The Force Is With Episode III

Rating: 10/10 (20 May 2005)

22 years ago, in June of 1983, I camped out for 12 hours to watch the premier of "Return of the Jedi". I was 18 years old. I only had to wait in line for 10 minutes for "Revenge of the Sith", but I would have waited a dozen hours to see it. I absolutely loved this movie. In my opinion it answered all the questions I had and perfectly set up episodes IV, V and VI. In fact, immediately after seeing the movie I wanted to watch the original Star Wars again. I got many insights into why certain things happened. "Oh, so that's why this happened, or that happened, etc., etc." Aside from a little campy acting and the typically stiff Hayden Christensen performance which I never liked in the first two prequels, everything about this movie is terrific. My only disappointment is I would have enjoyed hearing a little of Han Solo's history like how he lost his Millennium Falcon to Lando, or how he became a smuggler, stuff like that, but for the most part everyone's stories were resolved to perfection.
The opening action sequence is brilliant, as are most of the fights, especially the fight between Obi-Wan and General Grievous. I loved that one. The money Lucas spent on this movie is definitely on the screen.
Particularly compelling is the performance of Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine/Sidious. His is one of the best performances in the movie and my hatred towards him grew and grew as I watched the movie. The droids are cute, and the visuals are stunning. George Lucas has outdone himself, and even the most die-hard critic of the first two prequels should have a good time watching this movie.
I can hardly wait for the DVD. I will be interested in seeing what scenes Lucas filmed but then deleted from the finished product. This movie was definitely worth my time and money. I Highly recommend it. 10 stars!!