Revenge of the Sith

Jonathan Davis narrates in his distinctive Mark Hamill-style voice. As usual, he delivers dead-on impersonations of Master Yoda, Count Dooku, Mace Windu, and many others, as portrayed in the movie series. Appropriately for this series, he is especially good at generating excitement. The plot: The fiendish Dark Lord of the Sith puts into effect his plan to rid the universe of the Jedi Order and emerge as the first emperor of the galaxy. And he develops a new apprentice: Darth Vader. D.R.W. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

June 6, 2005
If you've well and truly caught the Star Wars
bug—i.e., seen the movie twice, purchased the action figures and are considering buying the book—you should add this audiobook to your collection, particularly if you have a Surround Sound stereo system. Those who don't can still enjoy this audio's many special effects, from the sound of light sabers whirring and clashing to the toots and twitters of R2-D2. And, of course, the anthems made famous by the original Star Wars
movies are present, thrumming in the background during dramatic moments. Narrator Davis guides listeners competently through the action, his voice switching nimbly from Obi-Wan's cultured tones to the slippery, snake-like cadences of Chancellor Palpatine. Though Davis's Yoda impression needs work—the little green Jedi comes off sounding like a flu-stricken Muppet—and his narration can be overly dramatic, he nicely conveys Anakin's confusion, petulance, arrogance and insecurity. Indeed, listening to this audio is second only to watching the movie, and those looking for something to tide them over during the lull between the movie's release in theaters and its debut in DVD could do no better than this audiobook. Simultaneous release with the Del Rey hardcover.