This film is no less spectacular than "A New Hope"

Rating: 10/10 (12 January 1999)

Of all the movies that have had follow-ups to the original, many just had sequels made only because the first was successful enough for it. First thing to know: "The Empire Strikes Back" is NOT a sequel. A standard "sequel" is simply the same or similar characters from one movie put in the same or similar situation to the one of the original movie, which is complete without any sequel (Jurassic Park, Speed). "The Empire Strikes Back" was pre-planned, and while "Star Wars" did seem like a complete story by itself, that was a result of creator George Lucas' uncertainty of whether or not they'd be given the opportunity to complete his saga of stories. "The Empire Strikes Back" did an excellent job as the film following "Star Wars: A New Hope", because it strived toward the same excellence the first one achieved, while the mood of this chapter contrasted that of the first entirely. The first one definitely had a lighter sort of mood to it, as far as the action among the rebels. This film concentrates more on the war itself, and how tough it is on the rebellion. It also has more establishment of the imperials and their ruthlessness, which definitely adds a darker tone to it. Score composer John Williams helps give this feeling to the film, with the now famous Imperial March that is so closely associated with villain Darth Vader (James Earl Jones). For a mood this dark, there sure is a lot of really nice scenery in the film, from the glaciers of the planet Hoth to the spanning cloudscape of Bespin. The special effects remain as amazing as those in "A New Hope", and have been re-done with a "Special Edition" as well as the first one, although not as much has changed in this film. The acting is also just as good as it was in the first one, with the addition of Yoda (Frank Oz) and Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams). The emotion of this film definitely surpasses those in "A New Hope", with the characters' personalities and relationships explored more deeply, such as between Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and even Luke (Mark Hamill) and Darth Vader, who for the first time have an actual face-to-face confrontation with each other in the unforgettable lightsaber duel. This film is even more suspenseful and action-packed, with an incredible climax and other very high points as well. Of all the intense and breathtaking aspects of this film, the one that everyone has remembered since, and will be remembered for as long as "Star Wars" itself, is the revelation by Vader to Luke, which most people already know by now. If you are one of the very few who don't, don't do anything until you see this film (and the first one, too) and find out from the movie, not from some loud-mouthed friend, the way many of us did. As hard as it would be to make a film as great as "A New Hope" after it changed the standards of filmmaking forever, this film definitely meets and surpasses the first one. It will also leave you hanging for the trilogy's final film, "Return of the Jedi" (1983), which also does not disappoint in any way. A SECOND must-see for science fiction fans, or movie fans in general.