'Star Wars' Opens Big For Its First Weekend

Witness the complete transformation of Anakin Skywalker, from a Jedi to the Dark Lord of the Sith, as the story of Darth Vader is finally unveiled in George Lucas's final installation of the Star Wars saga, "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith."

Many hardcore fans and many of those who just wanted to see what the hoopla was all about gathered at theaters in all parts of the world.

Most Star Wars fanatics saw the original trilogy, knowing how the newest plot ends with the Empire taking control and the Jedi being disbanded. The question in this series then is not the ultimate outcome of the story, but the tale of the dwindling republic, the many fight scenes and the climatic-end result - the complete transformation of Darth Vader and the fall of the old-Republic.

The movie begins with the Republic already crumbling from within during the end of the Clone Wars, a war they were forced to undertake that is ripping the galaxy in half.

On one side you have the Separatists seeking independence from the Republic and on the other side you have the Republic, with their newly formed clone army, raging war with the separatists, both unknowingly under the control of the evil Emperor.

Many fans took to the streets in order to see the midnight screenings of the show, which happened all over the globe. It was truly one of the Star Wars movies that was worth the wait, unlike some of the other movies (i.e. - Episode 1).

The movie has accumulated about $158.5 million dollars since it's release last week. It was able to shatter three-day and four-day box office records. Not only was "Revenge of the Sith" the best Star Wars movie to gross the most money, it was the first Star Wars movie to receive a PG-13 rating, according to Yahoo Movies.com.

This didn't really affect sales, and the amount of money made by the movie shows just that.

Some Santa Monica College students took the time from their busy schedules to view the movie, like Isaias Rojas. "I enjoyed the movie, particularly the fight scenes, and it kind of makes me want to see it again," he said.

Not only can people wait in line to see the movie, but now it is also possible to view it from your home computer or laptop. Downloadable pirated versions of the movie are already available and they even popped up as the movie was shown at the midnight screening. It is believed that some employee from the company filming Episode III somehow leaked the movie to hit the Internet as soon as it hit the screens.

One man was arrested in a Grass Valley theater while attempting to videotape the movie with his camcorder. His identity has not yet been revealed but he is believed to be 60 years old.

The man was cited for a violation of California Penal Code 653-Z, which prohibits "operation of a recording device in a motion picture theater." That's a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding $2,500, according to KRCAchannel.com.

Star Wars will be remembered as one of the greatest saga of all time, and just going to see it will make you a part of history. Use the Force.