The Force is strong with this one...

Rating: 10/10 (16 November 2005)

Star Wars may have been a brilliant beginning, but it's The Empire Strikes Back that has made sure this epic saga will remain unforgettable. In my opinion, this is the best Star Wars-movie ever, alongside Revenge of the Sith. Darker and more mature than its predecessor, Empire is 100% masterpiece.
As the saga got more mature, George Lucas handed the writing and directing duties to other people: the then unknown Lawrence Kasdan and Lucas'film-making tutor, Irvin Kershner. With these people's help, the movie became darker, Greek tragedy being added to the Flash Gordon-style situations. As for the characters, they became richer and more "human" (the Han/Leia romance subplot is pure genius).
Among all the great stuff, there are two things fans, but also "ordinary" people, tend to remember more fondly about this film: First of all, this is the episode that introduced Yoda, and what an entrance he makes: those expecting the wise Jedi from the prequels won't believe what they're seeing. This Yoda is an old fool who starts playing with Luke Skywalker's tools, stealing his food and even hitting R2-D2 with his stick, before getting mentally stable again and accepting to train Luke, so that the young boy can face Darth Vader who, as the title (and John Williams'magnificent Imperial March) suggests, has an essential role in this movie.
But most of all, this film will remain immortal thanks to its shocking climax: unexpected, unpredictable (unless you've already seen the prequels or the Simpsons-episode where Homer spoils it) and unforgettable, it's the stuff really great movies are made of.
People say the second part of a trilogy is always the trickiest to achieve; well, in this case, it was worth all the trouble: the Empire doesn't just strike back, it totally wins!