Preview - Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (12A) Released Thursday, May 19

Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Lee, Samuel L Jackson, Anthony Daniels and Ian McDiarmid

THE BIGGEST cinema event of the year is almost upon us.

Almost 30 years since George Lucas launched the Star Wars franchise into hyper space, the final, or rather technically the third chapter, is almost upon us.

The Empire Strikes Back, released three years after Star Wars in 1977, was an upgrade on the prototype.

But the series was in decline after the arrival of Return of the Jedi only to rise again with Attack of the Clones which to be brutally honest had to after the long-awaited but ultimately woeful Phantom Menace in 1999.

The big question is can Lucas pull off a piece of magic that would have made Houdini proud?

Many Star Wars devotees and the public in general won't care much, but the word on the street is that Sith is a noble and dignified curtain call.

The film centres around Anakin Skywalker's (Hayden Christensen) Faustain dilemma after being given a tantalising glimpse of the power possessed by the Dark Side and his subsequent metamorphosis into the evil Lord Vader.

Using the latest advanced digital technology, Lucas has created this film entirely in the studio with impressive results.

Sith contains fights on water, lava, land and, of course, space.

But it is Anakin's thirst for ultimate power at the expense of those closest to him and forcing his pregnant wife Amidala (Natalie Portman) that is sure to make this a swan song worth waiting for.

For those who have kept the faith and those eternal optimists among you - may the force be with you.