The perfect sequel to its perfect predecessor

Rating: 9/10 (27 September 2015)

In many ways, The Empire Strikes Back is the perfect sequel. But before I begin, let me get one thing out of the way. This is NOT the best Star Wars film of all time. That honour lies with the original, which it always will. There's a multitude of great scenes here, but I can and will argue that every one of them is derived from the original.
In case the original Star Wars lulled you into a false sense of security - the Death Star is destroyed, Tarkin is dead and Vader is lost in space - Empire Strikes Back (the name says it all) opens with the iconic Battle of Hoth, where the rebels are once again on the run from an Empire with superior numbers and firepower. Everything about this battle sets the mood of Empire - most of which is spent on the run. If your heart isn't beating faster than usual when Vader is walking up to the Millennium Falcon, then you're straight up lying.
There's no point wasting space talking about the performances in Empire Strikes Back, because Hamill, Fisher, Ford, Daniel and the actors behind Vader are just as good in this film as they were in the original. Ford and Fisher's on screen chemistry is what every movie couple aspires to be - it is not only believable but obvious that the Princess falls for the scoundrel Solo. Frank Oz joins the cast as the delightful Yoda, and his performance is perfect both in Yoda's wisest and most comedic moments. See also Billy Dee Williams, who became one of the franchise's most beloved characters in such a small amount of time. Williams' easy smile and commanding delivery shows us very clearly why he was in the conversation for the role of Han Solo.
The reason that Empire Strikes Back is the perfect sequel is that it delves deeper into the parts we wanted to know more about. Yoda warns us that Luke is not right to be a Jedi, and then we watch Luke make the very mistakes Yoda was warning him about. Vader is built into an incredible villain in this movie - he knows Luke is his son and he still maims him. One of the things I loved in this movie was the similarity of Vader's approach to Admiral Ozell and Captain Needa's failures. Ozell is a buffoon and Needa an honest and upfront man willing to accept responsibility, and they both meet the same fate. Its a small thing, but it says so much about Vader's lack of empathy.
Kershner is a very skilled director, probably the best in the franchise. Some of my favourite directed scenes include the devastating duel between Luke and Vader, where it is immediately obvious that Luke is out of his depth, and the incredible scene in which Vader's human head is revealed to the audience. A facial expression or change in body language is enough to speak volumes to the audience.
I'm not in love with Empire Strikes Back. I find Hoth's Yeti, the giant asteroid worm, and the community's bizarre obsession with Boba Fett to be rather annoying. I also found Hoth, Dagobah and Bespin to be relatively flat and uninspired worlds by Star Wars standards. But they are all such tiny things in what is obviously an incredible film - the film that gave me my name.
''Luke, I am your father.''