- Technically, it is the first George Lucas directed film to land in the archives since the 1977 original Star Wars
- It is markedly better than the previous prequels- Phantom Menace in 1999 and Clones in 2002. It is darker, comparisons to Empire are right in terms of the foreboding doom and bleaker tone. The “best since Empire” stuff may be correct as well—but that is no great compliment necessarily either.
- Lucas still makes the mistake of investing so much time and energy in plot and CGI- two things that do not usually translate to great cinema. This is not cinema/artistic style. It is frustrating that Peter Jackson didn’t heed this when making his Hobbit prequels for Lord of the Rings. This entire prequel enterprise makes as strong a case for analog (real effects vs. computer effects) filmmaking as Fury Road or Christopher Nolan.
- The part of the story that absolutely works is the divide Anakin Skywalker feels. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine’s power of seduction is well crafted- and you feel the split and empathize with Skywalker in many ways. Lucas even lessens the blow of him slaughtering children by showing it in flashback hologram and even then- only in fragments- that’s a narrative choice from Lucas.
a meticulously designed interior here as Palpatine seduces Skywalker
- The “Order 66” montage is fantastic- it is Lucas dialing up the baptism murder montage from his old buddy Francis Ford Coppola in The Godfather as Palpatine gets rid of the Jedi.
Lucas seems more energized here visually than he has since The Empire Strikes Back
- I do not think it is a coincidence that the best of these prequels is the one connected closest to the 1977 original film from a story standpoint
- Far less nails-on-chalkboard writing and dialogue here overall- but “you’re a good person- don’t do this” isn’t exactly Shakespeare in a big moment.
another strong shot- most of these are one-offs- but still worthy of being praised
- A stunner of a composition- perhaps the best in the three films- is at the 107-minute mark with Hayden Christensen’s Anakin foreground left and Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan in the background right
perhaps the greatest frame in the prequel trilogy
- Perhaps it is just me- but having just seen Return of the Jedi– it is surprising that Ian McDiarmid’s makeup as the Emperor actually looks worse (more fake) in 2005 than it did in 1983. I also think a well-done miniature (from the original series) certainly looks more authentic than the CGI effects—again- a surprising step back 20+ years later
the final image– a beautiful ending. Certainly Lucas rewarded those who stuck with the trilogy through the end.
- McGregor’s powerful delivery of “You were the chosen one” is worthy of praise. He is very good here- Christensen simply isn’t—and it hurts the film and most of the “wooden” critiques from the critics throughout the series are justified.
- Recommend but not in the top 10 of 2005
I’m convinced this is a lot more than an R through the abundance of strong imagery. Here’s a screenshot collection to help make my case:
https://imgur.com/gallery/some-revenge-of-sith-imagery-FTgCEji
“another strong shot- most of these are one-offs”
I also disagree with these. There are many strong sets that are shot in mutliple rooms and from different angles to really get the most of that. The whole Coruscant planet could be milked for great compositions if you dug into it.
I’m with you here. Revenge of the Sith is no doubt heavily flawed, but I believe it’s ambition is commendable.
The movie does feel like a success from a visual and core story standpoint. It feels both a key entry into the series (I personally disagree with those who see the original trilogy as the only true Star Wars stories) while also having a strong unique identity to it. Coruscant and Mustafar are production design triumphs, and while I agree with Drake on the dialogue not being “exactly Shakespeare in a big moment”, I believe the cinematography makes the whole Shakespearean tale goal work.
I think you should reconsider The Phantom Menace if for nothing else than the Duel of the Fates scene. It’s truly one of the best action scenes of all time even if the rest of the movie can’t measure up. There are so many amazing moments one after another that use the sets and actors very well – Maul emerging from the doorway at the start and activating his double lightsaber, the three fighting in the big room with the bridges, tension building as they stare each other down when the red shield walls are blocking their way, the final fight in the circular room, and then Obi Wan’s leap out of the hole. The fight is well edited with a mix of attractively composed long (compared to most action scenes) wide shots and a few intense close ups. Also, it has one of the best pieces and uses of music in the franchise for sure.
@Graham – look at this shot: https://x.com/oneperfectshot/status/1419917484363243527?s=46. It’s among the best frames of all of 1999 (an already extremely stacked year.) And there atleast a dozen more wall-art quality shots in the film. It definitely needs reconsideration
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“This entire prequel enterprise makes as strong avcase for analog filmmaking as Fury Road or Christopher Nolan”
This comment makes complete sense except for the mention of Fury Road. It was shot on digital cameras (though Nolan is indeed a major proponent of film shooting). I could argue that Fury Road makes a case for digital, not against it.
@Graham– I put a qualifier in there but here I am mostly talking about real effects vs. computer effects. So the case for Fury Roads as an example stands.
“isn’t exactly Shakespeare in a big moment.”
Hey man I love the way you write it’s so simple but funny and complex too.
@Lucas Henriques- haha thank you for the kind words. My writing isn’t exactly Shakespeare either but I do my best.