Last night Steph and I went to see Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith at the midnight Wednesday (first) show.

There were a lot of dorks. The theater was packed. We got there around 10:45 and the theater looked to be half full by then. And it was showing on two screens. There were a lot of lightsabers. There were also a few people in Jedi robes, one guy with a Vader mask. No stormtroopers.

The row in front of us was filled entirely with one group of high school kids that knew each other, and they had one more person than seats. You’d think they were in a foreign country the way they didn’t know what to do.

Once the movie started, there was a lot of clapping. People clapped for A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away … People clapped for the yellow-outlined Star Wars logo. There was applause for when the yellow introduction text scrolled up and away from the audience, but it quickly died as hundreds of dorks with glasses leaned forward to read everything, and to see over the head of the person in front of them becaues they were doing the same thing.

People clapped when they saw wookies. They clapped when Yoda did anything. I’d say everyone in the theater missed three lines of dialogue due to applause, but I don’t think that they were crucial lines.

The movie. Before I discuss any specifics or details, let me just say that the entire time I was awake in bed both before I fell asleep last night and after I woke up today, all I could think about was Episode III. And it’s not like I was making an effort, either. I just keep thinking about it. And now that all the films are done, there is no more, “I wonder if” or “I wonder how.” Now there is stuff like, “So in Episode IV, when Obi-Wan says …” Also, the movie clocked in at 2:10 or 2:20. There was a lot to see, and a lot to take in. I’ll admit that toward the end, my butt was getting uncomfortable in my seat. But at that point in the film, I don’t feel that there was a lot of boring exposition, and I was genuinely interested in how everything played out.

It’s rated PG-13. I noticed right away that the actual physical lighting was darker, and that stayed true throughout. There is definitely stuff in there that is more frightening and intense than in the other five films.

Did I say specifics and details? Maybe I’ll save them.