Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith [CD+DVD]

This CD + DVD package comes with a Special Edition Amazon.co.uk Exclusive Slipcase. John Williams’ lovely and moving score for the sixth Star Wars film brings thirty years of collaborating on George Lucas’ beyond-popular intergalactic franchise to a close. (Is this really the end of Star Wars? Can’t Lucas and Williams work together on a prequel to these prequels? Let us hope so, and that Jar Jar Binks is nowhere near it.) As this music accompanies the most exciting Star Wars film in many a moon, the soundtrack itself is more fun, more evil, more nasty and bumpy. Many of the heroic, anthemic themes woven throughout Episode Three: Revenge of the Sith will necessarily be familiar to any fan of the series, from the "Imperial March" to the main theme. It’s remarkable how stirring the latter can be, no matter how many times you’ve heard it--even for those who do not have all their money invested in S.W. memorabilia. There is a lot of new music here, and the lush, extensive range of both Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra is on display, most notably in the menacing, percolating "General Grievous" and the rousing "New Hope" end theme. --Mike McGonigal

Pity John Williams writing his umpteenth Star Wars score.Although with all those royalties rolling in, pity is perhaps not quite the right word. Consider at least the tedium of it. No one asked Wagner for a prequel to the Ring Cycle, did they?

Burdened with a legacy of his own making, Williams' technique for the three prequel scores has been to embroider the films' existing musical mythology, retro-fitting familiar motifs from the older scores while attempting to devise distinctive new themes.

So, much of this soundtrack is a case of deja ecoute, a self-referential riffing on nostalgic sequences. "Luke and Leia", "The Imperial March", the "Force" theme and "Duel of the Fates" from Episode One - they're all here in sundry disguises for Williams and Lucas stalwarts eager to sniff out the cues.

And you can't deny how canonical they sound. The opening and closing medleys areas statley as aGalactic galleon, as festive as the Last Night of the Proms.

The fresh material is more patchy. The most significant new theme is "Battle of the Heroes". Buzzing with stressed-out strings, hyperactive brass and a suicidal choir, this is as mesmeric as anything Williams has written. Sony must think so - it's set for release as the first ever Star Wars single.

Other new material is less memorable. "General Grievous" and "Anakin vs. Obi-Wan" are merely adequate adventure anthems. And, anticipating the defection of the supposed hero to the dark side, there is a preponderance of broodily low-key numbers. "Padmes Ruminations and Palpatines Teachings" are atonal, syncopated fillers, disappointingly portentous.

Issued two weeks in advance of the film release on 19 May, this disc is flagrant titillation, fanning those fans already queuing outside Hollywood's Chinese Theatre into greater paroxysms of anticipation. Heavens, there are folks who are not even reading the soundtrack titles in case they spoil the plot!

Will they be disappointed? Of course not. In Sith, the Empire strikes back with all the familiar notes. They just don't sound quite as startling any more. --Morag Reavley

Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window

This CD + DVD package comes with a Special Edition Amazon.co.uk Exclusive Slipcase. Since the first film in the Star Wars series was released in 1977, Star Wars has become the most popular film series in history. John Williams' soundtracks for the series have been--and will continue to be – one of the most important parts of the phenomenon. Star Wars: Episode III--Revenge of the Sith is the last instalment of the worldwide epic phenomena. The sixth album, newly composed and conducted by the five-time Oscar winner John Williams, is a celebration of one of the most artistic collaborations ever created. George Lucas understands the enormous impact that music has had on his films, and John Williams has been part of his enterprise since the very beginning.

The bonus DVD, Star Wars: A Musical Journey, will feature film excerpts and music from all six Star Wars soundtracks. Chronologically, it will take the viewer through the entire saga in 16 glorious movements. This is the first time that a bonus DVD has been offered with a Star Wars soundtrack.