See this movie you must.

Sith has accomplished what I did not think was possible—it has more than made up for its pair of sub-par predecessors. From its dazzling opening dogfight to its disturbing denouement, this movie used every spare one of its hundred and forty-six minutes to render me spellbound. This dark masterpiece is bursting at the seams with action, astounding animation, rich digital sound—and no small amount of violence, earning the film its well-deserved PG-13 rating. Ships are darting about, dodging lasers. Brightly-coloured lightsabres are whipping left and right. However, what it had that was most sadly lacking from its fellow prequels was an intriguing story that captivated me at every twist.

Hayden Christensen plays Anakin as one sick puppy—a vast improvement from his puppylovesick youth in Episode II—in whose eyes a roaring, murderous blaze gradually springs from small, scattered sparks as he descends into madness. Ewan McGregor plays a dead-on Obi-Wan, a Jedi Master whose every emotion is painfully evident despite the thin, worn mask of composure he struggles to pull over them. C-3P0 is his typical humourously-anal self, but clever R2-D2 has been significantly tweaked; now, more than ever, the feisty little 'droid provides welcome comic relief which, somehow, both blends in with and perfectly counters the dour occurrences of the primary plot. However, star-studded supporting talent went mostly to waste: Natalie Portman's Padmé always appears detached or befuddled, and Samuel L. Jackson spends most of his air time scolding Anakin in grade-school-teacher fashion. Animated Gungan Jar-Jar Binks makes a silent, very brief appearance, but is mercilessly upstaged by Obi-Wan's reptile, with its charming battle cry.

Sith's digital scenery is remarkable. Though the dense jungles of the Wookiee home planet Kashyyyk were depicted with little accuracy, the layers of skyscrapers engulfing Coruscant, the bustling capital of the universe, were magnificently crafted. Also, the film's accompanying score was brilliant, especially haunting during the grisly execution of Order 66.

Like any Star Wars movie, Sith is shamed by its share of cheesy dialogue, but my only minor qualm concerns the changes in Yoda: here, even more of the wise old sage is raped from him when he participates in an even more exhausting lightsabre duel than his last. My complaints are silenced, though, by the sheer, overwhelming power of the moment in which Anakin first staggers to his knees before his new Sith Master.