Sci-Fi at its Very Finest

Rating: 10/10 (19 July 2013)

Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back is a fantastic movie with a very well developed storyline and an outstanding cast. It's an impressive sequel that manages to surpass the expectations of its predecessor, this is the standards that every film maker should aim towards when considering a sequel, the first one is fun and introduces the characters in a light hearted manner, but this one further develops them and their universe in a much darker tone. It's definitely the bleakest film in the series, showing the main characters succeed the least, and even the ending isn't particularly joyous, let's just say the title suits the overall tone of the movie perfectly. The cast are still in great form here, in fact several of them have improved between the three year gap of the first movie, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher have certainly improved as actors and, overall, they seem much more comfortable in their roles. We are also introduced to some great new characters in this film, such as Lando and Boba Fett, but the one who stands out the most for me is Yoda, one of my favourite characters of the franchise, Frank Oz perfectly portrays the wise and woeful personality of this master Jedi. There are so many noteworthy moments here, whether it be the wise words from Yoda, the battle between Vader and Luke or Han's farewell to Leia, every scene makes me smile, it's a piece of film history that will be remembered for years to come. Terrific performances, a thrilling storyline and special effects that still hold up today, fans of Star Wars and sci-fi in general will not be disappointed by Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back, I would recommend it to all moviegoers.
Luke must complete his Jedi training with Master Yoda while the Empire has returned after the destruction of the Death Star, with Vader's only intention now being to find Luke.
Best Performance: Harrison Ford