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In 1977, Obi-Wan Kenobi praised Luke Skywalker's first step of faith in something called "the Force," an invisible power that "binds the galaxy together." He said, "You've taken your first step into a larger world."

For many of us, watching that groundbreaking epic was our first step into a larger world indeed. The special effects, the mythological references, the spiritual ideas, the cliffhanger adventure, the allusions to Akira Kurosawa—it was a fascinating hybrid. You may have grown up with Star Wars toys, books, cereals, posters, and videotapes. (My own favorite pieces of Star Wars memorabilia … a battered old lunchbox and a die-cast model of Darth Vader's TIE fighter that I assembled, glued, and painted myself at age 7.)

Could it be that George Lucas is somewhat responsible for the current surge in Christian media film coverage? A decade ago, there weren't many Christian press film critics writing regularly. Now they're everywhere. A colleague of mine speculated that, since many of this new crowd of Christian critics are in a similar age range, it's possible that Star Wars had something to do with our choice of subject. After all, the trilogy arrived while many of us were young and impressionable. The saga's tendency to provoke conversations about spirituality and the nature of "the Force" inspired many of us to begin engaging with film in a whole new way.

Thus, many of us—including Christian press film critics—greet Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith with a mix of enthusiasm and sadness. The circle is now complete, and there's joy in seeing so many varying pieces fit together, completing the trilogy and answering most (but not all) of our nagging questions. There's joy in seeing the narrative seeds planted that develop into that beloved story of the Rebellion versus the evil Empire. And there's sadness in finding ourselves without another Star Wars film to anticipate. Let's face it: there's nothing like the thrill of that moment when the 20th Century Fox fanfare gives way to the classic John Williams theme. There's nothing like the sight of a Star Destroyer as it engulfs the screen or the sound of Darth Vader's menacing breath.

So, how is Episode Three? Does it continue the sub-standard dialogue and political intrigue of the previous prequels? Does it recapture the high-stakes action and compelling characterization of the original trilogy? Are there any real surprises?

My full review is at Christianity Today Movies, and a more detailed version of that review is posted at Looking Closer.

While many Christian media will deliver their reviews starting today, here are a couple of second opinions from earlier in the week.

Peter T. Chattaway (CanadianChristianity.com) opens with some measured praise for the animation and the improvement in performances. But then he opens fire for a sustained attack on Lucas's storytelling. "For all the talk of 'democracy', this Star Wars film is actually less interested than any of the others in the lives of ordinary people, and the romantic dialogue is, of course, laughably bad. Revenge of the Sith proves once again that Lucas has no idea and little interest in how real people relate to one another. Lucas is as tin-eared and ham-fisted with spiritual seduction as he is with the romantic kind. Revenge … marks the first time Lucas has really shown a person 'converting' from one side of the Force to the other, but he never pulls it off."

He concludes, "The prequels have robbed the Star Wars universe of much of its mystique."

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May (Web-only) 2005, Vol. 49