Rises to the rank of the originals.

Rating: 9/10 (6 September 2005)

For anyone who pines for the originality, aesthetics, and overall mythic punch of the original three, this latest addition will satisfy. New additions to the score by John Williams are excellent, and are well utilized. This installment is by far the most coherent and compelling of the prequels. The first prequel had the dramatic and aesthetic impact of a video game demo, and the second was only somewhat better. This latest installment really ought not to be considered alongside them, but rather alongside the original three, and the fact that it stands right before Star Wars ("Episode IV") in the narrative development will luckily encourage future viewers to do just that. -Jay A. Gupta