Bravo

About 28 minutes ago I walked out of the final Star Wars epsiode, "Revenge of the Sith," finishing a journey that began about 28 years with the phenomina that was "Star Wars," now called "A New Hope." It was surely the most enjoyable of the prequils-- a film any Star Wars fan will be gald to experience. I spoil nothing to say that the movie wraps up the past (future?)by delivering our most beloved villian Darth Vader; transfromed from youg Jedi Anakin (and how great it is to again hear his voice narrated by James Earl Jones), the twins Lea and Luke, and the exile of Masters Yoda and General Obi-Wan Kenobi. Deeper, it chronicles the demise of the Republic and the rise of an evil Sith Lord as a Hitler-like despot who comes to power via lies and fear and mass murder. Indeed it is the young Jedi Anakin's inner termoil and confused allegience that transforms him into the villian Darth Vader as his emotions cloud his judgement and his own power corrupts his morality. Here, 24 Cable News is having a field day finding parallels between the movie and our current administration. (Truly, they have a many hours in a week that need filling.) Deeper than this I need not go. Visually the movie is unrivaled, and yet there was often too much to look at with just two eyes. There are more ships, more light sabres, more laser beams, more explosions, but you'll need to ask yourself if more is truly better. Gone is some of the silliness that soured the first two of the prequils, Jar Jar is present but says not a word. Still, as if he cannot resist, Lucas has our beloved Wookie Chewbacca give a Tarzan battle cry as he swings on a vine. And space drones that attact with drills, when surely they could attack with explosives, make silly whimpers when shot. And again Yoda, who seemed to need a walking cain, does back-flips as in the last episode (II). We've been there. We've done that. I won't mention the dialogue which, as you may well guess, has not much improved. This movie, however, delivers what I wanted, and perhaps also needed. We see the creation of the black eyed villian that so captivated us 28 years ago. His mask is on. The sound of his breath is inhuman. And at a final moment-- we see those two suns rise again over the planet Tatooine... the Star Wars theme swells... and for a moment it is as if 28 years ago-- and you are watching the greatest movie of modern time!