The Force Is With Fans in 'Star Wars: Episode III'

May 18, 2005 — -- Now in theaters: "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith."

Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith

Episode III, the final installment of the "Star Wars" saga, begins with a 25-minute battle sequence that is as exciting, as inventive, as spectacular as anything ever put on screen.

And, yes, Episode III connects the dots, answers the questions, ties up the loose ends. "Star Wars" fans will not be disappointed. George Lucas does what he does best: takes us headlong into a world -- make that a galaxy -- far, far away that the rest of us could barely dream of, and makes it real.

Unfortunately, Lucas insists on doing what he doesn't do so well. Some of the acting is stiff, the dialogue impossible. Lucas is mimicking the movie serials he grew up on.

The love scenes between Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and Padmé (Natalie Portman) got laughs even from the all-fan audience I saw this with. His fears for her is part of what draws him to the dark side.

But the film is a triumph -- both artistically and technically. Lucas has changed the way movies will be made.

Speaking of technical triumphs: Yoda, so lifelike, is completely digital.

Two-thirds of what we see in Episode III exists only on a computer program. Because of George Lucas, this is the future of film as sure as talkies and Technicolor once were. Of course the real triumph -- and triumph is what this is -- is getting it done in the first place.

In Episode IV, the original "Star Wars" we first saw back in 1977, Darth Vader finds himself face to face with Obi-Wan Kenobi and says: "Obi-Wan, we meet again." How did he know back then that we'd wait 28 years to see them meet for the first time?

We know what's going to happen. Some of you have known all your lives. The genius is that Lucas doesn't tell us what, he shows us how. Grade: B+