Outstanding finale to the prequels...

Rating: 10/10 (19 May 2005)

Lucas certainly went out with a bang. I just saw the finale and I am awestruck. I honestly don't even know where to begin, but I can say that it has everything you could ever hope to see. Huge space battles that dwarf anything from any of the other installments; a slew of lightsaber battles that every Star Wars fan has wanted to see; and some plot developments that actually elicit emotional response from the audience, something that was sorely lacking in the other two prequel installments. Now unlike a lot of the so called "fanboys" of this Series, I enjoyed the first two prequels; however, there was still something lacking when compared with the earlier saga. I call it the little things, which are back in a big way here. It seems Lucas finally heeded some of the criticism from the earlier installments and put all of his creative forces towards bringing back some of the original feelings and ideas from the earlier movies. The movie is dark, darker even than Empire Strikes Back, and gruesome at times. But all this does is bring a more realistic feeling to the movie, something that was often lacking in the more kid-friendly Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. The movie ties up the plot lines very well and sets everything up for A New Hope. Questions about why certain things were done in episodes IV, V and VI are answered here. And in the end, this was the most important aspect of this movie. However, it is a testament to Lucas' willingness to listen to his fans that this movie is as much of a success as it is. Bravo George.
**SPOILERS** The most emotional moments are the montage of "Order 66" and the final exchange between Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker: Anakin: "I hate you!" Obi Wan: "You were my brother...I loved you!" Wow. See it.