but that’s a big improvement over 1 and 2.
There are a couple of reasons this one works better than the other 2. First of all, there is actually a story with a climax that matters and villains that are menacing. Everything in this film is leading up to the creation of Darth Vader so it gives it some momentum and excitement we didn’t get in the others. Second, there is way less dialogue in Revenge of the Sith than the other prequels, which is a good thing because George Lucas isn’t great at writing dialogue. Finally, the special effects are better and more convincing than previous endeavors.
I felt like they tried to remove a lot of the stuff people hated in episode 2. We get way less awkward romantic dialogue. We get way less political talk and we even lose the villain of Episode 2 right away, which really surprised me. Ian McDiarmid also gets to shine as Emperor Palpatine as he becomes the Emperor we know in the original trilogy.
I did think Anakin’s transformation to Darth Vader was somewhat sudden but I didn’t hate it either. I was annoyed by Padme becoming basically a Bella Swan type waiting and adoring needy woman and kind of giving up in the end.
I also found the plot to be very confusing and didn’t like General Grevious as a character. I wish they had just kept Count Dooku who I think was much better than Grevious.
The Order 66 and the change of the Clones to kill the Jedi was very sad and compelling especially having watched Star Wars Rebels and seeing some of that aftermath.
There’s lots of light saber battles in this film and I enjoyed most of them even if they are a little bit cheesy special effects-wise. I’m still not a fan of Yoda using a light saber and that whole section but the Vader/Obi-wan battle lava aside looks pretty cool.
The final creation of Darth Vader is good but I didn’t like the No at the end especially because Lucas put it in Return of the Jedi at the end.
Overall, I still had problems with Revenge of the Sith in acting, a confusing plot and some character jumps that don’t quite make sense. That said, I was entertained and found it much more entertaining than Phantom Menace or Attack of the Clones.
I am very excited to get to Episode 4: New Hope which is my personal favorite Star Wars film even though I admit Empire Strikes Back is the better made film. It’s going to be fun to discuss the 3 original trilogy and then Force Awakens!
What do you think about Revenge of the Sith? Put your comments down below. Thanks!
Overall Grade- C