--- title: "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" year: 2005 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith" fi1m_score: 67 critics_score: 64 critics_reviews: 19 published: "2026-09-18T11:58:09.152774+00:00" updated: "2026-09-18T11:58:09.683845+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) Directed by George Lucas · 2h 20m · MPA PG-13 · Adventure, Action, Science Fiction **Fi1m score: 67** · Critics 64 from 19 reviews *In a sentence:* Everyone in the galaxy is in a meeting except Ian McDiarmid, who is having the time of his life > The last of Lucas’s prequels is the only one that works, and it works late. The first ninety minutes are meetings and love scenes written by a man who dislikes both; the final forty are opera, and they almost pay for the rest. ## Synopsis The Clone Wars are ending. Above the city-planet Coruscant, Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) fly into a battle to rescue Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), who has been kidnapped by the Separatists and is held aboard a flagship where Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) is waiting for them. Back on Coruscant, Anakin’s secret wife, Senator Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), tells him she is pregnant. Palpatine, who has held emergency powers since the war began, appoints Anakin his personal representative on the Jedi Council; the Council, led by Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and Yoda (voice of Frank Oz), refuses him the rank of Master and asks him instead to spy on the Chancellor. Anakin is caught between the men who raised him and the one who flatters him. ## Review George Lucas has one job left in *Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith*, and it is the job the prequels were sold on in 1999: turn a decent young man into Darth Vader and a republic into an empire, in 140 minutes, for an audience that knows exactly where this ends. He gets there. The final forty minutes are the strongest in any [*Star Wars*](https://film.one/film/star-wars) film since [*The Empire Strikes Back*](https://film.one/film/the-empire-strikes-back) (1980). The hundred before them are the prequels as we have come to know them, only with more meetings. It opens well. David Tattersall’s camera follows two fighters in a single long swoop across a battle above Coruscant, through a wall of ships and gunfire, and for a few minutes the film has the pulp speed of 1977. Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) bicker, board a flagship and find Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) waiting for them. Gavin Bocquet’s sets are the film’s steadiest pleasure: the Senate as a vast bowl of floating pods, Padmé’s flat with a sunset that seems to last for days, a city of sinkholes where the clone army lands on the walls like ants. Trisha Biggar dresses Natalie Portman in velvets and brocades so heavy she barely needs to move, which turns out to be convenient. Because the script gives her nothing to do. Padmé is pregnant, frightened for her husband and confined to that flat, where she and Anakin tell each other how beautiful they are in the level voices of people reading from cards. Christensen is not a natural actor and Lucas does not help him; every line he is given is either an announcement or a complaint. He is better in silence. There is a wordless scene in which he and Portman stand at windows across the city from each other, and his face does what the dialogue cannot. It is the one moment in the first hour that feels like a film about people. Ian McDiarmid is the reason to keep watching. Chancellor Palpatine spends the middle of the film taking Anakin aside, at the opera, in his office, in corridors, and telling him stories, and McDiarmid plays each one as a kindly uncle with something rotten just behind the smile. He purrs, he pauses, and when the mask finally comes off he has a wonderful time. McGregor, meanwhile, has quietly given the trilogy its best performance: he has found Alec Guinness’s cadence without doing an impression, and his Obi-Wan is dry, tired and fond, a man who knows the boy beside him is slipping and has no idea how to say so. Samuel L. Jackson’s Mace Windu is solemn to the point of furniture. Frank Oz’s Yoda gets one good fight and several sentences only he could make sound wise. Then the turn comes, the one the title promises, and we will not describe how it is staged. What we can say is that Roger Barton and Ben Burtt cut the last stretch as two fights running at once, on two planets, and that John Williams gives them a choir and a brass line that rises through both. We had been bored through the Senate votes and the balcony scenes, properly bored. Then a montage of things going wrong across the galaxy at once, scored almost as a lament, caught us off guard, and we found we were moved, and slightly cross about it, because the writing had done so little to earn the feeling and Williams had done so much. The final duel, on a planet made of fire, is overlong and over-choreographed, and it still lands, because by then the film has stopped explaining itself. Against Lucas’s own standard, *Star Wars* (1977) told a simple story and let the pictures do the talking. *The Phantom Menace* (1999) and *Attack of the Clones* (2002) told complicated ones and let nobody speak like a person. This one has the same trouble with words and then, in its last act, finds a way round it, mostly by cutting them. See it for McDiarmid, for McGregor and for the ending. It carries a 12A, and small children who came for the robots may find the last act harder going than the certificate suggests. *Fi1m score 67, published 18 September 2026.* ### Reviews we read (19) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (3.5/4): The film returns to classic space opera with spectacular action and effects that stimulate the imagination, making it a great entertainment despite weak dialogue. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith-2005) - **IndieWire**, Christian Blauvelt (85/100, inferred): The piece argues that time has been kind to the film, positioning it as George Lucas's most personal blockbuster and the best Star Wars movie overall due to its emotional depth and thematic resonance. It highlights how the prequel's messiness and personal vision contribute to its lasting appeal. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/features/commentary/revenge-of-the-sith-best-star-wars-movie-1235118702/) - **Total Film** (80/100, inferred): Flawed but enthralling, this is Star Wars’ darkest hour and sends the saga home on a high as the first among the prequels by a mighty stretch. It recaptures the magic of the franchise with pace, passion, purpose, and a jaw-flooring finale that crosses between duels and birth scenes with poetic cross-cutting. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/star-wars-episode-3-revenge-of-the-sith-review/) - **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (80/100, inferred): The review praises the film as the saddest and sincerest Star Wars entry, embracing bleak tragedy and the nature of evil in its second half while matching the saga's grim mood. It singles out the exploration of Anakin's rage and Palpatine's manipulation as particularly resonant. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/in-praise-of-revenge-of-the-sith-star-wars-saddest-movie.html) - **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (75/100, inferred): Episode III is better than the other two much-derided prequels—leaner and funnier—while delivering a darker tale about power, control, and the dark side that functions as an adult movie for kids. Stylistic faults remain, including overload of technical trickery, cod language, and stagey acting, but Lucas redeems himself with this treatise that may frighten but ultimately welcomes viewers to the dark side. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/welcome-to-the-dark-side-7384833.html) - **Empire**, Colin Kennedy (70/100, inferred): From a certain point of view, this is the best and most pleasing surprise in the saga, outclassing the earlier prequels with stronger effects, production design, and set pieces while addressing key myths. However, it is let down by rushed plotting, ludicrous dialogue, and an unconvincing dark-side turn for Anakin in the middle act. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-sith-review/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (70/100, inferred): It is easily the best of the prequels and the only one worth watching for its energetic visuals and creation myth of the Empire and Vader, but it shares the weaknesses of stilted dialogue and poor work with actors. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-revenge-of-the-sith-review-20151202-story.html) - **Screen Daily** (70/100, inferred): The film is more satisfying than the previous prequels, offering strong action, effects, and a fitting dark conclusion, though politics slow it down. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith/4022926.article) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Kirk Honeycutt (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a qualified success that delivers thrilling tragic inevitability as Anakin's fate unfolds, with strong action sequences and improved integration of comedy and drama. Poor dialogue and wooden acting remain flaws but are outweighed by the epic design and pioneering digital filmmaking. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/star-wars-revenge-sith-review-752673/) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (70/100, inferred): This is by far the best film in the recent trilogy and ranks with the strongest in the cycle for its spectacle and mythic resonance, though it suffers from Lucas's indifference to acting and writing. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/16/movies/some-surprises-in-that-galaxy-far-far-away.html) - **Time Out**, PW (3/5): The review describes it as breathless and effects-filled but badly acted and slightly disappointing, noting the known ending limits suspense. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith) - **Sight and Sound**, Kim Newman (30/100, inferred): Kim Newman finds the film visually impressive with strong action sequences and duels but hampered by poor dialogue and acting. It excels in spectacle over substance. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-sith-archive-review-darth-vaders-wobbly-rise-power) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (30/100, inferred): The film is dramatically weightless and bores the viewer into submission with its overlong, artificial plotting and lifeless performances. The one spark of real dramatic life comes too late in the final sequence showing the birth of Darth Vader. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2005/may/13/starwars) - **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (30/100, inferred): The film is a dismal morality tale of moral cleansing resolved only by violence, with an ear of purest cloth and an art of flawless and irredeemable vulgarity, though it improves slightly on the prior prequels. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/05/23/space-case) - **The Telegraph**, Tim Robey (30/100, inferred): The film is a mightily disappointing slab of cinema far from a satisfying payoff, with an opening dogfight that gives way to two hours of encroaching tedium. It fails to deliver on the promise of pulling the prequel saga together despite some technical dazzle. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-sith-review-disappointing-slab/) - **/Film**, Rick Stevenson (85/100, inferred): The critic argues that Revenge of the Sith is George Lucas's true masterpiece and the film he had always wanted to make, blending high melodrama, bold audiovisuals, Greek tragedy, and a critique of American neoliberalism. While acknowledging flaws such as its treatment of Padmé, the review celebrates the prequel's ambition and emotional stakes over the originals in this 20th-anniversary retrospective. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/1847838/revenge-of-the-sith-star-wars-creator-george-lucas-masterpiece/) - **Den of Geek**, Rob Leane (75/100, inferred): The film succeeds as a confident closer to the prequels, with strong action sequences and an epic tone despite some tonal unevenness and sidelined characters. It stands as an important cultural moment that answers long-standing saga questions while delivering fan-favorite set pieces like the Mustafar duel. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/star-wars-revenge-of-the-sith-story-recap-legacy/) - **Digital Spy**, Daniel Saney (70/100, inferred): Lucas returns the saga to form with a darker tone that makes it the best since The Empire Strikes Back, featuring excellent effects, improved acting, and fast pacing that ties threads together effectively. Romance scenes remain a weak point with cheesy dialogue, but overall it works well as a standalone film. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a21267/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith/) - **The Ringer**, Miles Surrey (70/100, inferred): The critic argues that Revenge of the Sith is the strongest of the prequels and deserves more credit as a compelling operatic tragedy despite its flaws in dialogue and structure. They single out its entertainment value and dark moments for praise while noting its place as Lucas's final directorial effort. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2020/05/19/movies/revenge-of-the-sith-star-wars-15-years-later) ## Details - **Director:** George Lucas - **Director:** George Lucas - **Screenplay:** George Lucas - **Cinematography:** David Tattersall - **Editor:** Ben Burtt, Roger Barton - **Music:** John Williams - **Production design:** Gavin Bocquet - **Costume design:** Trisha Biggar - **Producer:** Rick McCallum - **Cast:** Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader; Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi; Natalie Portman as Padmé Amidala; Ian McDiarmid as Chancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious; Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu; Jimmy Smits as Senator Bail Organa; Frank Oz as Yoda (voice); Anthony Daniels as C-3PO - **Runtime:** 2h 20m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 19 May 2005 - **Genres:** Adventure, Action, Science Fiction - **Budget:** $113 million - **Box office:** $850 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UnjrG_N8hU ## Where to watch in the US - Disney+: streaming, uhd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Apple TV: buy $9.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $19.99, uhd *Checked 2026-09-18.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2006: Best Makeup and Hairstyling (nominated) - MTV Movie Award for Best Villain 2006: MTV Movie Award for Best Villain (won) - Saturn Awards 2006: Best Science Fiction Film (won) ## If you liked this - *The Empire Strikes Back* (1980), Fi1m 92: The saga’s other dark middle chapter, and the one where people talk like people. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-empire-strikes-back.md) - *Ran* (1985), Fi1m 92: Kurosawa’s Lear: a kingdom torn apart by its heirs, in colour-coded armies. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ran.md) - *Excalibur* (1981), Fi1m 79: Boorman’s Arthurian cycle has the same brass, the same doom and better dialogue. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/excalibur.md) - *Andor* (2022): The Empire seen from the ground, with the politics this film only gestures at. - *Flash Gordon* (1980): Space opera that knows it is silly and enjoys every minute of it. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith