Awesome! Five thumbs up!
Thanks to a friend who manages a Showcase Cinemas, I got a chance to see this movie two days early in an empty theater. The first real shows are at midnight tonight (12 a.m. Thursday morning) but some people who bought those midnight tickets in advance misunderstood and showed up at midnight last night.
Episode III is by far the best of the three prequels and, as far as story lines go, it easily rivals parts IV, V and VI. It's every bit as intense and dark as has been advertised. And, interestingly enough, knowing in advance the inevitable outcomes - especially Aniken's evolution into Darth Vader - made it even more intriguing and even painful. The epic battle scenes at the end are amazing...and surprising.
I can't wait to see it again this weekend.