"Revenge of the Sith "
Score Composed by John Williams
Audio Clips : Opening Titles and The Revenge of the Sith | Anakin vs. Obi-Wan

At last I have seen the movie, so now I can finally read the blasted track listings and listen to the score! As usual, the merchandising blitz was again challenging to avoid before the film was released, but nevertheless, I survived the spoilers. Now on to the review . . .

It's not easy scoring a Star Wars movies these days, but Williams surely takes aim and hits his target more times than not. Such is the case with the marvelous "Revenge of the Sith." John Williams strikes up a score that is fully dramatic, textured, and at times mischievous.

I'll spare the traditional backdrop of how I am a massive Star Wars fan (ok, so it has inspired my imagination for 30 years!) and just get to the bottom line. Williams has once again created a unique entry into the Star Wars universe while continuing to honor its musical tradition. Whether its recent history like the newly created variations of Anakin and Padme's love theme, or further back with the villainous chords from 'Vader's theme on Cloud City, there is plenty to dig into here.

In an effort to provide an overview, here are my favorite aspects of the score:

• Militaristic Jedi music during the opening
• The bold, new dramatic underscore
• Grievous' theme, born as if it were from a Star Wars score in the 70s.
• The transition to the classic themes for Luke and Leia
• Theme from "The Phantom Menace"
• Battle of the Heroes

The last mention above is really the most important of all for me. Without 'Battle of the Heroes', this score wouldn't have had its baseline. BUT, this conflict theme prevails, and with it, it takes the soundtrack for Episode III to a higher plain. This suite of music is akin to the power of 'Duel of the Fates' from Episode I, but more heroic and tragic. The 'Battle of the Heroes' music doesn't really emerge until the end of the film when Anakin takes up arms against his former master, but it certainly makes its time impactful. It's an appropriate creation of music for this tragic film. In addition, the dramatic levels of underscore that Williams achieves in the middle tracks suggest a very unique shift in direction for the series. Just as Lucas adjusted to this new story, so did Williams, and it makes for a fantastic collaboration as usual. Gone are the tie fighter chases in asteroid belts, and in its place, we find a very insightful tenderness that quite frankly, has not been in place in any other Star Wars scores. Period.

One other very fond surprise was the funeral music from Episode I resurfacing at the end of the movie/score. The only difference between the usage in movies was that the funeral theme was brought to a whole different level the way it is written and represented in the movie. It's totally heartbreaking and stirring and is now music that is far removed from the days of "The Phantom Menace" and draws a whole new layer of emotion to it. In fact, it's what's heard during Vader's birth and outcry, which in my opinion, is one of the more historical scenes in modern cinema..and it's done JUST right -- that includes the music too!

The only minor complaint I have of the overall score is the rather lackluster pacing of the music for the end credits, which to everyone's surprise, was a rendition of the victory celebration from "A New Hope." While I don't have a problem with the selection (I think Williams tips his cap to all Star Wars fans with this music), I do feel that the pacing was a little slower than I remembered, and seemed to be a little bit without energy.

Minor scuffling aside, this soundtrack was worth the wait and works amazingly well with or without the movie. It's the music of our dreams, and the music of Anakin's nightmares too. Bravo, Mr. Williams. Bravo.

Final Score: If you are a film music fan of any type, you'll find grand enjoyment with the balance of action and drama in this score.