While I've been critical of young Anakin in The Phantom Menace, I still think the prequels have always gotten a bad rap. They were pretty great movies that critics panned.
The critics may have decided they weren't good before they even came out—and Hayden Christensen especially received a ton of hate—but they were never meant to be the same as the original trilogy. And despite a relatively poor Rotten Tomatoes score, the fans have always loved the prequels, and none hit harder than Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
Even now, twenty years later, it's still the same glorious cinematic experience it was in 2005.
This past April, in celebration of its 20th anniversary, Lucasfilm and Disney re-released Revenge of the Sith in theaters. During the one week it was available, it topped over $40 million globally. That's impressive for a twenty-year-old movie that critics were lukewarm on.
But why did it perform so well? Here are a few reasons.
1. The Duel
I challenge you to find a better lightsaber battle. The energy, the speed, the emotion. Not to mention the set piece. Fighting on Mustafar as everything falls apart around them? Come on! This entire scene is cinematic gold.
It was bigger than the Duel of the Fates, bigger than Obi-Wan vs. Boba Fett (obviously), and, yes, bigger than Luke vs. Vader in Return of the Jedi. The duel on Mustafar was a fitting conclusion to the prequels.
2. The iconic moments
While the duel might be the most iconic moment of the entire prequel trilogy ("You were my brother, Anakin!"), there are so many more that are often overlooked.
The Order 66 montage. Padmé’s “So this is how liberty dies…” Yoda vs. Sidious. "Hello, there."
3. Stronger visuals than you remember
When I first watched Episode II: Attack of the Clones, I distinctly remember being shocked at how many of the sets were entirely CGI. They felt bland and lifeless. It detracted from the movie's immersion.
Either Lucasfilm improved, or they adapted, because Revenge of the Sith doesn't suffer from the same issues. While some effects are obviously early-2000s CGI, many of the film's sequences still look impressive. Who doesn't love that sweeping opening scene with Anakin and Obi-Wan as they enter into the massive space battle above Coruscant? It's almost as iconic as the opening of A New Hope.
Almost.
4. Nothing like time and nostalgia
I'm 40. Although it was a little bit before my time, I grew up with the original trilogy. I remember sitting on the living room floor of my parents' house and watching the Special Editions on VHS.
Yes, I said VHS. Stop laughing.
Han Solo was my hero, and even now, when I watch The Empire Strikes Back, it still gets me (even if I don't necessarily rank it as the most rewatchable).
But now, there's a whole generation of people who grew up with the prequel trilogy as their introduction to the Star Wars universe. They see them with the same rose-tinted nostalgia goggles that I wear every time I watch the originals.
And you know what? I don't blame them.
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