Star Wars Day III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Impressions from the third movie. Just in case you’ve managed to not see the movies, here be spoilers:

• Darth Vader, often thought the best screen villain, appears at last. When that first mechanical breath hits, oh man.
• “So this is how liberty dies…with thunderous applause.” Only too true. Never happen in real life, right? Right.
• As dark as Episode II was, this one is even darker. Anakin maimed into inhumanity, yes, but also Padme’s heart and trust breaking, the betrayal and slaughter of the Jedi, the Empire being declared, and more.
• If you’re like me, you start to tear up when Yoda clutches his chest, as he feels the Jedi dying.
• Wookiees! Chewbacca! So awesome.
• Mace Windu — Samuel L. Jackson — is just freakin’ cool as hell.
• Obi-Wan in his prime. You know just how powerful he is by his being able to hold his own against Anakin.
• The arrogance and blindness of the Jedi Council ultimately destroys them. There is always some measure of truth in what the Sith says, but the truth is twisted.
• I don’t care what anybody says, the moment where the Emperor tells Darth Vader that Vader himself is responsible for Padme’s death is chilling.
• Anakin’s transformation is complete and the stage is set for the Skywalker children to come on the scene.

The first trilogy is complete, and we are halfway through the hexology. Now we travel back in time 30 years to a drive-in theater in 1977. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…