George Lucas at his peak

Rating: 10/10 (3 June 2002)

The Empire Strikes Back is regarded by many fans of the series as the best of the bunch. The acting and script rise several notches from its predecessor with the characters becoming less two dimensional and more interesting, yet these do not detract from the breakneck pace of the film, with some truly breathtaking action scenes. John Williams score is probably another reason why so many fans rate this so highly. Though the main themes from the first movie are all present and correct, the films darker tone is reflected perfectly in the soundtrack. Yet there are still moments of hope (the swelling strings as Yoda gives Luke a pointed lesson that "size matters not). Oh yes, and there's also the matter of THAT revelation! Possibly the best twist in movie history. Overall, movies don't get much better than this.