I didn't watch this movie again in preparation of Rise of Skywalker, but just because it's an incredible movie. I actually don't plan on watching Rise of Skywalker until it hits Redbox, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say even at $1.25 + tax I'll feel ripped off after watching it. But anyhow, back to why I made this post.
I know I've reviewed this movie at least once before on here, but after watching it again this morning I simply could not help myself to praise this movie once more. Revenge of the Sith is my favorite Star Wars movie, even beating out Empire Strikes Back which was for a very long time my favorite, even for several years after ROTS was out. ROTS is like a fine wine that just gets better and better with age and each repeated viewing.
It is by far the most entertaining of all the Star Wars movies as it possesses the majority of the best Lightsaber fights in the entire saga, with the climactic Obiwan vs Anakin fight being the best lightsaber duel of all, and maybe one of the best on screen fights of any movie, ever. Beyond that there are plentiful military skirmishes, an incredible space battle, and an extremely good story that satisfies in so many ways. Palpatine's ascension to being the emperor, Anakins fall to the dark side, the fall of the Jedi, the collapse of the Republic, everything; this movie is so amazing on so many fronts that I find it impossible not to enjoy this film immensely from start to finish. Then there is the score by John Williams, which with maybe the exception of the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, it is used to amazing effect. Specifically during the end scene where Anakin is given the Vader suit and when order 66 is given give me freakin chills every time.
This is certainly not a perfect movie, but to be fair none of the Star Wars movies are. You can't talk about this movie without talking about Hayden Christianson's acting, which at times is excellent, but at others is laughably bad. Mostly his delivery of various lines is where the limitations of his acting are very much so on display. There is also the criticism that this movie uses way, way too much CGI, which i can understand, but luckily 98% of it has aged well. Aside from that there are small nitpicks here and there, but overall nothing else negative about this movie shines through enough for it to get in the way of my enjoyment of it at all.
Watching this movie now gives me a sense of sadness though. No matter how you look at it Disney has irreparably damaged Star Wars, and while I have not given up all hope for the future of the franchise, I'd be surprised if it ever got this good ever again. I know people like to shit all over the prequel movies, and yes, they are flawed movies, particularly the first two, but they suffer from a fraction of the faults in the Disney films, save maybe Rogue One. I also felt that The Force Awakens was a good launchpad for much better things that were literally all squandered by TLJ, and with TROS being a direct sequel, the foundation of that movie was essentially constructed on quicksand. I don't see how TROS is going to set the franchise right again, but that doesn't mean that it might not find its way in the future. Assuming Disney gets their shit together, makes some radical restructuring decisions within Lucasfilm, and maybe attempts to leave their own mark in the canon either in the Old Republic Era or far in the future beyond the sequel trilogy, I don't know how it will be possible.
But for what it's worth we got 6 decent to masterpiece films that I will forever love, as well as a ton of expanded universe material that Disney stupidly retconned. I've actually been reading a lot of the comics from the old EU and many of them are great and really compliment the movies and other EU material. I don't think I'll ever be able to not love Star Wars seeing how much of an impact its had on me throughout my entire life, and I will be forever grateful I have Revenge of the Sith.
