richard fare

if the entire film had been as good as the second half is, Revenge of the Sith could have been the very best Star Wars film. The first half, whilst entertaining feels inconsequential, like you are just marking time, whereas the second half has serious dramatic and emotional power. The darkness and operatic nature of Anakin's descent to become Vader and his climactic light sabre battle on Mustafar with Obi Wan has genuine emotional weight. The final few minutes of the movie ties everything satisfyingly together with the beginning of A New Hope. McDiarmid's performance as Paplatine is marvelous as is the fight between Palpatine and Yoda. Revenge of the Sith is far and away the best of the prequels and has stood the test of time, whereas Attack of the Clones, despite its epic scale, unfortunately has not.