Well worth the wait

Rating: 9/10 (22 May 2005)

While I don't agree with the New York Times review that this film is better than "A New Hope," I have to say I was blown away by this film in a way I haven't felt since "The Empire Strikes Back." Not only are the visuals stunning -- the light saber fights are the best in the entire franchise -- but the story is surprisingly intriguing. Even though everyone who's been near a theater in the last decade knows that Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) will become Darth Vader, it's still incredible to watch Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) play Iago to Anakin's Othello. The mental transformation of Anakin from loyal Jedi knight to vengeful Sith will be tough to forget.
Forget the stories about the politicalization of the movie. (The only leader Palpatine resembles in this flick is Hitler.) This is a movie everyone will love, whether they live in a blue state, a red state, or Greenland.