As Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith clearly shows, the force is back with George Lucas.
The first two instalments of the second trilogy of his Star Wars saga were entertaining, but major disappointments where plot and character development were concerned.
They just didn't deliver the sense of novelty or true excitement he'd created with Star Wars and particularly with The Empire Strikes Back.
Revenge of the Sith is no Empire, but it is light years ahead of The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones because it really does have something to say about Anakin Skywalker's journey toward darkness.
The petulant boy of Menance and the whining teenager of Clones is now a man making decisions that have terrifying and galaxy-shattering repercussions.
We finally get to see how and why the promising Jedi Anakin (Hayden Christensen) becomes the master villain Darth Vader. The how is more impressive and credible than the why.
It is Anakin's Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) who hacks him almost into oblivion.
This scene on the molten planet of Mustafar is pure magic as lava bubbles up threatening the friends-turned-adversaries as they battle to the death. It culminates with a moment straight out of Frankenstein that ties Sith to Star Wars with a chilling intensity.
The only explanation Lucas can come up with for Anakin's betrayal of his Jedi morals is he wants to protect Padme (Natalie Portman) who is carrying his unborn children. He is willing to sacrifice millions in his belief the forces of darkness will protect Padme from dying in childbirth.
The extended sequence in which Obi-Wan pursues the droid commander-in-chief Grievous to his planet and does battle with him showcases Lucas at the height of his wizardry. McGregor blends seamlessly into the computer backgrounds and it really looks as if he is interacting with the CGI creatures.
This battle is far more impressive than the extended dog-fight that opens Revenge of the Sith.
True the special effects are astonishing. Compared to the dog-fight in Star Wars this is like playing Halo instead of Pac Man, but despite all the advancements Lucas isn't able to make it as exciting as the one that had us gasping 28 years ago.
Sadly, Lucas's ability to write dialogue and direct actors has not kept pace with his ability to develop and use technology.
A CGI creature like Grievous, who's suffering a major head cold, has more character and nuance than Christensen, Portman, Samuel L. Jackson, Ian McDiarmid or Jimmy Smitts.
They fail to enrich Lucas's corny wooden dialogue with any true emotion. Jackson is the worst offender with Portman a close second.
It's easy to slice away at Revenge of the Sith with critical lightsabres, but not without acknowledging what Lucas has accomplished and how he has changed the face of cinema.
His six Star Wars films deserve special Oscar recognition. They have changed the way we view movies just as surely as they have changed the way movies are made.
(This film is rated PG)
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