Disappointed in theater but grows to be one of the best

Rating: 9/10 (30 December 2016)

I remember watching Episode V in the theater back in 1980/81 and i walked out with an uncomfortable feeling that this was just a moneymaking episode and simply not finished. In fact it wasn't, since it was designed to be the dramatic middle-part of the trilogy, which i did not know at the time - i was 14 and had no idea about the trilogy.
If there would not be an episode VI this would indeed be a major downside of episode V, but as the center part of the trilogy it was the best possible movie. In fact the plot does not really feel that epic, it just develops the characters more and prepares for the final act of episode VI.
Now, more than 36 years later we do have two completed trilogies and a new one just started plus a prequel to episode IV and all those movies can be judged from a wider angle and perspective. Having said that, this one is still one of the best, although not the most enjoyable, which i think is episode VI. But all three original movies are very close and from a cinematic point of view TESB stands out, since it has the most perfect balance between all the aspects that makes STAR WARS great. Any other episode has its flaws and issues, but episode V is almost complete in all ways.
In addition to this it simply downgrades the prequel episodes 1-3 to just being a lousy effort, but although Lucas tried to create something unique they totally fail in terms of being a serious contender to the original trilogy. Almost everything is either over sized or flat, and especially that is the complete opposite of episode V. It's technically advanced, serious, funny, full of ideas and action and has a straight plot. Something very rare these days.