It is week three of the Star Wars countdown and the end of the prequel reviews. We are halfway through the countdown, and this week Sam and Zach dissect Revenge of the Sith, the saga’s turning point in which fans see the pivotal transformation from Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader.

    Sith was Lucas’s final Star Wars movie and, although it does not hold a candle to any of his original works, it wraps up the prequels and leaves fans, just barely, satisfied. Of all the Star Wars movies, Sith has the best special effects, which is a product of the technology available. Lucas was able to create some truly realistic creatures, such as Boga, using CGI. The special effects certainly wow fans and definitely add value to the film where the poor storytelling takes away from it.

Revenge of the Sith is a massive, sci-fi war-action movie, and, if fans expect anything else, they will be sorely disappointed. Fans who go into the movie with the right expectations are pleasantly satisfied with the introduction to the original trilogy. The final scene of the movie shows Palpatine and Vader watching the Death Star’s construction and the delivery of Luke and Leia to their homeworlds, which are familiar sights from A New Hope.

Not only is the transformation from Anakin to Vader interesting to watch unfold, but it also provides a welcome breath of fresh air to the fans who choked on Anakin’s overbearingly whiny personality. Most of Anakin’s dialogue consists of awkward complaints about the injustices of the Jedi Order and about how everyone hates him. Continuing from Clones, the romance between Skywalker and Padme was painfully drawn out. Their love story is more melodramatic than romantic and would belong better in a soap opera, not a space opera. All of Anakin’s scenes are sad attempts at story development that make fans simply crave the shallow scenes of high-powered laser guns and starships.

There are five lightsaber duels in Sith and a smattering of clone/droid warfare. Not only is there a strong quantity of dueling, but the quality is also great. Fans watch one-on-one clashes in some really unique environments, such as the volcanic surface of Mustafar, as well as exotic scenarios of one Sith beating four Jedi and the four-armed cyborg General Grievous who wields a lightsaber in all of his hands. The super-caliber of Sith’s action redeemed it from its low points of sappy romance and whiny acting which unfortunately characterized the prequels.

High Points: Cool Graphics, Sweet Fight Scenes, Awesome Foreshadowing

Low Points: Weak Story, Bad Romance, Anakin

Summary: 3 out of 5 Dead Padawans

About the Authors:

Sam Swoap is a techno-freedom fighter spends his time fighting evil corporations and government agencies bent on controlling the world’s information. He also likes the smell of freshly cut grass.

Zach Armet was, is, and will be a time-travelling assassin who prevented World Wars III, IV, and V. He spends his free time constructing small frigates inside bottles.