The Story comes full circle

Rating: 9/10 (29 May 2005)

This is the first movie I have seen in many years that actually gave me nightmares. It is no accident, after all, that the three greatest entertainment phenomena of the late 20th-early 21st centuries (Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter) are all classic battles between good and evil. These epics all tell the tale, in story and metaphor, of the struggle that goes on inside each and every one of us. This movie, more than any other, strikes to the core of that struggle and brings it alive in us.
This move is extraordinarily powerful on many levels. It is a cinematic masterpiece, brilliantly blending intense battle scenes, superb special effects, and unsurpassed cinematography throughout. It is simply beautiful to look at, from the first frame to the last. Even the tiny glimpse we get of Alderaan is moving and memorable.
The story is well wrought, with a great script and careful planning. Writing a prequel is always difficult, more so than a sequel, because the writer is writing into something that is already done and known by his reader. Nothing in the original story can be changed, and all details must be accounted for. This story does that adeptly and without contrivance.
But it is the acting that brings this story alive. The scenes range from tense to touching, exciting to serene. Hayden Christensen both subtly and forcefully portrays his character's slide into the dark side of the force. We bond with Obi-Wan Kenobi in a way we never could or would with Qui-Gon Jinn, and feel his pain and disappointment as he loses Anakin. Natalie Portman shows the level of maturity she has achieved as an actress that she only hinted at in The Phantom Menace, and turns Padme from a handmaiden into a beguiling princess.
Yes, this one gave me nightmares, as it educes the struggle within, as it will with many viewers. This highly evocative film is worth seeing. It is even worth going to see the other five movies, just to get the full impact of this one.