Brilliant merger of old and new trilogies

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 2005)

I don't get all the negative hype on the style and feel about Episode III. I realize that I'm not 4-10 years old as I was during the original Trilogy releases, and with that understanding, I can use my "inner child" to go back there to that time of my life and view the prequels... Long story short, this is obviously the best of the "first" three episodes. It is in my opinion a brilliant merger of the old and new trilogies. Sure there are a few campy parts, but hey, I recall those in episodes 4, 5 and 6, too. I gave it a 9 out of 10, 10 = Empire Strikes Back.
Some of the newest ideas in this film ironically take us right to the start of Ep. IV. And though the CGI/graphics are surely plentiful, I only "noticed" them a few times in this film. It is a shame to me that this will be the final installment of the Star Wars Saga. So perhaps does that in itself mean that George Lucas will go into the expanded universe of the Star Wars genre? I hope so. It seems like just when Lucas has perfected his craft, he is going into exile from it. This film actually leaves me wanting more from Lucas, not in this episode, but in this style and genre. It leaves you a little hopeful that episodes 7, 8 and 9 are somehow out there after all. Great film, sad day for movie goers now that it's all over.