Star rating: 2 out of 5

Rating: 4/10 (12 January 2003)

Star Wars - Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back, rather suffers from 'middle child' syndrome. Being the second of the original trilogy it has neither the fresh appeal of originality that marked its predecessor, nor is it required to reach any conclusions. The result is a film with decidedly minimalist plot development. The Empire is still hunting down the Rebel Alliance, Luke Skywalker is still training to be a Jedi knight, and. . . . .. . . . . well, that's pretty much it. Instead of a solid storyline, the viewer is treated to 122 minutes of cobbled-together battle sequences (although watch for the impressive Imperial walker troop carriers, which resemble out-sized armoured elephants).
The characters however, have developed considerably since the first film - it's nice to see loyal Chewbacca show a sense of humour. The sexual tension between Princess Leia and Han Solo is palpable. . . . . . . . . . until they kiss (which looks about as exciting as snogging a shoe). In a clever twist, Yoda the Jedi Master is not a Hercules-type warrior, but a wizened green dwarf; the characterisation would have worked even better had he not had a voice a-la-Sesame Street.
In the Special Edition of Episode IV, A New Hope, there is an obvious and uncomfortable chasm between those scenes which have been unaltered since they were shot in 1977 and those that were digitally re-mastered and altered 20 years later. Fortunately the same is not the case in Episode V. But why was it necessary to darken the picture contrast so drastically?
For fanatics The Empire Strikes Back is of course an integral component of the Star Wars dynasty. Viewers with a more casual interest in the story could probably get away with skipping this installment altogether.