Star Wars: Episode III - Die Rache der Sith

Peter Jackson hat gesagt, dass die ersten beiden Teile von Der Herr der Ringe deshalb entstanden sind, damit es den dritten Teil geben kann. Bei Star Wars passt diese Aussage aber noch mehr. Es ist überraschend, wie sich das Gesicht von Episode III allmählich verändert – sie fängt wie die unterhaltsamen Popcorn-Filme Episode I und Episode II an. Dann nimmt sie den Stil der Originaltrilogie an und endet so, dass man sich die Episode IV anschauen möchte. Dieser Übergang beweist, warum die beiden vorigen Episoden dramatisch so schwach waren, und bestätigt, WER der "Hauptheld" der ganze Saga ist und WAS das wichtigste Element eines großen Fantasyfilms ist. Bei Jackson war es Sauron, bei Lucas ist es Darth Vader. Filmtechnisch gesehen ist die Episode III nur in den letzten 20 Minuten besser als die vorigen Teile (welche das dramatische Niveau von Episode V erreichen). Der Rest des Films ist fesselnder. Nicht deshalb, weil er besser geschrieben oder gedreht wäre, sondern deshalb, weil er einen Inhalt hat. Was wäre Der Herr der Ringe - Die Gefährten, wenn in ihm als das größte und mächtigste Böse nicht Sauron dargestellt wäre? Episode I und Episode II hätte man in einem zweistündigen Prequel zusammenfassen sollen und der Anfang der Saga, die wir alle lieben, hätte erst Episode III sein sollen. May the Dark Side be with you, Anakin! (21.05.2005)

Lucas didn’t deliver what I was looking forward to the most. There was no major internal struggle in Anakin's mind, his transition to the dark side was too rushed, despite Lucas having the whole movie to work on it. It called for more Anakin and his mental struggle and less flashy Grievous (though the four lightsabers were cool). Some moments were weaker or outright lame (Obi-Wan chasing chasing Grievous on a lizard, the deformed face of Palpatine's with a make-up that failed fatally when compared to the Emperor's expression in the old series), some were exquisite (the whole Obi-Wan vs. Anakin duel, Obi-Wan's beautifully played emotional speech to the burning Anakin, the extermination of the Jedi), and the overall emotional impact was quite strong. But I still stand by the fact that Lucas is not a very good director and should have given the helm to someone more skilled. This episode is not without flaws, so with its cautious five stars, The Empire Strikes Back remains on top. But I still love this legend as a whole. (15.06.2005)

Lucas recovered and The Revenge of the Sith justified the existence of the entire trilogy. My overall impression is positive, but there are a couple of mistakes (Christensen is not a good actor) that prevent the highest score. (13.03.2009)

The third episode, which is also the sixth one to be shot, makes its epic qualities really more than obvious. I feel that George Lucas told everyone that the first trilogy couldn’t be done in the 1970s, but he also did it on purpose so that the epicness of it could be built on the existing fame. Which actually, in the end, happened. I remember, that when I, back then, started with the newer trilogy, I was very uncertain after the second episode what would come in the third one. And the third one also started pretty slow. But the second half of the movie is, thankfully, a never-ending wipe-out that not only brings you the transformation of Anakin into Darth Vader, but there is also a solid amount of scenes some fans have been waiting for for 2 decades and which aren’t going to be forgotten easily. And that’s despite the fact that everybody even then knew very well what was going to happen and they still couldn’t help but feel the suspense that the third episode hides. For me a complete climax during which you need to wait out the first half-hour of political babbling so that you can enjoy the acting reincarnation of Hayden Christensen into one of the most powerful Sith Lord of that time. (06.11.2015)

Episode III ist eine verzweifelte Fuge, in der der wandernde Torso des Jedi-Ordens versucht, alles zu tun, um in völliger Desillusion und Agonie zu enden. Während Lucas den Zuschauern mit einem Bissen seiner spektakulären Stunt-Action verwöhnt, steigert er die böse Vorahnung und verstärkt die düsteren Untertöne fast von Beginn des Films an, was akustisch und visuell in der Szene gipfelt, in der Anakin im verlassenen Jedi-Tempel eine fatale Entscheidung trifft - seinem Verführer Palpatine zu helfen. Obwohl George Lucas ein mittelmäßiger Regisseur ist, gehören diese Szene und einige andere (insbesondere die Vernichtung der Jedi) zu den emotional stärksten der gesamten sechsteiligen Serie. In Episode III gelingt es ihm, den Rhythmus und das Tempo beizubehalten, das er gegen Ende mutig zu einem wilden Stakkato hoffnungsloser Szenen steigert, die den imaginären Höhepunkt der neuen Trilogie bilden. Sie haben einen ungewöhnlichen Naturalismus und passen ganz zu der neuen Atmosphäre, die Star Wars durch die neuen Episoden, aber vor allem durch die Computerspielreihe erhalten hat. Der Eindruck ist ungeheuerlich, eindringlich, unmittelbar. Viel mehr gibt es nicht zu sagen - Die Rache der Sith ist der Beweis dafür, dass sich alle Schluckaufs der beiden Vorgängerfilme gelohnt haben, denn sie bilden die Grundlage für ein wirklich spektakuläres Finale. Kritikpunkte: Die Actionszenen sind zu langatmig und leiden unter der klassischen visuellen Völlerei des digitalen Zeitalters, für das Lucas der führende Geist ist. Zu viele Farben und Effekte führen zu Unübersichtlichkeit. Die Musik von John Williams ist etwas starr, aber in den entscheidenden Momenten funktioniert sie. Ja, und dann noch ein paar Reminiszenzen an den unglaublich gestelzten Liebesdialog. Aber sehr wenige. Nicht genug, um eine Episode zu ruinieren, die sich in Gesellschaft von Eine neue Hoffnung und Das Imperium schlägt zurück wirklich nicht zu schämen braucht. (19.05.2005)

The dark side of the Force suits it. Even so, I don’t think even retrospectively that it makes any more sense than the previous ones; quite the opposite, in the light (excuse me, “the darkness") of this episode I find that the absolute superfluousness of the saga becomes even more obvious. The imbalance in pace is a huge mistake. The first fifteen minutes involves a monumental battle, then we get a boring hour with starched amateur dramatic dialogs and then during the last hour it turns into a serious drama with convincing (as far as the Star Wars universe is concerned) characters. Too bad that the transformation of Anakin into Vader seems unbelievable and rushed. The idea that this mentally unstable character was in fact the embodiment of living charisma that we know from the original trilogy is ridiculous. The weaker moments are saved by the stylish over-acting of Ian McDiarmid. The greatest faux pas is that, although this was supposed to be emotionally tense due to the tragic context, sadly the opposite is true. While on screen we see something technically impressive, it leaves you absolutely cold. (20.05.2005)

Amazement, lightsabers, Amidala, destiny, Vader, "I hate you!", the discovery of the emperor, and above all, the most outstanding episode of the entire saga. Thrilling and brilliant even after repeated viewings. Lucas' monument. (01.07.2005)

The most expensive camp movie of all time. In contrast to the straightforwardly tasteless Spaceballs, the conclusion of the prequel trilogy offers the properly attuned audience a multi-layered farce with a magnificently overwrought script that abounds with cartoonish characters, absurd sequences and absolutely zero logic. The film’s greatest enigma is Hayden Christensen; even more so than in the second episode, it is impossible to tell if he is a terrible actor or, conversely, very good at playing a horrible asshole (Ian McDiarmid, on the other hand, portrays the nascent emperor with positively swaggering self-indulgence). Episode III similarly also culminates the other drawbacks of the previous instalment. Apart from the ridiculous emo gloominess, the film’s main fault lies in the fact that the narrative doesn’t develop its own story, but serves merely to establish the motifs of the original trilogy. Generally speaking, the audience’s familiarity with the denouement doesn't automatically mean that a film can’t be engaging – one of the best examples of which is Singer’s Valkyrie. This can be achieved by building tension, developing supporting sub-motifs or parallel storylines, or by simply building a fictional world. But Lucas does not do any of these things, relying instead on superficial fanservice and bluntly and literally filling in the gaps in a story that previously at least offered the promise of ambiguity (though the film also introduces a number of gaps in logic into the saga). And what is the moral and denouement of Episode III and with it the completed saga? The Force reaches equilibrium through several decades of the destructive, capricious behaviour of a childishly unhinged egocentric asshole who first subverts the religiously degenerate Jedi and then literally topples the brilliant manipulator and master of chance, the emperor. On the one hand, we can understand this as a stimulating impetus in relation to prophecy, the interpretation of history and the importance of the individual in history, but it’s not exactly exciting for viewers. So, it's actually nice of Lucas to wrap up this denouement in such a wildly bad movie that invites amused commentary at every moment. (12.10.2015)

A fantastic conclusion to the greatest film saga of all time. Visually extremely confident, plot-packed, and emotionally fateful. (21.05.2005)

Dramaturgically, it’s much more mature and immersive than the two previous episodes. It’s incredibly spectacular and dynamic in its individual attractions, which exquisitely heightens the atmosphere and, for the first time in the new trilogy, revels in fatality and visual darkness. While Lucas is absolutely incapable of any psychological level, and SW in his hands remains a cold showcase of intergalactic filmmaking possibilities and worlds, this instalment at least has the narrative balls and verve to make me gladly forgive him for the mechanical dialogue or the dull character shift by the awful Christensen. It's got major conflict, pivotal moments of the entire saga, and an ultra-cool Yoda and Obi-Wan whose separate story-arcs, capped by two parallel and iconic duels, I would sketch in the starry sky at night and always watch before falling asleep. The transition to A New Hope is finally completed, George Lucas, you have my respect... (28.12.2011)

When it came to the crucial part that was supposed to connect everything, it finally managed to tie in with the original trilogy in terms of the fourth and fifth installments. This is a stunningly dark conclusion to the new trilogy, so dark that it will chill you sometimes. Visually, it is magnificent, from the beginning, the duel with Grievous is one of my favorites, as well as Yoda's confrontation with Sidious (Yoda doesn't finish this fight) and Obi-Wan's with Vader. (22.03.2015)

Episode III ingeniously develops the conflict with the dark side of the Force and presents Anakin's entire transformation in a supremely realistic and believable way. Definitely the best installment of the new trilogy, and thankfully very close to the qualities of the original Star Wars. (30.11.2019)