Space Opera; Epic; Children's Film

Space Opera

If you're anything like us, you might be scratching your head a bit at the "opera" part of this genre title. We didn't notice any stout Vikings singing loudly, either.

But, that's because "space opera" is a term that originated in the mid-20th century to describe a science fiction tale that was pulpy and exaggerated, like that of Flash Gordon, one of George Lucas' inspirations for Star Wars.

It's defined as "a work set in a far future space faring civilization, where the technology is ubiquitous and entirely secondary to the story. It has an epic character to it: The universe is big, there are lots of sprawling civilizations and empires, and there are political conflicts and intrigues galore." (Source)

Yup, that sounds just about right.

Epic

The spectacle of Revenge of the Sith is nothing less than epic. Everything is done on a grand scale, from its sweeping shots of far away planets, colorful and strange civilizations, a hero who has been dubbed the Chosen One, and events that somehow manage to impact an entire galaxy.

Not only that, but when you consider the budget it took to make this movie (an estimated $113,000,000), you almost have to put it in the epic category.

Children's Film

When critics came out against the childish tone of The Phantom Menace, George Lucas came back with the fact that Star Wars was always supposed to appeal to children.

Inspired by his own childhood fantasies, he wanted to create a movie that could replicate the joy he had watching those TV shows he'd loved way back when. So, you might have noticed that all of the movies, including this one, are oddly sanitized of true violence, blood, or bad language.