Lines formed early outside Central Texas theaters as fans of the force, many in costume, counted down the minutes to the opening of the sixth and final installment of the Star Wars saga.

“Star Wars: Episode Three—Reventge of the Sith” opened to sell-out crowds at midnight at theaters across the country.

At least a few diehard fans actually camped out for days and in some cases even weeks in order to be among the first to see the film.

The movie aims to answer many questions lingering from the five previous movies, including how Jedi hero Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader and those who saw it say despite knowing the eventual outcome "you still get that excitement, and it's closure for you."

"It lived up to all the hype,” another fan said.

Enough people attended the early-morning showing that experts predicted some employers would notice higher-than-usual rates of absenteeism Thursday and possibly Friday as some workers play hooky in order to see the movie.

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