Much anger in him...like his father.

Rating: 10/10 (25 November 2015)

Empire Strikes Back took everything that was revolutionary from Star Wars and improved it, and then some. It is deeper, more mature, and asks more questions of the world. R2D2 and Chewbacca, who became lovable fan favourites from the moment they hit the screen in 1977, did so without speaking a single word, but here they are much more than just accessories to the plot. In their grunts and roars and beeps, they now became beacons of loyalty for our group. The iconic opening crawl speaks of the events in between the two films - a time skip has occurred and the rebels are in hiding. The strengths of the characterisations show us exactly what has happened in these months unseen; Luke has become a respected fighter and commander, Han a captain, and his bickering and romantic tension with Leia only growing stronger (and which results in one of the most iconic confessions of love of all time). We see the bonds of friendship so much stronger in this sequel, and as Chewie attempts to repair CP3O and carries him around like a backpack, we recognise this is as an emotion of universality. No wonder Lucas used it again with Luke and Yoda.
Fox had placed little faith in the original, and the budget had been constricted, and Lucas's vision mellowed. But after the immense popularity and success, ESB was given full backing. The world of Star Wars was now even more fully realised. We had visited the deserts of Tattoine, the Aztec pyramids rebel bases amidst jungle territory, and now the icy planets of Hoth, where an imperial assault is imminent. The battlefield was now much clearer and the greenscreen backdrops of the dogfight-style fighter pilots more detailed, more immersive - fellow rebel ground fighters, jets and Imperial assault crews now milled around in the background, and live explosions proved to be more threatening than the multicoloured digital explosions in the black of space. There was real weight and fluidity in the way that the X-Wings would speed in and out and under and over the AT-ATs, and the coverage now provided a greater and more epic scale of the action; see Luke run around the legs and dangle from the elephant- like robotic beast, and how the Millennium Falcon weaves around an entirely three dimensional asteroid field and narrowly escapes from a gigantic space slug.
We have more new developments. Besides the stop-motion photography of the AT-ATs, which creates an oddly appropriate jerky walking motion, we also have the puppetry of the endearing Tauntauns which amble about in the snow, and their models are amazingly detailed, head to claw in a thick frost-covered hair, a dragon-shaped head and curved horns. And there is the old Jedi Master Yoda, whom I am conflicted on; at times it remains painfully obvious that he is a puppet, whose mouth does not correspond to the truths that he speaks, but they are great and important truths that become even more evident once Luke encounters the foreshadowing of himself in a Vader helmet. And of course the matte paintings are once again immaculate and beautifully detailed; in particular the landing platform on the edge of the Cloud City, and the glorious Bespin itself, bathed in the pink glow of the sunset and clouds. As the Falcon soars away above the sunset, Williams' Cloud City orchestral theme is at its most stirring, and is the second most iconic in the soundtrack, right after (what else?) The Imperial March. Never has a trumpet fanfare been so menacing and so recognisable - also named Darth Vader's Theme because the mere sighting of it signalled his presence and power.
Vader is photographed more ingeniously than in Star Wars (in brightly lit exteriors) and this enhances his terrifying persona; giving instructions from his own personal capsule, force-choking over the communications channel, emerging from icy mist in the freezing tunnels of Hoth, slivers of light hitting his mask and creating a dark and shiny gleam, and in that climatic duel between father and son, both are silhouetted on the orange steps by the smoking vents, and the colours of the shimmering lightsabers tell us all that we need to know about their allegiances. This is one of the classic movie villains at his peak, but it is more than black and white (or blue and red) morality - there is just a hint of fatherly affection behind that mask, buried deep below, but we see the inklings of a plan, tinges of regret that have formed over the years living in the Dark Side. And in Luke's horrified reaction, the realisation that his own vices may well lead him down the same path. The studio was not entirely happy about leaving Vader in his tumbling TIE fighter after the explosion of the first Death Star; sequels were regarded as pulpy cash-ins rather than significant narratives. But Empire proves its worth, and then some - it ends with Vader's cruel blow and confession, the loss of a hand, and the capture of a beloved character...but there is still a glimmer of hope. It remains one of the remarkable sci-fi achievements.