An epic ends

Finally, George Lucas gets it.

This monster he's created is bigger than him, bigger than all of us. It's a story that figuratively passed into the public domain long, long ago, no matter who owns the copyrights. And no amount of chest-pounding about his true "vision" really makes any difference to us.

Lucas thought he created an outer space Western in the vein of the old radio serials, dressed it up in the latest special effects, ready to be peddled to the Crackerjack-crunching kids and the Saturday matinee masses like instant popcorn.

He was wrong. To those who stood in line in '77 and '80 and '83, it's more than that. It's an alternate history of our national psyche -- illuminating our longing for honor, heroism and certainty in a post-Watergate, post-Vietnam era, when our own leaders and heroes didn't quite match up. It was a galaxy big enough to lose yourself in -- and many of us did.

Finally, "Revenge of the Sith" is an adult movie. Not in the sense that there's full frontal Wookiee nudity -- not that we'd notice. But there's a gradual shift in tone about a third of the way into "Sith," that takes this story out of the kiddie pool and heaves it into in the deep end, to sink slowly in the darkened waters beyond "The Empire Strikes Back."

"Sith" begins at the climax of the Clone Wars, where the Republic is struggling to stave off attacks by separatists, and a droid spacefleet has abducted Supreme Chancellor Palpatine in a brazen attack on the Senate. Jedi knights Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) and his young protege Anakin (Hayden Christensen) attempt a rescue amid a massive clash of spacefleet armadas.

Anakin, secretly married to Padme (Natalie Portman), has terrible nightmares foreseeing her death in childbirth. The thought of losing her torments his waking hours as well -- and he resolves to do anything to cheat death, even if it means exploring the forbidden ways of the dark Jedi, the Sith.

Meanwhile, a mysterious Sith lord orchestrates a galaxy-spanning conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of the Senate. Even the Jedi Council struggles to determine its true dimensions.

This is a complicated story, and "Sith" gamely attempts to tie up the many dangling plot threads. More importantly, all the deadwood holding the series down get tossed into the flames fairly quickly.

Christopher Lee's booming voice retains its inimitable menace, but his Count Dooku is a mere appetizer. The rise of Darth Sidious (a stellar Ian McDiarmid) is a huge improvement in the bad guy department.

Except for Yoda, the Jedi Council is a bit of a drag -- more an officious bureaucratic body than a team of super-powered heroes. Still, after what happens to them, I can't help feeling a little sorry...

But thankfully, those flimsy, computer-generated tinker-toy robots -- which talk in annoying cartoon voices for an excruciating bit at the beginning -- are discarded early on.

Christensen has grown up immensely as an actor, which we saw hints of in 2003's "Shattered Glass." As he makes his transformation in "Sith" -- into a lethal combination of pride, ambition and blind, heartsick desperation -- it's a shock to see him reveling in his newfound power.

Anakin remains somewhat sympathetic as a character long after he's passed the point of no return, wielding a surprisingly complex personality for a "Star Wars" character. There are moments late in the film that challenge the simple, black-and-white reputation of "Star Wars," which have an unexpected relevance to this time, in this galaxy.

"Sith" surprisingly explores the opposing necessities of security and freedom, and the perils of absolutist and ends-justify-the-means thinking.

There's one chilling line in particular that I can't get out of my head. Padme, while watching the Senate cede absolute power to Chancellor Palpatine, mutters, "So this is how liberty dies -- to thunderous applause."

Ewoks and Wookiees and Jedi -- oh, my!

"Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" is upon us at long last, bringing the saga full circle. Looking back, "Star Wars" has given us so much more than fuzzy space beasts and telekinetic knights. To begin to assess the cultural impact of the "Star Wars" films, we've compiled a short list. Here they are, in no particular order:

25 Things Star Wars Has Given the World:

1. 'Star Wars' parodies. From the first shot of the first "Star Wars" -- that absurdly huge spaceship passing slowly overhead -- satirists and smart-alecks worldwide couldn't believe their luck. From the 1977 short "Hardware Wars," which chronicled Fluke Starbucker's outerspace battles with toasters and egg beaters, to Mel Brooks' occasionally brilliant but mostly just stupid "Spaceballs," "Stars Wars" and its fans have been -- and stayed -- ripe for parody.

2. Harrison Ford: Movie Star. He was in Lucas' earlier "American Graffiti," but Han Solo built his career. He also was the only major star to keep getting high-profile work beyond "Star Wars."

3. The central ethical quandary of "Clerks." Is blowing up the Death Star a moral act, if it's still being constructed -- and there are, presumably, thousands of independent, non-Imperial contractors working on it• Dante and Randall's theoretical argument is the soul of Kevin Smith's first film. On the commentary track for "Attack of the Clones," George Lucas answers his critics -- the contractors were all foul bug-like "Genosians," so there's no need to worry about them.

4. The designation "The Evil Empire." Refers to either the Soviet Union or the New York Yankees.

5. Industrial Light and Magi c (ILM) studio. Where previous sci-fi epics were content to crawl by with Public Access TV-quality special effects -- "Dr. Who," "Star Trek" we're looking at you -- Lucas went all out for "Star Wars." His groundbreaking special effects house blew many a mind with its miniature models and stop-motion animation, then later pioneered the development of digital special effects.

6. C-3P0's. Taking movie tie-in merchandising to new levels of ubiquity, "Star Wars" pioneered the use of movie robots to sell breakfast cereal. This practice lives on -- but nothing will match the original sugary lumps of "droid parts" that hit shelves in 1984.

7. Pixar. From the experienced ranks of ILM's computer division sprang this multi-billion dollar competitor to ILM, largely responsible for the computer-animation boom, from "Toy Story" to "The Incredibles."

8. Advances in high-tech puppetry. Yoda's voice and puppeteer, Frank Oz, went on to work on the short-lived high-tech puppet boom -- "The Muppet Movie," "The Dark Crystal" and "Labyrinth."

9. Action figure merchandising mania. Before "Star Wars," action figures were based on movies, such as "The Planet of the Apes." Afterward, movies became based on action figures. Now, movies are based on video games, and populated by expressionless plastic action figures.

10. "Star Wars: Revelations." A 40-minute, totally fan-created film, available on the Internet (www.panicstruckpro.com/revelations/revelations.html). Made for just $20,000, with unpaid actors and free labor from more than 30 CGI artists, more than 1 million people downloaded "Revelations" in a single week. Lucas has always encouraged fan films, as long as they don't try to make a profit.

11. Jobs for short people. The Ewoks from "Return of the Jedi" -- these fuzzy, tribal treehouse creature provided perhaps the biggest silver screen employment opportunity for the four-foot-and-under crowd since "The Wizard of Oz."

12. The mega-budget blockbuster mentality . Some say it began with "Star Wars" and led to the demise of the adventurous American film culture of the '70s.

13. New catchphrases. "Do or do not. There is no try." "Stay on target ... Stay on target." "Use the Force, Luke."

14. Immortal "Saturday Night Live" sketches. Bill Murray's lounge singer crooning the theme song, "Starrrr Warrrrs, Nothing But Starrrr Warrrrs..." Don't forget Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan as shopping channel hosts selling "Star Wars" merchandise -- including the actual Mark Hamill.

15. THX Sound. Lucasfilm Limited's set of standards and certifications for high-fidelity sound reproduction in movie and home theatres.It was created to ensure that the sound for "Jedi" would be accurately reproduced in the best venues.

16. Boba Fett tattoos . And that's just for starters. Nothing says "Star Wars Geek" like your favorite bounty hunter -- or Lando, or Chewie, etc. -- emblazoned on your forearm.

17. "Christmas in the Stars." Yes, a 1996 Christmas album, long out of print -- but bids are starting at $11 on eBay. A "classic" of embarrassing kitsch -- seven songs are sung by Anthony Daniels in his C-3PO voice, and several feature the backing vocals of a then-unkown Jon Bon Jovi. Next Christmas, try going caroling with chestnuts like "What Can You Get a Wookiee For Christmas (When He Already Has a Comb?)" Maybe you could get him encased in carbonite, until the shame wears off.

18. Un-asked-for "Special Editions." George Lucas' special edition re-release of the initial, immortal trilogy -- featuring unnecessary new computer-animated sequences, and about five full minutes of R2-D2 beeping into the camera. It soon became the only version available. Then his buddy Steven Spielberg got the idea to start adding things to "E.T.," to realize his "true vision"... this is a slippery slope, people.

19. Digital characters. The unfortunate Jar Jar Binks was the first all-digital main character in a major live-action movie. He's also a symbol of Lucas' crass merchandising instincts and/or myopic obsession with computerized special effects, depending on your point of view.

20. "Star Wars: The Magic of Myth." Exhibit exploring the mythical underpinnings of "Star Wars" started at The Smithsonian and toured high-brow art museums all over the country. Hey, museums have to pay bills, too.

21. Next-generation toy weapons: Lightsabers enter the marketplace. 'Cause as every Mom knows, if you get a Red Ryder BB gun, you'll shoot your eye out. But ask for a light saber, and, well, that sounds harmless enough ...

22. Reagan's "Star Wars" Strategic Defense Initiative. Not the weapons -- just the name -- given to the ill-fated system designed to protect America from Soviet ballistic missiles.

23. The Miami Hurricanes' theme music . They used Darth Vader's ominous, martial theme to chilling effect, remaking their image as the bad guys of college football. Then everybody else did it.

24. A pantheon of immortal bad guys. Darth Vader. Emperor Palpatine. Darth Maul. General Grievous. Boba Fett. Monstrous foes are what sells horror movies, but science fiction didn't really take advantage until Lucas created this crew. And don't forget Jabba the Hutt -- the infamous hard-partying, slobbering slug who chains up Princess Leia in a metal bikini. Note to future bad guys -- you'll never be this bad.

25. Darth Tater.

Additional Information:

'Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith'