- The Star Wars prequel trilogy is seen to be inconsistent.
- When seen through Anakin’s eyes in Revenge of the Sith, all of his decisions are made to make sense.
- Double-Down on the Action in “Revenge of the Sith” The action scenes.
For want of a better term, the Star Wars prequel trilogy is seen to be inconsistent, yet when you consider the three movies as a whole, the third one, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, saves the trilogy. Federation of trade clone troopers Order 66. And maybe most significantly, the Anakin Skywalker storyline, which is undoubtedly the trilogy’s most contentious feature. Here’s how Revenge of the Sith rescues everything, from the sky over Naboo to Padmé Amidala’s (Natalie Portman) burial procession.
It Everything Comes Together in “Revenge of the Sith”
The main goal of Revenge of the Sith is to tie up the remaining threads and explain the decisions taken in the first two movies. Simply put, it represents the realisation of Palpatine’s (Ian McDiarmid) long-term goal. A closer examination exposes exactly how everything fits together and how Palpatine managed to avoid letting the Jedi know by playing the long game. Palpatine instigated the war with the Trade Federation in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace in order to sow the seeds of distrust among the Galactic Senate, which would eventually lead to his elevation to Chancellor.
Palpatine’s next move is to create a circumstance that necessitates the use of the clone army that he commands. He accomplishes this by inciting a Separatist uprising under the command of Count Dooku and his droid army (Christopher Lee). It’s noteworthy that Dooku even informs Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) that Sidious has considerable influence over the Galactic Senate. Palpatine, however, has done this covertly beneath the Jedi’s nose by taking his time, banking on their arrogance that they would be the first to know if such a situation had arisen.
Chancellor Palpatine is granted emergency powers that enable him to authorise his clone army because the droid army is now a real threat. All of them set up Palpatine’s proclamation of himself as Emperor of the Galactic Empire. The Jedi are dispersed around the galaxy, and the battle keeps people’s focus off of Palpatine’s schemes.
As a result, the Jedi are eliminated when he executes the infamous Order 66 since they are too far apart to aid or warn one another. The strategy is brilliant because Palpatine can brand the Jedi as traitors while also firmly establishing his control over the clone warriors that accompanied them. In essence, Palpatine utilised the Jedi to disperse his armies around the cosmos, enabling him to have enforcers all over the Empire, with the ultimate irony being that the Jedi assisted him in doing so.
Anakin’s arc is made legitimate by “Revenge of the Sith”
The prequel trilogy’s portrayal of Anakin (Jake Lloyd/Hayden Christensen) as wooden, impressionable, and impetuous is another contentious aspect. Once more, when seen through Anakin’s eyes in Revenge of the Sith, all of his decisions are made to make sense. Because Anakin is a slave in The Phantom Menace, most of his decisions do not reflect his own.
It’s also the foundation of his mother Shmi’s affection, which at the time was the only love he had ever known (Pernilla August). When he departs with Obi-Wan, he gives up the one unwavering love he has ever had and exchanges his life as a slave for one that is, arguably, just marginally better. Even though he is free, the Jedi have a set of restrictions on what they can and cannot do, so once more, his decisions are not entirely his own. He finds out that Shmi has passed away, taking with her the source of the one and only love he has ever known.
While the Jedi cannot possibly fill a hole like that, his budding infatuation with Amidala helps to fill some of that void. Also, because he spends time with her away from Obi-Wan and the other Jedi, he is perhaps more free than ever before. When we incorporate that into Revenge of the Sith, his irrational anger over not receiving the title of Jedi Master is justified because his life has never truly been his own, he has lost his mother’s love, and he is held to a higher standard. As a result, being denied the one thing that made his journey worthwhile—his goal—becomes infuriating. Given his past, Anakin’s conversion to the dark side also makes sense.
Anakin now sees Palpatine as a kind of father figure, although a warped and evil one. As a result, Anakin views Mace Windu’s (Samuel L. Jackson) threat to assassinate Palpatine as an assault on a parental figure who has given him compassion (albeit deceptively), as well as an opportunity to defend someone he loves about after being unable to do so for his mother. By then time, he had accepted Palpatine’s message.
Double-Down on the Action in “Revenge of the Sith”
The action scenes, particularly the lightsaber battles, are the other aspect of the movie that the first two service. The trilogy has been building up to them, specifically the confrontation between Anakin and Obi-Wan. The emotional engagement in the lightsaber battles, which are unquestionably the best in the entire Skywalker trilogy, is increased by the narrative. The reward for Yoda having been made a fool of by the openly jeering Palpatine is Yoda’s (Frank Oz) epic battle with Palpatine. The last confrontation between Obi-Wan and Anakin, which pits the two “brothers” against one another after a betrayal, is the culmination of the entire trilogy.
The Trilogy Finishes with “Revenge of the Sith” as It Should
After all is said and done, Revenge of the Sith successfully concludes the trilogy in the only manner possible given the events that occurred in the three movies. Darth Vader’s ascent to power. Leia and Luke’s conception. The passing of Amidala Palpatine and Vader are observing while the Death Star is being built. the banishing of the Jedi to various parts of the galaxy. Revenge of the Sith is not flawless, but it is the greatest of the prequels, effectively wraps up the prequels, and appropriately sets up the future.
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