“Star Wars” fans worldwide have been lining up for days to await the midnight opening of the final chapter of the popular movie saga: “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.”

At Movies 12 in Ames, people began lining up as early as 6 p.m., settling in with cans of soda, Game Boys and decks of cards to pass the time until those timeless words, “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away …” would appear on the screen.

For many “Star Wars” fans who remember seeing the original movies when they were young, the nostalgic draw of the series is very powerful.

“I remember watching [the original trilogy] when I was really little, and I remember going to ‘Episode I’ in the theaters. When the movie started, the theater just exploded with applause,” says Ames resident Joe Worley.

The first two prequels — “A Phantom Menace” and “Attack of the Clones” — faced heavy criticism and disappointed many fans, who claimed the films failed to capture the spirit of “Star Wars.”

“[‘Revenge of the Sith’] has to be better than the last two, and I’ve heard it’s much better, so my expectations are pretty high,” says Worley.

Ames resident and longtime “Star Wars” fan John Williams saw the release of “Episode IV” when he was 16 years old. He says he thinks the previous two movies weren’t as bad as all the critics wanted viewers to think.

“In actuality, there were a lot of good scenes from the first two movies — a lot of good, heartfelt things that were done right. The previous two were OK, but I have a feeling that this is going to be more of an adult film that’s definitely of ‘Star Wars’ caliber,” Williams says. “This one should rock. It’s going to be nice and dark again.”

If the initial reviews are to be believed, “Episode III” marks a return to the style of the original “Star Wars” trilogy, when the story focused more on epic struggles of good and evil than trade wars and love stories.”Hopefully, there’s a little more substance and a little less style than in the first two films,” says Bryan Bornmueller, senior in marketing.

“Revenge of the Sith” centers around the creation of one of the series’ most recognizable and memorable characters: Darth Vader, whose imposing masked figure has recently appeared on everything from beach towels to Cheez-Its boxes.

One of the trailers for the film features the newly forged Darth Vader rising from a pit of fire to the twin sounds of the instantly recognizable Imperial March theme and the hiss of his trademark heavy breathing.

According to a news release, Anakin Skywalker’s journey to the Dark Side of the Force lends “Revenge of the Sith” a darker, more tragic tone than the other two prequels, where Anakin was still more good than evil. In this film, he will give in to the temptations laid before him by Chancellor Palpatine and become the evil Darth Vader, setting the stage for the original trilogy.

“The pieces will fall together, the connections will be made. Finally, the last chapter will be told,” says writer-director George Lucas in a “Revenge of the Sith” news release.

As “Revenge of the Sith” completes the saga Lucas began in 1977 with “Episode IV: A New Hope,” many fans are attending a midnight showing in Ames because it will be their last opportunity to see a “Star Wars” premier.

“I wasn’t planning on it, but it’s a once in a lifetime thing,” says Clifford Gentry, senior in art and design and first-time premier-goer.