The Best of the Saga...

Rating: 10/10 (3 August 2016)

The Empire Strikes Back is the ultimate sequel to the first (or fourth) film in the Star Wars saga, and also the best film.
The reason for this is because of the darker tone, the new characters and Irvin Kershner as the director, so George Lucas could concentrate on writing and producing the film. This film also has a better script that isn't as cheesy as A New Hope or the prequel films.
The story this time round has the Empire recovering from their defeat at the Rebels, and Darth Vader looking for their secret base. He sends out probes that find the Rebel Base on the Ice world of Hoth.
On Hoth, Luke Skywalker is out on patrol, when he is attacked by a Wampa, a big snow creature, and Han Solo goes out looking for him. Luke, who in the four years since A New Hope has been training himself in the ways of the Jedi, manages to defeat the Wampa with his lightsaber. Luke runs away from the Wampa's cave and after a while, he collapses in the snow and sees a vision of Obi-Wan, now a ghost. He tells Luke to complete his training with Jedi Master Yoda on Dagobah. Then Han Solo arrives and they are rescued by a Rebel Scout in a Snowspeeder.
The Empire arrives on Hoth in their terrifying AT-ATs (All Terrain Attack Transport) and the Battle of Hoth begins. This is one of the best moments of the original trilogy.
After the Battle, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia and C-3PO go in the Millennium Falcon trying to outrun the Empire, whilst Luke and R2-D2 head to Dagobah in their X-Wing.
On Dagobah, we meet Yoda. Yoda is wise, strong and powerful. Everything a Jedi should be. He appears to be weak and old. We judge him by how small he is and so does Luke. Then we have that iconic moment when Yoda lifts Luke's X-Wing out of the swamp.
Meanwhile, Darth Vader hires several bounty hunters to capture Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon. It is here when we are introduced to legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett (Unless you watch Attack of the Clones before this or the special edition version of A New Hope from 1997). Han decides to go to the planet Bespin, where his old friend Lando Calrissian, who is the Administrator of Cloud City, lives. But Lando has had to sell Han out to Vader, who is already in Cloud City because Boba Fett has been tracking the Millennium Falcon in his ship, Slave 1.
Luke senses his friends are in danger and decides to leave, but Yoda tells him he isn't ready and that it is a trap to lure him there. Luke leaves anyway.
Back on Bespin, Vader uses a carbonite freezing chamber to freeze Han Solo, so that Boba Fett can deliver him to Jabba the Hutt. Lando explains to Leia and Chewbacca that he had to sell them out in order for Cloud City to be safe from the Empire. They understand (maybe not Chewbacca) and they try to free Han, but they fail.
Luke arrives and has an epic lightsaber duel with him that ends in a shocking revelation....(not so shocking if you've seen the prequels before hand)
The addition of Yoda and Lando are great and Vader gets a larger role. As always, John Williams' soundtrack is great and there are some breathtaking visuals.