Finally!! It took three tries, but Lucas finally gets it right with "Sith". This is a grand entertainment and the best film of the prequel trilogy. Grade: A Minus.

Rating: 9/10 (19 May 2005)

"Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" IS the "Star Wars" movie every fan has been clamoring for since the original trilogy ended. With one swift stroke (sorry General Tarkin), Lucas redeems the "Star Wars" legacy by concluding the series on a very high and special note. This is a glorious swan song for the "Star Wars" saga and I applaud Mr. Lucas for finally being able to come through with an installment which will most likely be adored by all fans. In a way, I feel the movie is really a "rebirth" for the series since it will probably reinvigorate longtime fans. Demands for more of these films to be made will not come unheard of. In fact, wouldn't it be a great if "Star Wars" reclaimed it's crown of popularity by surpassing "The Matrix Reloaded"'s current record-breaking gross over the same weekend from two years ago?
George's new movie fires on all cylinders this time around. The picture is a non-stop imaginative action space opera spectacular. From the first frame to the last, it has a brooding dark intensity not seen since "The Empire Strikes Back". Peter Travers called Lucas a "dark fantasist" and it shows in "Sith". Anakin is no longer a whiny teenager, he's hardened a lot. There's no more long dialogue speeches and best of all, no more Jar Jar (did you read that? No more Jar Jar!!). Instead, Lucas concentrates all his efforts into depicting the downward spiral of Anakin's confused state-of-mind. His descent into darkness. In this episode, Senator Palpatine gets more screen time and actor Ian Mcdiarmad gets to chews up the scenery big time. He plays the Devil, the Father of Lies, who seduces Anakin into the Dark Side of the Force.
While epic space dogfights and lightsaber battles may not have the kind of excitement they used to. It doesn't detract from the experience of watching this latest chapter at all. In fact, I would have to say the action sequences in "Sith" are perhaps the best ever in the series. Darth Maul added some needed fire to the climactic lightsaber fight in the climax of "The Phantom Menace", but the saber sequences here far surpass it. John Williams' score is also a triumphant. Seeing Chewbacca for the first time since "Return of the Jedi" is a treat. I also loved the homages to cinema history (the nod to "Frankenstein" is obvious, but loving). Steven Spielberg said the picture contains the "payoff of payoffs" and for initiated faithful "Star Wars" fans, this means we finally get to see the saga come full circle.
We see the birth of Darth Vader as well as his twins Luke and Leia. I love how Lucas intercuts these scenes. We see both Life and Death being born simultaneously. We also get to witness the birth of the Galactic Republic and the death of the Jedi. The concluding shot is a love letter to the classic scene from the original "Star Wars" in which Luke looks out his home in Tatooine and watches the two suns set. Overall, "Sith" hits all the right notes in the hearts all of its fans. I was no more than 1/2 a year old when the first "Star Wars" was released. As a kid I grew up with watching the original trilogy and admiring it more than any adult could ever. Now, as an adult (28 and 1/2), I can see that "Sith" will be the first great "Star Wars" movie that kids of this generation will never forget. Thank you George for sending off this spectacular legacy with such a dynamic ending.
P.S. Like the James Bond series, "Star Wars" has always excelled in great, popular larger-than-life villains. With General Grevious, Lucas has created a fully computer generated masterpiece of a character. I expect the General to get his own following from fans, novelists and comic book writers alike.