Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005), PG-13, ★★★

Anakin's first transition into the Dark Side. 

Here it is, at last. Star Wars: Episode III: The movie that we will finally see to witness Anakin transitioning into the Dark Side of the Force. But, that's essentially the plot that we wanted to see in the first place because the previous two are pointless buildups to this movie. I felt like that the first two predecessors did not have anything at stake because we knew that most of the characters will survive. There was no emotion or depth. I actually liked this movie, despite, again, the terrible dialogue, for the complex emotion that the characters go through with some things at stake with a few great sequences bookending this final chapter before A New Hope.

During a fantastic space battle sequence over Coruscant between the Republic and the Separatist Alliance, Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker (Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen) lead a mission to rescue the kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) from Commander General Grievous (voiced by Matthew Wood), a cyborg commander who has trouble breathing for the majority of the film. After they infiltrate Grevious' ship, they engage in a duel with Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), which ends with Anakin cutting off his limbs and killing him at Palpatine's urging request.

When they crash-land on Coruscant after Grievous flees, Anakin reunites with his wife, Senator Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), who tells him that she is pregnant. He is initially excited about this blessing but he keeps having premonitions of Padme dying from childbirth, like he had nightmares about his mother in the previous movie.

Palpatine appoints Anakin to join the Jedi Council as his representative, basically be his eyes and ears, which, on the other hand, the Council, specifically Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and Master Yoda (Frank Oz), decline Anakin the role of Jedi Master and orders him to monitor the Chancellor. Later on, Palpatine reveals himself to Anakin as Darth Sidious and as the Sith Lord behind the war as he entices him with his knowledge of The Dark Side of the Force and when things go horribly wrong between Palpatine and Mace Windu, Palpatine appoints Anakin as his apprentice in the Dark Side, Darth Vader and executes Order 66. Uh-oh!

The truth has to be said. 

This movie is more satisfying in terms of the storytelling and the depth that the characters carry on in the setting of the initial formation of what will be known later as the Empire. I feel like there is more entertainment value and exciting sequences than the previous films that entrances the audience to be emotionally connected with the story and its characters. Also, even if there is some weak editing, the more powerful edited moments and camerawork was a hint of poetic filmmaking that the original movies had. For example, there is a scene in which Order 66 is carried on and we see a Jedi and stormtroopers fighting against the opponents, but then, when the camera is on the stormtroopers' feet stopping to receiving the order, a Jedi Master realizes what is going on and gets shot. Then, beautifully edited, Yoda feels the pain going on around his mind.

In the weak moments of the movie, the dialogue is the key weakness especially in a badly executed romantic scene in which Anakin and Padme confess their love again. It's cringe-inducing again to hear that that is how people in our present day talk. It's ludicrous. Plus, it's a bit more inconsistent than consistent to hear the corny dialogue because we are so into the story of what will happen to most of the characters. There are stakes with some of the characters this time and that goes into the excitement factor.

In the scene where there is a bubbly circus show going on (I don't know), it is Ian McDiarmid that stands out in this movie giving his sublime villainous performance that is so fun and dark that we are particularly interested now into what he knows and what his demise is going to be. The rest of the cast are good too. Now, let's move on to Christensen. He is a little better but that's not saying much because most of his silent acting is fine but his line deliveries are laughably bad especially when reciting dialogue on the lava planet, Mustafar.

The special effects are better in this movie and, at times, making you feel you were in that experience in a space battle. However, some of the transitional demises into the Dark Side felt a bit phony because I feel like there are some scenes, which mostly involved the younglings or children, that felt rushed and not as emotionally wrenching because they felt short.

Again, with the good things and there are more, the duel in Mustafar between Obi-Wan and Anakin is so needlessly choreographed but it is a great lightsaber duel accompanied by John Williams' great score which in turn is edited with Yoda's duel with Palpatine. And, also, there is a powerful moment ruined by a cheesy addition in which Anakin tries on the suit for the first time and we hear a powerful hiss and breath and we see inside the helmet and his reaction to it as he is now scared. But, then it's ruined by a, well, here it is: (It is the end of this clip.)

However, despite the terse dialogue and some clunky exposition and Padme retreating from a strong female character to a housewife character, the movie works as a stand-alone film as we did not need the first two. George Lucas was capable to insert some of the poetry back into the movie like he did with the original films but he had to add some corniness and/or emptiness. But, the film is a haunting and solid conclusion and leeway onto the next chapters of the saga but with some flaws that are endless to list.

Well, this was fun reviews all of the Star Wars movies. Now, we move on to Star Wars: The Force Awakens...

***