'Episode III' a Forceful conclusion to the 'Star Wars' saga

The long-awaited, final installment from the mind of George Lucas has arrived. In a market that has seen disappointing box office receipts so far this year, moviegoers will buck the trend and make "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" one of the highlights of 2005.

That crucial word-of-mouth has been circulating this past week with a positive buzz all the way around, despite this being the darkest of the series, getting a PG-13 rating, a first for the Star Wars franchise.

Just how successful will this film be? Employers around the country can plan on a lot of their employees calling in sick Thursday. Analysts predict that businesses around the country are expected to lose $627 million in productivity from people sneaking out to watch the movie. Millions of dollars in lost revenue from the workplace because of a movie? Well, not just any movie.

People who grew up watching the sci-fi classic will finally get to see the most anticipated chapter that bridges the first two prequels with the original trilogy that began in 1977 with "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope." Who would have imagined almost 30 years later we would still be seeing a Star Wars picture?

After episodes I ("The Phantom Menace") and II ("Attack of the Clones"), "Episode III" had to be the one that "worked," because filmmaker George Lucas had a lot riding on this. Forget the critics or the accountants, because this one is for the true diehard fans. When all six chapters are released on DVD, it'll be this movie that has to show what made the very first "Star Wars" even possible.

Right from the onset, after the 20th Century Fox logo appears on the screen, "Sith" hits the ground running, complete with CGI effects courtesy of ILM, and the battle scenes are impressive. What makes this chapter far better than the previous two is that the story is actually the star here (finally) and not just the fancy gadgets.

For a while, I think those computer geeks ran amok with the graphics, thinking viewers would be more interested in the flash and not so much the substance, and episodes I and II failed miserably in the substance department. (Who remembers the Jar Jar Binks backlash from "Phantom Menace" out there?) This time the characters are fully developed and the acting is far superior, particularly that of Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi. It's like someone told Ewan it's OK to play the part now. He shines here and his acting is almost Shakespearean.

Even Hayden Christensen gives us a multifaceted performance with depth playing Anakin Skywalker. The young apprentice who is so loyal to Obi-Wan is slowly seduced by the false prophecies of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) who embodies all that is evil. We can see it coming, but unfortunately he cannot. You can feel the tension seeing both the emotional and physical transformation of Anakin as he slowly slips into the dark side that will soon turn young Skywalker into Darth Vader. I get chills just remembering the scenes as young Anakin struggles internally, being torn between what the Senate expects of him and that of his forbidden romance with Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman).

It becomes painfully obvious as we begin to witness the once-harmonious Republic, protected by the Jedi Order, turn into what will soon become the Galactic Empire. You can cut the drama with a light saber it is so thick. Portman's character takes on a whole new meaning, too, because she carries within her the next chapter in the saga.

The last act of this movie is the most powerful because you see the story starting to jell, setting up "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope." From the spaceships and the artillery to familiar "faces" - such as the scene where we get to see the home planet of the Wookiees (Chewbacca is introduced) - all the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place. You start to wonder when Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia will be introduced. The movie doesn't fail, and soon you realize that those questions you had will be answered. In short, this is the best film in the overall series since "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back."

Much has been said about the violence in this chapter and true, "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" is justifiably given a PG-13 rating because of some intense images, but nothing as bad as has been rumored. This is the darkest in the series and, yes, young Jedi children are in harm's way, but the actual act of any killing is implied and not shown. I'm not saying that the scenes are tame but, compared to what we are seeing out there on the big screen already, this isn't gory. There's your warning, parents. Act accordingly.

The only downside I would share is this: When the DVD box set eventually comes out, it will be interesting seeing the final three films that were in fact the first trilogy beginning in 1977 with "Episode IV - A New Hope" and ending with "Episode VI - Return of the Jedi." Because of the advancement in technology, Lucas and his people went haywire inventing new and improved ways to battle it out with multiple light sabers per individual in the first two prequels (Yoda was wild doing the "Crouching Tiger" thing). Even in this latest chapter, we are treated to extreme battle scenes using CGI technology to the max. Now, think of that when the original "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" has to follow this film in chronological order. In other words, the original "Star Wars" will seem more low-key and less spectacular because the technology didn't exist back then. However, because the story and its characters are so fully developed and so well loved, that far exceeds anything that you can just generate on a computer.



- Howie Nave is the host/emcee/manager of The Improv at Harveys Tuesday through Sunday nights. You can hear him on seven radio stations every Friday morning reviewing movies in Northern California and Nevada, including KRLT in Lake Tahoe and KOZZ out of Reno. Watch him every Saturday and Sunday on Tahoe's KMTN TV doing movie and video reviews.