STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH
A thrilling, tragic finale that demands adult discernment.
Should You Watch It?
This is a powerful, emotionally explosive conclusion to the STAR WARS prequel trilogy. It succeeds brilliantly as tragic drama and thrilling spectacle, especially in its portrayal of Chancellor Palpatine’s evil machinations. The acting is stronger than in the previous two prequels, the action is exciting, and the story is a genuine tearjerker.
The cost is substantial. The movie is darker than the other STAR WARS films, with frightening violence and a strong pagan worldview built around the supernatural Force. Its moral warnings about political power, the pursuit of god-like abilities, and redemption are valuable, but the film also undercuts moral truth by suggesting that absolute distinctions themselves are suspect.
Adults who can discuss those ideas thoughtfully may find much to admire. Children and young teens should not be sent into this darkness. The practical answer: see it only as a discerning adult, prepared to talk through its worldview.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESAnakin Skywalker is a troubled Jedi Knight secretly married to Senator Amidala. When he foresees her death in childbirth, Chancellor Palpatine offers him hope through the powers of the dark side of the Force.
At the same time, Palpatine asks Anakin to spy on the Jedi Council, while the Council asks Anakin to spy on Palpatine. As the Republic’s war with the separatists reaches a crisis, Anakin must decide whom to trust—and what he is willing to do to save the woman he loves.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this film succeeds at the highest level of entertainment quality described by the source. George Lucas delivers a fitting, emotionally explosive conclusion with thrilling suspense, exciting action sequences, and a tragic dramatic core.
The acting is much better than in the previous two STAR WARS prequels. Hayden Christensen is more effective as the troubled Anakin, Ewan McGregor is superb as Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ian McDiarmid is the picture’s real star. McDiarmid’s performance as Palpatine is filled with deceit and evil and is especially memorable.
The Worldview
The film presents strong moral warnings about placing too much political power in one person and trying to gain god-like powers. It also includes redemptive attempts to save someone from evil. Those strengths are undermined, however, by a strong New Age pagan worldview centered on the Force, including a monistic explanation of the afterlife and supernatural references to a “netherworld of the force.”
The film’s treatment of truth is especially confused. It warns viewers away from the dark side because it leads to evil, yet it also presents the idea that only evil people deal in absolutes and that truth is not black and white. That claim contradicts itself and weakens the story’s moral, redemptive power. The film also contains political implications that may be read as criticism of President Bush’s War on Terror, the Iraq War, and Republican control of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
At its best, the movie understands the insidious nature of evil and the need to resist it. Its tragic story also points toward the possibility of redemption. Scripture gives a clearer standard: “Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong, contradictory New Age pagan worldview with mixed elements, such as a monistic explanation for the afterlife and the supernatural world, and strong moral elements that include a strong warning about resting too much political power in one man as well as a warning about trying to gain god-like powers and that also include redemptive attempts to save and redeem someone from evil, as well as light occult reference to a human being returning from the “netherworld of the force” (this occult element is even stronger in the novelization of the movie), and some politically correct implications such as a possible (but subtle) allusion of criticism aimed at President Bush’s War on Terror, the Iraq War and Republican control of the executive, legislative and judicial branches, plus a PC line of dialogue contradicts the movie’s moral elements (“Only the Sith deal in absolutes”) and indicates that only evil people believe in absolutes and that truth is never black and white (this is more clearly stated in the novelization and seems to be an attack on conservatives and religious people who believe that there are at least some absolute truths and absolute moral laws); no foul language although one character says “In the name of. . .” and never finishes sentence; lots of action violence, some of it strong, but not gory or bloody, such as lightsaber cuts off man’s hands and head (lightsaber automatically cauterizes the wounds), lightsaber cuts off man’s legs, man’s face and body terribly burned and this is shown in hospital scene, woman gives painful birth to twins, explosions, cyborg is made of metal and body parts and is destroyed by striking the fleshy torso parts, implied murder of defenseless children, lightsaber duel causes man’s face to start aging rapidly, laser gun fights, spaceship almost crashes, man almost crushed by falling debris, lightsaber duels, spaceships battle, man starts to strangle woman, many armed robots destroyed, and man falls into water; no sex scenes but kissing and married couple are sleeping in bed when nightmare causes husband to get out of bed; female cleavage in one brief scene and brief upper male nudity; no alcohol; no smoking; and, husband lies to wife, and political/personal betrayal and deceit.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Palpatine gains power by dividing people and exploiting fear. Why is concentrated political power dangerous, and what does Scripture call leaders to do?
Deuteronomy 16:18–20 · Mark 10:42–45Anakin is tempted by the promise of saving someone he loves, even at the cost of embracing evil. How can a good desire become a destructive one?
Matthew 16:24–26 · 1 Timothy 6:9–10The film suggests that truth is not black and white. Why does Christian faith insist that truth matters, and how should believers respond to moral confusion?
John 14:6 · Ephesians 4:14–15The story includes an attempt to save and redeem someone from evil. What does real redemption require, and how is Christ’s redemption different from human rescue?
Romans 5:6–8 · Ephesians 2:8–9The Final Word
This is excellent filmmaking with thrilling action, powerful acting, and a tragic moral center. But its pagan worldview and confusion about absolute truth require careful adult judgment. For children and young teens, choose something else. Our answer is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. For alternatives, see.
