Don’t worry, I wont be exposing any of the interesting plot points that aren’t painfully obvious to anyone who’s seen the original trilogy. Yes, there are some things that some of you don’t know, so I’ll be careful.

This is one of the most anticipated films of all time, if not the most anticipated. What makes this film a bizarre case is that most people who see the film know most of what they’re going to see. They know who has to die, who has to live, and who has to fall. The theater I went to had 11 sold out screenings for midnight (two at 3:15 am), and the one I saw was in digital (which is quite a beauty to behold). There was little to surprise us. And that’s really the beauty of it.

It is no little known fact that Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader. We’ve really known this since Empire Strikes Back. This film chronicles Skywalker’s fall to the dark side. But even more than just tell about it, it invites us into it. Our emotions are caught up in his decisions, his passions, and his confusion. We begin to see how easy it is to fall when it may seem we’re trying to do good.

The irony is much deeper though; George Lucas nailed it. I knew every major plot point, I spotted the Millennium Falcon, Grand Moff Tarkin, etc. And yet, all I could feel when I left was a depressing numbness. I knew, and yet I could not believe that Anakin had committed such evils. I could not believe that he fell to the dark side so easily, even though I could almost sympathize with his early decisions. Lucas didn’t have to introduce some big twist; he really couldn’t have. But he did better; he made me believe it could happen to me.

There will be plenty of discussions about how the movie relates to politics and truth, and I will have much to say about them (don’t believe your newspapers). Lucas delivered on everything the fan boys wanted- amazing lightsaber fights, the cutting of many appendages (including heads), great effects, etc. But when I left I wasn’t thinking about all that. I was left meandering in the emptiness and despair of a hopeless man. That Lucas could do that means he did it right.

No, the acting isn’t much better. Nor is the cheesy romance. In fact, it’s amazing to me how the film could be so good in spite of some choppy acting at times. Yet none of that really mattered in the end. It truly gives meaning to “A New Hope,” because we are left with next to none in the end. Overall Grade: a solid A.