(Beware of possible spoilers)
Steven from Songbook of the Whills here. Just got out of an advance media screening in Sydney, and wow! the news is good- Star Wars is back in spades.

The movie is comparable to ESB, and with good reason. There are many references to deliberately tie it in, and even explain certain points. Yet it has its own feel, misty with intrigue and a gathering doom that many of the characters acknowledge. Jar Jar is happily reduced, and George even hands him to us on a platter. We can blame him for the downfall of the Republic- from a certain point of view. The relationships click well. Obi-Wan and Anakin are just the right combination of mentor and apprentice, stern father and insolent son.

The love story is trickier. Some of it seemed too forced, with Anakin more an obsessed stalker than a lover. The relationship seemed too one sided, and It could have been so easily corrected if Padme still wore the charm Anakin made for her (I waited the whole movie for it to appear, to no avail). Yet by the end of the movie I was convinced. The other weak point of the movie was Threepio's over-the-top subplot that was so ridiculous (and the puns in the dialogue made it worse) that it wrenches the audience right out of the immersion at a critical moment. However this was easy to overlook amid the excitement happening alongside it.

The action is top notch, with an epic-scale land battle, and the lightsaber fights are quite bold and again have a unique feel. Yoda, as you will have heard, excels himself, and one of Anakins battles is an artistic play of colour and facial close-ups that highlight the similarities between who he is and who he fights. I loved the acting too. Many familiar characters here are played for the first time by new actors (eg Anakin, Boba Fett, Owen), and all are quite seamless. Even Boba, being a child, lets you know he's still Boba Fett with both barrels.

This movie is quality Star Wars. It steps boldly up to stand as a strong addition to the Star Wars saga, and its sense of mounting pressure can only leave us to wonder what happens next. Come home George. All is forgiven.

Some spoiler-filled points of interest that connect the trilogies (highlight to read):

-In ESB, ever wonder how Boba Fett figured out that Han would float away in the garbage? Now we know.

-In RotJ, when Vader blocked Luke's chop at his master so fast? It seems to be an Anakin trademark move. (Like Obi-Wan cutting off arms in bars).

-How many times have we wondered how Yoda would fare against the Emperor's lightning? Yoda's lack of fighting in the original tril now makes him seem stronger.

-Loved the death star reference. When viewed in that context it now seems geonisian!

-I guess Boba thought he'd try wrapping Luke's hands in cable because it worked for Jango!

-They've been drinking blue milk at the farm for a while now.

-In ANH, perhaps now we know they reason the Tusken Raider left Luke alone after he knocked him out?

-And why they ran at the sight of Ben?

-The final shot of AOTC is very obviously a salute to the final shot of ESB, even to the hand placement of Anakin and Threepio.

You can check out all of TFN's AOTC Reviews below (may contain spoilers):

• TFN AOTC Review 1 (Carter)
• TFN AOTC Review 2 (Scott)
• TFN AOTC Review 3 (Steven)
• TFN AOTC Review 4 (Josh)
• TFN AOTC Review 5 (Chris)
• TFN AOTC Review 6 (Joel)