This film goes well beyond sci-fi. A true cinematic masterpiece.

Rating: 10/10 (18 June 1999)

The Empire Strikes Back represents everything that I've come to expect from a film: Brave heroes, menacing villains, a well-written story, fantastic action scenes, a strong supporting cast, drama, romance, surprises, and a beautiful musical score. "Empire" focuses heavily on developing the characters from the first film, rounding out their personalities, and introduces several great new characters (Yoda, Lando Calrissian, Boba Fett). The special effects still hold up well to today's standards, the dialogue is witty and intelligent, and the character dynamic allows the actors to play well off of each other. It's a very different kind of film in that the "good guys always win" theory is proved wrong, and Darth Vader's surprise revelation at the end of the movie is still one of the best movie moments ever, which was shocking for its time.
This is one of the few films that I find that never diminishes after each viewing. Even without the "Star Wars" name behind it, the amount of movie "magic" this film generates captivates me just as much now as it did when I was a child.
This is a prime example of cinematic perfection, and in no way should be missed by anyone. A true classic and worthy of the "10" that I gave it.