Revenge of the Sith

I know I'm several months late in celebrating the 20th anniversary of Revenge of the Sith, but I still wanted to take the time to acknowledge the 20th anniversary. Because...  I can't believe this movie is TWENTY years old already.

I remember seeing it twice in theaters when it first came out. Once was with my older brother who was living out of state at the time. And it changed my life. My 10-year-old brain was not ready for the grand epicness that it was about to witness. And I was amazed at how well the story tied into the Original Trilogy.

So it was easily my favorite movie at the time. I thought the visuals were outstanding; I thought the action sequences were awesome; and I thought the tragedy of Anakin's downfall was genuinely heartbreaking. And while my opinion of the Prequel Trilogy has soured over the years, I think these qualities help to solidify Revenge of the Sith as my favorite prequel film.

Sure, I have issues with the acting, the directing, the pacing, the tone, and the dialogue; but I can see what George Lucas was going for with this story. Revenge of the Sith is a political thriller. One that probably feels more important now than it ever did before.

Because, in my opinion, Anakin's journey tells the story of a disgruntled Democrat whose disillusionment with the government blinds him into becoming a Republican.

And I know some people claim to hate that the Disney-era of Star Wars has become political, but the line "if you're not with me, then you are my enemy" is taken directly from President George W. Bush. So, I'm sorry to have to break this to anyone, but Star Wars has ALWAYS been political. Granted, some projects do handle the political themes better than others, but that doesn't change the fact that they've always been present.

Andor may have perfected the art of tackling politics in Star Wars, but it definitely wasn't the first project to grapple with politics. George Lucas may have his faults as a storyteller, but I admire the fact that he's a filmmaker who always had something to say.

So, I think Revenge of the Sith still holds up 20 years later. It may not be my favorite movie ever anymore, but I still thoroughly enjoy it. It's good!

And I wish I got the chance to see it in theaters again with my brother - especially since he's the reason why I'm such a big Star Wars fan in the first place. But we don't need a reason to celebrate our love for the franchise. We just do. Every day is Star Wars day to us.

I'll pop on the 4K version of Revenge of the Sith any given day of the week! I'll enjoy the lightsaber fight to end all lightsaber fights. I'll cry when Ewan McGregor shouts "YOU WERE MY BROTHER ANAKIN!" I'll remember how bittersweet it felt when we all thought that this was going to be the last Star Wars movie ever.

But I'm really glad that more Star Wars films ended up getting made. Because, as is the case with Revenge of the Sith, I have very fond memories of seeing these movies with my family. And no amount of fan hate can take that away from me!

So, even if it may be a flawed film, Revenge of the Sith would still get a recommendation from me.