This delivers. And then some.

Rating: 9/10 (9 May 2005)

I managed to get myself invited to the 1st UK screening on Sunday morning and was surprised at my own excitement. After all, I thought the last 2 in the instalment were dire, and, of the first lot, I only really think that The Empire Strikes Back is truly great as a film.
Nevertheless, excited I was, and had I known what was coming I would have been more so. Never mind the best of the Star Wars movies, this is one of the best movies I have seen for a long time full stop. It is breathlessly exciting, profoundly moving, the special effects are finally seamless and, above all, it is entirely comfortable with the weight of its own legend.
For every question you may be asking, the answer is yes. Will evil Anakin be convincing? Will the fight with Obiwan live up to the hype? Will the acting be better? Will Chewbacca be in it? Yes yes yes YES! Will there be any more excruciating 'love' scenes between Anakin and Padme? Unfortunately yes, but only one quick one, and then things turn dark.
And that's how I'll end this little tribute - DARK. This film is really genuinely scary in places, perhaps too much so for kids. And that's what Lucas does best it would seem - celluloid evil and unhappy endings. If this is the last movie he ever makes, he will have ended up on a high of which I didn't know he was capable...