‘Revenge’ a more emotional chapter in the ‘Star Wars’ saga

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.

“Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,” the final chapter in the “Star Wars” saga, 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 during a preview of the film at their ShoWest convention in Las Vegas on Thursday.

“This one’s a little bit more emotional,” he said. “We like to describe it as ‘Titanic’ in space. It’s a tearjerker.”

Opening May 19, “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,” with many fans grousing that the first one was too much a kiddie flick and the second one too sappy a love story.

Lucas, 60, 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,” he said.

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.

Along with the trailer, Lucas showed theater owners the opening minutes of the new film, featuring the familiar “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” followed by the franchise’s rousing introductory music.

It immediately launches into a space battle elaborate even by “Star Wars” standards. 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.

“Star Wars,” “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” recount the rise of Anakin’s farmboy son, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who teams with his newfound sister Leia (Carrie Fisher) and brash smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to take down the Empire and ultimately redeem Vader, bringing him back to the side of the good guys.

Amid the climax of 1983’s “Return of the Jedi,” Luke takes off Vader’s black mask so father and son can see each other face to face in the elder Skywalker’s dying moments.

Luke and Leia’s characters will appear as infants in “Revenge of the Sith.”

Lucas knows many fans wanted the prequel trilogy to introduce Vader early on rather than trace Anakin’s downfall from nice little boy to bratty teen to dark knight of the galaxy. “Revenge of the Sith” presents Anakin in Vader’s black get-up only at the very end of the movie.

“Obviously, fans would love to see a movie about Darth Vader running around killing people,” Lucas said. “I’m not telling that story, and I’m not interested in that. That’s not what the movie is.