2. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith
What critics say: "The sixth and final installment of George Lucas' epic space opera will please die hard fanatics and non-believers alike - largely due to awesome digital effects and the sheer power of the mythology" - Rotten Tomatoes (80%)
What audiences think: The feeling among moviegoers is that the
Star Wars prequels represent one of the biggest wasted opportunities in cinematic history. Like
Phantom Menace and
Attack of the Clones before it, fans were disappointed with what Lucas had in mind for the final (hey, it was at the time) movie in the saga. The problems audiences had with
Sith are the same they had for the other two prequels. There was an overload of visual effects and not enough characterization. The writing was lazy and sloppy. The acting was wooden. Darth Vader was neutered with the hideous "NOOOOOOOO!!!" scene that is still widely mocked. But at least Jar Jar Binks didn't play a role.
Who's right? To me, it's baffling that
Revenge of the Sith is actually the third best-reviewed installment in the franchise (
Empire Strikes Back - 98%,
Star Wars - 94%. For those wondering,
Return of the Jedi is at 79%). Red Letter Media's opus -
the Mr. Plinkett Episode III review - breaks it down perfectly at every level. Yes,
Revenge of the Sith is the best of the three prequels, but that's really not saying much. Episode III seemed like the final nail in the coffin for the beloved series. Let's all hope JJ Abrams can restore balance to the Force. Of course, the prequels weren't the only Lucas production to cause a stir...