Here's my review post from the ratings thread with all the spoilers edited out. With any luck it will make sense...
I'm going to have to give it a 10 out of 10.
Does this mean that it is better than or equal to the quality of A New Hope or Empire Strikes Back? No, it certainly doesn't. It is good for it's own reasons. The only problems that I could have had with it fall in the dialogue area but there are exposititory scenes in ALL the Star Wars movies that I could do without so I cannot hold those moments against this film.
It should also be noted that I am biased. Very biased, in fact because there are some hard core geek-out moments that are so good that they make the film all that much more enjoyable. Will these moments stand the test of time like Eps 4/5, I dunno? There were so many parts that will only be caught be people who have watched the originals over and over again that were great. If I was a girl, I would have been squealing. As it was I was reduced to a bunch of muttered, "no way" and "holy &%$#" comments. You'll see what I mean.
I can boil down why I rated it so high to this: Revenge of the Sith makes all the films better. Many of the scenes from other movies will now hold more weight. Lucas does a fine job of mirror scenes. For example, recall the pod race and how the close-ups of Anakin were similar to Vader's Tie Fighter close-ups in the trench battle. Things like that, only better.
Palpatine's machinations were brilliant. Every time he was onscreen, especially with Anakin, there was the perfect sense of dread and deception that there needs to be in order for the character and plot to work. I can easily say that Anakin's change was certainly visible onscreen and done well. His torment and tormented choices made me really want to reach out and say, "No man... don't do it!"
Everyone has something to say about the final duel and so do I. This is not a spoiler: The way it ends is so telling of how all the previous events have effected all characters involved. It is beautiful, horrifying and tragic all at once. And the intercutting is nothing short of masterful.
There are 2 scenes that are currently burned into my brain. Both of them are near the end of the film, They are the scenes that fans have been waiting 20 years to see. They do not dissappoint.
There were a few parts that didn't sit right with me that have to do with continuity to the OT but they are minor. It will bring me to spoiler territory so I will omit them here. I will say that these scenes didn't detract from my enjoyment but they did change the way a few plot points were presented in the other films and made me do a little head scratching. More may pop up on future viewings and the film may not hold up like the greats of the series but right now I am pumped. Episode 3 was dark, depressing, filled with meaningful action and overall a perfect bow to knot the movies together.
In all, the movie was exhausting. By the time it was over I had taken so much in that I was wiped out. And stunned. Even though I knew how it ended because there could only be one ending it still had some punch. I can't wait to see it again to catch some of the stuff that I missed.
And Lucas was right: The first trilogy was certainly more interesting. Actual war is much more entertaining than a political war and trade disputes. If he started the story with Episode I, the rest of the films simply wouldn't have happened.
