Lucas ties it all up with a satisfying bow

Rating: 8/10 (1 June 2005)

The "8" I gave this movie was an average, the first half had a lot of awful dialogue but memorable--if getting old--visuals (exactly how many scenes of clone wars do we need?) ; the second half was terrific. We know what's coming in this movie (unless you never saw episodes IV, V & VI), but the fact that we already know what HAS to happen doesn't detract from the tale Lucas gives over when he gets around to actually telling us HOW it happened.
The gradual buildup of tension as the story unfolds is helped along by the use of familiar sounds and images, reminding viewers how they felt when they saw it for the very first time in the original Star Wars. I found myself nearly holding my breath as the music swelled and the final images flashed, as I knew they had to, across the screen. And although I found episodes I and II mostly and entirely forgettable (respectively), now I need to go see episodes IV and V again.