A triumphant and brilliant return for Star Wars

Rating: 10/10 (30 November 2005)

Said to be the last Star Wars movie (although with it's success who knows where the franchise will go), George Lucas knew that nothing short of a breathtaking spectacle would be expected by Star War's adoring fans and movie aficionados alike. It was no secret that this movie would see Anakin Skywalker turn to the dark side, but the real draw of the movie would be to learn what made him turn and to try and understand his plight. We immediately plunge into an action sequence and the movie doesn't mess about in grabbing our attention. Senator Palpatine has been captured by General Grievous and yes, it's up to the Jedi to rescue him. Once more Skywalker and Obi-Wan are charged with mission impossible, but their guise and powers are far too strong to be denied by Grievous' army, and soon they work their way to where Palpatine is captured.
This kicks off the events that will soon see young Anakin begin to open his mind to the teachings of Palpatine, to the ultimate demise of the Jedi. The movie is stunning in it's special effects and visuals, and looked highly polished. The attention to detail is staggering, and I believe that Christensen's acting is a much improved in comparison to his efforts in Attack of the Clones. The actors also seem to look more realistic blending well with the CGI effects. Far too frequently in Attack of the Clones the blend between the actors movements and the effects looked a little silly. The storyline is exciting and the musical score brought real emotion to the film. The action scenes were absolutely top draw, and the duels are still some of the most spectacular scenes to grace a movie. The characters all do their jobs superbly, from the Jedi guru himself, Yoda, through to Mace Windu who knows that to end the imbalance in the force, the Sith must be exterminated for good. Intertwined in the major story of the two forces colliding, is the emotional trauma involved between apprentice and master, and also the pregnancy of Padme Amidala with Skywalker's child.
Throughout, the visuals are stunning, the action absolutely top notch, the characters vibrant and interesting, with a plot that covers all the angles keeping the fully fledged Star Wars fan satisfied as well as giving the less than knowledgeable Wars fan full access to a wonderful movie experience. George Lucas may have had his problems in some areas with the other two movies, but credit where it's due in bringing the curtain down on, what I believe, is the best movie experience out there in the entire Star Wars series. As far as I'm concerned, nothing gets close to the universe that was created all those years ago. An unbelievably rich tale of good versus evil, showing hope, ambition, loyalty and revenge whilst combining these wonderful strands with all out action and wonderful characters. This movie shouldn't be missed, and the entire series ends on an almighty high following one of the films of the year. Brilliant.