On Vader, Episode III - Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is the most important film of the past quarter century because it answers relevant questions about cinema's biggest villain, Darth Vader.

I can't believe I haven't stated this on this blog yet.

I haven't stated this either. The silver screen has no villain bigger than Darth Vader. Not even Goldfinger rises to Vader's level, and he tried to rob Fort Knox. Tony Montana certainly doesn't, and Hannibal Lecter doesn't either.

None of these characters rode around a galaxy in a giant globe of death consolidating power through mass murder and intimidation. They didn't pick men up by the neck and throw them against walls. They didn't kill their subordinates simply because they came out of hyperspace too early. They didn't cut their own son's hand off. They didn't slaughter Tusken Raiders. They didn't slaughter younglings.

Vader is the king of evil in the world of film. His back story is also among the greatest origin stories ever told. His has to rank with the greatest comic book characters, characters like Batman, Superman and Spiderman. Every great comic book hero had a compelling origin. Vader, film's great anti-hero, has one too.