[7]

After the mediocre Episodes I and II, Star Wars creator George Lucas finally kicks his prequel trilogy into high gear with Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The film opens with the Galactic Republic at war with a growing separatist army, both sides being secretly manipulated by the dastardly Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). Palpatine also succeeds in turning young Jedi Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) against his mentor Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) and the noble Jedi Council. Haunted by premonitions of his pregnant wife Padme’s (Natalie Portman) death in childbirth, Anakin is ultimately lured by Palpatine with promises that the Dark Side can save her life.

Revenge of the Sith struggles like the previous episodes with rushed, inelegant plotting and passages of terrible dialogue, but once Anakin makes his fateful decision, Lucas and co-screenwriter Jonathan Hale finally — in the eleventh hour — begin to deliver on their prequel trilogy’s dramatic potential. Anakin succumbs to fear, anger, and hate, and becomes Darth Vader. He participates in the slaughter of the Jedi, has a spectacularly operatic showdown with Obi-Wan, and causes the very death he was trying to prevent. Revenge of the Sith gets dark and emotional, and as a result it’s likely the only prequel film to leave an impression on mainstream audiences.

Christensen is serviceable in the lead role. (It’s hard to give a great performance when George Lucas wants to rush over your character beats and emotional transitions in favor of brisk editing.) Natalie Portman’s involvement is greatly reduced this time around. McGregor is solid as Obi-Wan, easily the lead actor most comfortable in his role and charismatic enough to compete with the visual effects that envelope the cast at all times. Ian McDiarmid’s gives the film’s most striking performance. As Palpatine, McDiarmid rides the line between grounded reality and high opera in a beautiful way. He, along with composer John Williams, may be the film’s most valuable player.

Highlights include the sequence in which Palpatine orders the clone army to assassinate all Jedi. It’s a very moving scene, thanks largely to Maestro Williams. When Anakin is ordered to kill everyone in the Jedi Temple, Lucas doesn’t shy away from the fact that some of the Jedi are children. Another terrific scene is one without dialogue, where Padme and Anakin simply look out windows in different parts of the city, thinking of each other. Both are worried about their relationship and the turns their futures may take, and for once, Lucas doesn’t rely on clunky dialogue to convey these emotions. There’s just the actors’ faces and John Williams’ music. And then there’s the dual climactic showdowns: Anakin vs Obi-Wan and Yoda vs The Emperor. Lucas cross-cuts between these two clashes. The younger Jedi fight against volcanic eruptions on a river of lava while the senior warriors rip apart the Galactic Senate in a bid to vanquish each other. For all its faults and inferiorities, Revenge of the Sith may have the best climax of any Star Wars movie.

The movie also benefits from nostalgia. For Star Wars fans, there’s undeniable power in seeing characters, ships, and locations that feature prominently in the original trilogy. When Obi-Wan delivers Luke to the Lars family on Tatooine and Williams conducts a soft reprise of the force theme, you know you’ve come full circle, and it’s a nice feeling.

With Samuel L. Jackson, Frank Oz, Jimmy Smits, Anthony Daniels, Christopher Lee, and Temuera Morrison.

Oscar Nomination: Best Makeup