This too alienated fans

Rating: 9/10 (30 November 2019)

Returning to this wonderful film after seeing the collective reaction to The Last Jedi is eye opening. This film's strength lies in subverting the expectations and formula of A New Hope. Much of the film's charm comes from denying fan service. Whether it is the big reveal at the climax or the characterization of Yoda this story goes into much darker territory and as result feels like a much more believable film.
On a technical level this is probably the best directed Star Wars film; there is a tightness to the visual construction the makes the world seem epic and grand without bogging the film down in overloaded visuals. The editing as a much stronger sense of pace than the first film and the overall *experience* of the film is more striking.
Note on the special edition: Empire survives the mangling by Lucas the best. The added material is mostly benign but still ends up hurting the film somewhat.