Every numbered Star Wars movie, ranked worst to best

6. Revenge of the Sith (Episode III)

Revenge of the Sith is an all-around solid movie, and superior to its two predecessors in just about every way. The opening sequence where Anakin and Obi-Wan fight their way onto a starship in order to rescue Palpatine is thrilling, and despite the fact that it’s over 40 minutes long, it’s an edge-of-your-seat ride the entire time. Lucasfilm is really on top of its game here in terms of the special effects. There’s still the occasional weird shot, like when the balcony falls on Obi-Wan’s legs in the duel with Count Dooku, but for the most part the visuals are top notch.

Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman’s scenes together as Anakin and Padmé still toe between touching romance and cringe-worthy disaster, but luckily Revenge of the Sith is much more certain about what it’s trying to convey about their relationship. Jon Williams’ foreboding score absolutely transforms the mood of their scenes — it’s like Lucas realized he was the secret weapon that could save the flagging romance scenes, and told him to go wild.

Episode III doesn’t totally escape the prequel curse, alas. If there’s one complaint to be made about the climax of Anakin’s trilogy, it’s that it’s just a kind of boring movie. Revenge of the Sith lacks memorable planets and creatures, General Grievous feels like filler in an already bloated story, and though it was billed as the final chapter of Star Wars at the time of its release, there’s a jarring lack of tension to the whole affair. You know there’s a problem when Darth Vader’s decline into madness feels about as compelling as a Gungan potluck.

The overthrow of the Jedi by Emperor Palpatine is still chilling to watch though, and one of the best gut punch moments of the entire series. It’s a tragic turn of events that you’ve known was coming the entire time, but is still devastating. This is a huge moment in the Star Wars mythos. And while Anakin’s transformation into Vader warrants some suspension of disbelief, Ian McDiarmid is amazing in how he gradually reveals Palpatine’s true nature.

The idea behind this film — that by trying to prevent Padmé’s death, Anakin actually caused it — is such a poetic, story-for-the-ages kind of message. It has exactly the sort of epic scope that The Last Jedi lacked. Whatever other issues the prequel trilogy had, George Lucas certainly deserves credit on his Joseph Campbell-style arcs for the characters.

But the best part of all? Jar Jar Binks is only in one single, mercifully dialogue-free scene.