An excellent conclusion to the saga

Rating: 10/10 (7 May 2005)

George Lucas has really outdone himself; when you're about to finish a saga that took nearly 30 years to complete, this is the way to go. This is the one all the fans have been waiting for, and it's unlikely anyone will be disappointed. The drama, the action, the romanticism and the mythic qualities of Star Wars are here in spades, and there are some shocking moments (particularly to anyone who has managed to remain spoiler-free) that are sure to be remembered forever, just as Palpatine's demise in Return of the Jedi (1983) was such a memorable scene.
Ian McDiarmid really outdoes himself and nearly steals the movie as the evil Sith who corrupts Anakin Skywalker and makes him turn to the Dark Side, while at the same time managing to outsmart all the Jedi to declare himself Emperor and outlaw the Jedi order, and getting his new apprentice Darth Vader to help his army hunt down and kill all the Jedi in the galaxy. Ewan McGregor more acquits himself admirably in his best turn as Obi-Wan Kenobi, the one where he has to face his former padawan and seek to strike him down in the lava-filled planet of Mustafar, which appropriately serves as an allegory for Anakin's descent to hell and his deal with the devil.
The scenes of Jedi Knights being hunted down by the Republic's own troops, and especially those of Anakin's wife facing her ultimate demise, are absolutely heart-breaking, as is Anakin's unwise decision to join the Sith -- turning his back on Yoda, Mace, and Obi-Wan Kenobi -- and killing Jedi and younglings in the Jedi temple.
Not only is it a brilliant piece of pop-culture entertainment, but it also brings a complete new dimension to the previous five Star Wars movies, since we'll never be able to look at them the same way again. Take, for example, little Anakin giving Padme a "jappor snippet" in Episode 1, or the deception that Palpatine maintained during the first two movies (fooling Padme Amidala and other honest senators, as well as all the Jedi). Thus the end of the saga in Episode 6 becomes even more poignant, because we know how Vader finally repents for all of the unwise decisions he made in his younger days, and he ultimately destroys the mastermind who led to his downfall and that of the old Republic, as well as the near-destruction of the Jedi order.
Highly recommended.