Parents' Guide to Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

This thrilling conclusion to the prequel storyline features Anakin's angry turn to the "dark side," eventually becoming perhaps one of the most well-known and recognized villains of all time, Darth Vader. Like the other Star Wars movies, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is filled with lots of action and great special effects. Capitalizing on lots of the world-building that the first two movies in this trilogy developed, Revenge of the Sith ramps up toward a climactic fight between mentor and apprentice, with devastating results. While some of George Lucas' dialogue continues to feel awkward, and the central romance does Padmé a disservice, the film adequately shows how someone can easily turn jealousy into anger and vengeance.

This is Anakin's story all along, and the narrative tries to justify some of Vader's ruthlessness. As for other characters, Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) is fully believable, Yoda makes his customary appearances, and other folks play their roles dutifully. The action is spectacular, frequent, and thrilling, and many newcomers to the franchise will be impressed with the CGI, even if it's decades old. Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is convincingly vulnerable just before he becomes utterly fearsome, but Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and Senator Organa (Jimmy Smits) have very little to do. Some critics might emphasize that the prequels generally place too much emphasis on technical displays and "universal" plotting and not enough on character details. But to be fair, the prequels still manage to tell Vader's story within the larger backdrop of political intrigue.