Lucas calls 'Revenge of the Sith' a tearjerker

LAS VEGAS — Two decades ago, George Lucas pulled off the mask to reveal the face of one of cinema's greatest bad guys. Now, he's about to slip the mask back on.

Lucas offered a preview Thursday of his final "Star Wars" chapter, which spells out the last dark steps the once goodhearted young Anakin Skywalker takes to become the villain Darth Vader.

"It's not like the old 'Star Wars,"' Lucas told theater owners at the ShoWest convention. "This one's a little bit more emotional. We like to describe it as 'Titanic' in space. It's a tearjerker."

Opening May 19, "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith" brings full circle the mammoth sci-fi saga Lucas began in 1977 with the original "Star Wars," which shattered box-office records and remains one of the top-grossing movies ever.

Reaction was mixed on "Episode I — The Phantom Menace" and "Episode II — Attack of the Clones," many fans grousing that the first one was too much a kiddie flick and the second one too sappy a love story. Calling the latest movie a Faustian tragedy, Lucas said he is unconcerned about whether "Revenge of the Sith" draws more barbs from "Star Wars" fans.

"I feel that I've made the movie the best I can and it turned out the way I wanted it to be, so I'm happy," Lucas, 60, told The Associated Press in an interview. "I never try to anticipate what the world's going to think or even worry about whether they're going to like it or not. That's not my job, to make people like my movies. They either like them or they don't. That's completely out of my hands."

The intensity of the action and themes in "Revenge of the Sith" probably will earn it a PG-13 rating, Lucas said. The first five "Star Wars" movies all were rated PG.

Lucas' entry at ShoWest was preceded by a parade of 21 "Star Wars" stormtroopers in white armor, followed by an actor dressed as Darth Vader.

Along with the trailer, Lucas showed the opening minutes of "Revenge of the Sith," featuring the familiar "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away . . . " catch phrase followed by the franchise's rousing introductory music.

The film immediately launches into a space battle elaborate even by "Star Wars" standards as Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and his Jedi knight master, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), lead a mission to rescue the kidnapped Palpatine, chancellor of the Republic.