Best sequel ever!

Rating: 10/10 (23 May 2005)

"Star Wars" broke all the rules for cinema and provided the entire world with a new way of making and watching movies. It also left everyone wondering, how are they going to top that? With "The Empire Strikes Back", George Lucas delivered one, and arguably the most successful sequel of all time. "Star Wars" was, with the exception of "Jaws", the first real blockbuster film, and Empire was without question the first blockbuster sequel.
This film took all the storyline elements of the first film and took it to an entire new level. It took the special effects in the first movie and advanced them even further, with the help of a much bigger film budget this time.
We all know what happens, Luke trains to be a Jedi, finds out his father is Darth Vader, and nearly falls to his death while trying to escape the Dark Lord. Leia and Han fall in love, and Han is put into carbonite at the hands of Vader and Boba Fett, with a little reluctant help from his buddy Lando Calrissean. The character of Lando was in interesting and often overlooked element of this film. When we first meet him we think he is Han's friend and Billy Dee Williams does a great job of concealing his intentions before handing him over to the Empire. Of course Lando was in a bad spot, if Darth Vader told you to do something, would you say no? Most people contend that this is the best "Star Wars" film, its debatable. The original is always going to be the first one that comes to people's minds when thinking of the whole series. However, if Empire is number 2, its a close number 2. The deepness of the story in Episode V goes beyond what was introduced in Episode IV, which is the reason many claim it is the better of the two films, and the best of all 6 films.
Nevertheless, Empire ranks right up there with some of the greatest blockbuster films ever, and its hard to argue it is the greatest sequel ever made.