"Wow!" Forget what the critics think!

Rating: 9/10 (22 May 2005)

I've always had little faith in the talents of George Lucas, for I'm sure very few of you know that Star Wars is actually a stolen idea from a Japanese film by director Kurosawa known as "The Hidden Fortress" in the USA.
Watching Episode IV, V and VI, I really enjoyed myself, but couldn't help but think of the similarities to Kurosawa's version. Then came Episode I, a pile of trash with no narrative and the deceptiveness of (CGI) Computer Generated Images; and Episode II was not bad, just a little too romantic for my liking.
I had no high hopes for Episode III having seen its two predecessors, and having in mind the story of "The Hidden Fortress" but I was dead wrong! In this thrilling conclusion, it seems that Lucas has taken into consideration just how important the narrative is in a script, and has let his imagination run wild with brilliant new creatures and characters.
If there were any downfalls, it would have to be the ill-inclusion of the wookies and the cheesy dialogue which make villains sound like children's' cartoon villains and some of the industry's most talented actors sound like they are reading an autocue. Also, Yoda's reconstructed lines are extremely over-the-top and perhaps a little annoying.
However, it's a thumbs up for Episode III and everything ties up just superbly. I have seen it 6 times already, feeling very satisfied.