Tag: Revenge of the Sith

My Five Favorite Things About Revenge of the Sith

I’m continuing my series on my five favorite things about the Star Wars movies with Revenge of the Sith. Take a look at my previous posts on The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.

Favorite Scene

The Opera Scene. To me, this is the most pivotal scene in the film, when Palpatine tells Anakin about Darth Plagueis and his ability to stop people from dying. It plays right into Anakin’s darkest fears and desires, luring him into Palpy’s hands. In a movie full of battles, duels, and chases, this quiet scene of dialogue is the key that opens the door to Anakin’s fall. It’s brilliantly sinister, and the weird Mon Calamari opera “music” only adds to the dread one feels in this scene, reminding us that we ourselves are watching a tragic opera play out before us.

Favorite Duel

Battle of the Heroes. Is there really any question on this one? This movie is chock-full of lightsaber duels: Obi-Wan and Anakin vs. Dooku, Obi-Wan vs. Grievous, Yoda vs. Darth Sidious. They’re all fantastic, impressive and exciting as any lightsaber duel, but this one is special–it’s between two individuals who were once friends, and are now enemies. It’s heartbreaking to watch, and the fact that we know the inevitable outcome makes it worse.

Favorite Line

Funniest Moment

A coughing cyborg. Revenge of the Sith isn’t exactly a laugh-fest, but I’ve always gotten a kick out of General Grievous, the cyborg who has a pesky cough. On first viewing, I thought he was a robot and didn’t understand how he could cough. Once I figured out he actually has some lungs in there, it made more sense. It was only recently that I learned Grievous was once a man, and in the book Labyrinth of Evil it explains how he came to be the cyborg we all know and love. I’m still not sure where the cough comes from, though. Does he stress-smoke death sticks?

Most Impactful Character

Palpatine/Darth Sidious. It was a close race between Palpy and Anakin here, but I had to concede to the Dark Lord of the Sith. The whole Skywalker saga hinges on his machinations. The man is an evil genius, bringing all his long-awaited plans into action and fruition in this climactic film. Kudos to the amount of patience required, the long planning, the brilliant acting job of being the mild-mannered Chancellor that this guy employed to play his Jedi-destroying, Galactic Empire-creating endgame. He’s crafty, he’s cagey, he’s powerful, and he absolutely loves being the evil bastard he is. He’s got the evil cackle to prove it. None of the conflict and pain evident in other “villains” such as Vader and Kylo. Nope, he’s the real deal, and he proves it in this best film of the prequels.

I love all the prequels, but ROTS is on a whole other level that is just spectacular, and picking all the favorite moments was difficult. Order 66 gutted me, Padme’s pain choked me up (no pun intended), Obi-Wan is, as always, wonderful. And Hayden Christensen’s performance of the tortured Anakin was incredible. His turn really does break one’s heart.

What are your favorite moments in Revenge of the Sith? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!

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Monday Musings: What I Love About the Prequels

5 Things the Star Wars Prequels Did Right

Okay, so I’m going to be upfront about this here: I’ve never been a huge fan of the prequels.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Let me explain!

So I was a kid when the original trilogy came out, and to me, it was the coolest thing since pockets. Those films engraved themselves on my young mind permanently, and not much else could live up to them.

So when the prequels came out, I was in my late twenties. I went to the movie theater to watch all three films with my young stepson, and he loved them. He was a kid, and like me before him, they impressed themselves on his awe-struck mind. Me? Not so much. Sure, there were great special effects. Dizzying lightsaber duels. And hello? Darth Vader’s backstory. But no “original” characters for me to connect with. And I was a little too old to get the hots for Hayden Christensen. Well, maybe not, but it just didn’t happen. They just didn’t capture me.

Well, it’s been over 20 years, and I think it’s time for a re-evaluation. I’m determined to love everything about Star Wars, and though I may not have adored the prequels, I thought I’d rewatch them and see what I can find to love.

Here’s what I found:

  • Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi. If hots were to be had, it’s for this guy. He was perfect as Obi-Wan, right down to Alec Guinness’ accent. I also love that attack stance of his.
Après des années de rumeurs, il semblerait que Lucasfilm soit était en train d’enclencher l’hyperespace vers une série Star Wars spin-off centré sur Obi-Wan Kenobi avec Ewan McGregor. Depuis la production de Solo: A Star Wars Story, la firme semblait réticente au fait de produire un nouveau spin-off inspiré de l’univers Star Wars. Mais à […] #SérieTV #D23Expo, #Disney, #DisneyPlus, #EwanMcGregor, #Lucasfilm, #StarWars
  • General Grievous. I can’t help it, I get a kick out of this guy.
General Grievous
  • Those gold headsets. Anakin and Obi-Wan look like princes with gold headbands. In fact, everything about this world is pristine, slick, and stream-lined. It glitters. It’s a different look from the run-down, cobbled-together look of the Rebellion, and it’s nice to see for a change.
star wars revenge of the sith - Google Search
  • Padme’s wardrobe.This girl’s got my vote for Best-Dressed out of the entire Star Wars saga. Whether as Queen of Naboo, a Republic Senator, or Anakin’s wife, she’s gorgeous and dressed to the nines. Even fighting and wounded. Even first thing in the morning. Even pregnant. Even dead. GORGEOUS.
It’s no secret that I love the Prequels, Padmé Amidala, and oh so much of her gorgeous wardrobe.  Therefore, it was inevitable that I would decided to torture myself by making myself rank all…
  • Badass Yoda. CGI Yoda rocks. I loved watching him flit around with his lightsaber fighting Count Dooku, and then Palpie.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
  • Palpie with a lightsaber. We’re so used to seeing the Emperor just sitting on his throne in his dark hood, cackling, we forget that he’s a Sith Lord with lightsaber skills. So cool to see him batting around that lightsaber against Windu, and then Yoda.
Palpatine's return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker took fans by surprise - but Lucasfilm has been hinting at it for years.
  • John Williams’ soundtrack. John Williams is a genius no matter what the trilogy, and we know we’re watching Star Wars with this soundtrack. The choral work in ROTS is wonderful, like a Greek chorus singing the tragedy that is inevitable. Fabulous.
John Williams Composer 🎶🎼🎶🎵
  • Revenge of the Sith. Clearly the best of the trilogy. No wincing whatsoever. It’s like the two previous films were throat-clearing, and now we’re finally at the heart of the story. The final battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin is epic, and watching Anakin become Vader is tragic and disturbing. (My only problem with ROTS is the handling of Padme, which you can read about in my Women of Star Wars series.)
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Disney+ poster

So, upon re-evaluation, I have to conclude that I do, indeed, like the prequels. In fact,

Not just the Original Trilogy, but the Prequels, and the Sequels too - PrequelMemes

Do you have a particular trilogy in Star Wars you’re not a big fan of? Any chance of finding something to love? It’s worth a re-evaluation, because, hey, it’s STAR WARS! Comment below and we’ll talk about!