⭐⭐⭐⭐½ðŸ’–
Next up after "Attack of the Clones" is the final episode in the prequel trilogy, "Revenge of the Sith". I have really been looking forward to re-watching and finally reviewing this one because it has always been one of my favorites in the entire Star Wars saga. And with today being "This is the May", Friday the 13th what a perfect day to re-watch it (for the second time this month) and review it!
This movie grabs my attention from the beginning, as it dives right into the action scene when Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin are on their way to rescue Palpatine who has been kidnapped (which of course turns out to be part of his plan as the evil Sith). They finally do rescue him and when they return, Padmé informs Anakin that she is pregnant. They rejoice in a brief moment of bliss, though Anakin appears to feel conflicted and Padmé, concerned. The rest of the movie tells the story of the fall of Anakin and the rise of Darth Vader, and how this transition impacts those around him.
There are so many aspects of this very dark movie that I love. The overall story of Anakin's transition to the dark side is engaging. Even though I know what eventually happens, the emotions can be felt throughout the movie. When Anakin pleads with Master Windu and says (about Palpatine), "I need him," you know just how desperate and in pain Anakin is. Throughout this movie, and in "Attack of the Clones" there are eerie images of Anakin's silhouette that make him look like the Darth Vader we are all so familiar with. I love this attention to detail.
There are also some enthralling action scenes. I mentioned the one at the very beginning, but there are others as well. The scene close to the end of the movie was unlike anything I've seen thus far in Star Wars. There are two light saber battles taking place simultaneously. Anakin and Obi-Wan are fighting on the volcanic planet, while elsewhere Yoda is fighting with the Sith. I like the switching back and forth between the two duels. The one between Yoda and the Sith is much lighter, so switching to that duel is like taking a breath before going back to the much more intense battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan. Throughout the movie there is light humor through actions and dialogue, just enough to give us just a bit of much needed comic relief at times. I noticed a little of this during the duel between Yoda and Palpatine.
While there is a lot to love about this movie, it does have its weaknesses, hence the four and a half, not five, star rating. The love story between Anakin and Padmé leaves a lot to be desired. I don't think it needed more scenes between them. That would make the movie unnecessarily longer and shift the focus too much. Rather; the scenes between them that were there needed to be stronger. I think it's because of the lack of compelling dialogue between them, which was a problem with several characters.
I think the only two characters who have consistently compelling dialogue are Yoda and Palpatine. One of the many Yoda lines that resonates with me is, "Train yourself to let go of everything you fear." He says this to Anakin. That line makes me think about my own life. One line from Palpatine that stood out to me was, "All who gain power are afraid to lose it."
After Yoda battles with the Sith and leaves the premises, he says, "Failed, I have." This made me think of the line in "The Empire Strikes Back" where he says to Luke, "That is why you fail." This raises so many questions in my mind. Did Yoda fail as a Jedi. (I'd like to think not.) If he believes he failed, was he speaking from experience when he was advising Luke? And if Yoda did fail, was it because he didn't believe? What didn't he believe? I just wonder if there is an intentional connection between those two lines about failure, both spoken by Yoda.
During the last part of the movie, Padmé gives birth to not one, but two babies who she names Luke and Leia. So if you're watching the movies in machete order and you haven't seen "Return of the Jedi" yet, you now know that Luke and Leia are siblings. Having watched "A New Hope" and "The Empire Strikes Back", I think this would make me excited to see "Return of the Jedi". I would want to know if and how they find out they're siblings. I like that this spoiler is preserved longer from watching the movies in machete order (especially if you watch ALL of the live action movies and don't skip any!). In fact, even knowing how it all ends, it does make me more excited to watch "Return of the Jedi".
Although Anakin had choked Padmé (apparently the first one he ever choked as Darth Vader!), it was determined by the medical staff that physically she was in good health. It was interesting to see the two simultaneous scenes where Padmé and Anakin are being attended to, while Padmé is giving birth (and herself mysteriously dying) and Anakin is in the process of getting his Darth Vader garb. Evil Palpatine tells Anakin (who is already Darth Vader and has been for a while before this point in the movie) that Anakin is the one who killed Padmé in his anger when he choked her. We know his choking didn't kill her since the medical staff determined there was nothing physically wrong with her, but in a way Anakin did kill Padmé, as she apparently died of a severely severed broken heart. And even through all of this, her dying words to Obi-Wan are that there is still good in Anakin.
Yoda, Bail Organa, and Obi-Wan decide that the twins Padmé gave birth to should, for their safety, be separated. Leia is adopted by Bail Organa and his wife, while Obi-Wan takes Luke to Tatooine and promises to watch over him. Luke is now under the care of Anakin's step brother and his wife, who we first met in "Attack of the Clones".
The end of this movie makes me so excited for the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series. I'm interested in seeing how Obi-Wan spends his time after "Revenge of the Sith". Also, there is a mention of Qui-Gon at the end of the movie. I am hoping this means he will be a part of the Obi Wan Kenobi series. I really enjoyed his character in "The Phantom Menace".
So this concludes the prequel trilogy, the only trilogy I've completed so far this month. Although it does have its weaknesses, overall I would say it is strong with the Force.
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