"Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith" is the "Star Wars" finale filmgoers have hoped for.

All the elements we've come to expect are there — the tributes to the popcorn serials, samurai flicks and westerns of the filmmaker's youth, the pseudo-religious element called the Force, the colorful and exotic planets and creatures, and an empire-versus-democracy theme that has roots in Ancient Rome.

But, of course, after five other films, "Star Wars" generates its own iconic myth, and "Revenge of the Sith" answers all the key questions and ties up all the plot lines of the series in ways that are immensely satisfying. Ultimately, "Revenge of the Sith" resonates with surprising emotional power and an undeniable sense of finality.

The film concludes the second of two Lucas trilogies that detail a story of "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." The first trilogy (released in 1977, 1980 and 1983) tells of the adventures of Luke Skywalker, a young moisture farmer from Tatooine, who becomes a Jedi knight and helps lead freedom-loving rebels in the defeat of the Empire. More importantly, he also guides his estranged father, the evil Darth Vader, to final redemption.

In the more recent trilogy, Lucas goes back in time to tell of the boy who would become Darth Vader, with "Revenge of the Sith" finally completing the character's shift to the dark side of the Force.

Thus, Lucas takes a sextet of films that began as a Flash Gordon inspired romp and concludes it with a dark Faustian story of a Jedi knight who sells his soul for "unnatural" powers, wrapping up the three-film Anakin Skywalker arc in fearsome flames.

It's a credit to Lucas' narrative power that he sustains a story for six films (of admittedly varying quality), telling the last story first, and the first story last. He attempts to achieve a stunning finale in the middle of his narrative, and he succeeds, well, stunningly. Lucas can certainly be faulted for his inability to write intimate dialogue or direct actors in low-key moments, but his skill with the broad sweep of his tale is most impressive.

From its opening spacecraft dogfight, "Revenge of the Sith" grabs the viewer and holds him tight for more than two hours. The film opens with the defeat of the Clone army, and continues with the efforts of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (a sly Ian McDiarmid) to seduce the disenchanted young Jedi, Anakin (Hayden Christensen) to join him in an effort to replace the republic with a dictatorial empire.

Anakin is torn, but considers making the move, especially since he's had dreams in which his pregnant wife Padme (Natalie Portman) dies in childbirth, and he thinks a skill with the dark powers will help save her. (Longtime "Star Wars" fans won't need to be told that Padme is carrying twins, which she'll name Luke and Leia.)

Interestingly, the emotional power in "Revenge of the Sith" comes not from narrative surprises — it's common knowledge the film is about Anakin's rebirth as Darth Vader and the birth of the twins who'll one day save the republic. No, it's not about where the film is going, but how it gets there.

Of course, the "Stars Wars" films have also always been about the application of state-of-the-art technology to bring Lucas' imaginings onto the screen — and technology has never been more forcefully and exuberantly applied as it is in "Revenge of the Sith." Myriad worlds and colorful characters abound, and the blend of actors and digital imagery is seamless.

A much older art form — symphonic music — also deserves praise. Of the more than 100 films scored by John Williams, none has been more readily associated with the composer than the "Star Wars" epics. Running over six films, the score has become his Ring Cycle, and it concludes beautifully with a rich combination of new music and reprised themes.

For many, the last two films, "The Phantom Menace" and "Attack of the Clones," were mixed blessings. But, with "Revenge of the Sith," George Lucas gets it absolutely right. All is right with the "Star Wars" universe.