Lucas has done it. Revenge of the Sith successfully blends elements of the old and new Star Wars films into a two-and-a-half hour epic that bridges the two trilogies into one brilliant saga. Being the sole film to earn a PG-13 MPAA rating, it is no surprise that the film is laden with powerful themes of evil and corruption, which are accentuated by incredible performances from a star-studded cast and breathtaking special effects by Industrial Light and Magic (ILM).

ROTS traces the transformation of Jedi Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) into the feared Darth Vader while Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) completes his scheme to usurp control of The Republic. The movie quickly accelerates into an intense action-packed and emotional torrent taking the viewer through numerous systems and battles.

Actors Ewan McGregor and Christensen are the highlights of this film – delivering moving performances as master Obi-Wan Kenobi and apprentice Skywalker. The younger, angst-filled Anakin of Attack of the Clones has grown into a strong Jedi Knight still torn between his desire to become the most powerful Jedi and his allegiance to The Order. This internal tug-of-war is masterfully displayed by the 24-year-old Christensen’s exceptional acting, which has matured significantly since the second installment. Skywalker’s frustration and anger is vividly expressed in the emotion-rich dialogue.

Moreover, McGregor’s striking resemblance to Alec Guinness, (Obi-Wan from A New Hope) not only in appearance but speech and carriage, facilitates his ability to elucidate the mysterious nature of "Old Ben." McGregor successfully captures the essence of the humble Jedi Master through his diligent study of the old films and gives fans new levels of character and personality of the revered Jedi Master.

Christensen’s and McGregor’s seamless performances add new dimensions to the once restrained master-apprentice relationship. The final duel between the two Jedi exemplify the sophisticated relationship they share and helps the audience understand the subsequent events of the original trilogy.

Ian McDiarmid also gave a superb performance as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Palpatine has lost none of his potent evil aura and manipulative magic. His split character of Supreme Chancellor and Sith Lord converges into an enthralling and menacing Emperor. Samuel L. Jackson gives a solid performance as cautious Jedi Master Mace Windu, but is not given enough screen-time to develop as a full character. Natalie Portman’s performance as Padme Amidala is limited by a script laden with high-school-love lines.

The film’s commanding presence would not be complete without a stunning array of visual effects designed by ILM studios. An invaluable aspect of Lucasfilm since the first debut, ILM has been the force behind Star Wars’ timeless allure. The remainder of the Clone War is beautifully designed with scenes from the Wookie planet of Kashyyyk and an epic space battle over the planet-wide city, Coruscant. Fans will be happy to see the architecture and spacecraft designs begin to resemble those of the original.

The soundtrack in ROTS (written by John Williams) contributes substantially to the tone of the film. Specifically, the frequent riffs from Imperial March foreshadow the darkness to come and the transformation of Anakin to Vader. Additionally, it has many similarities to the scores for the original saga, which help the bridge the gap between the two trilogies.

However, the film is not without its faults. The cheesy lines in the script at which fans cringed during previous films have not been completely eliminated. There are a few awkward moments in this film, namely romance scenes between Padme and Anakin. Fortunately, these awkward moments are mitigated by the overwhelming action and drama prevalent throughout the film which truly puts this film on-par with the originals.