If you thought Star Wars was a tough act to follow, spare a thought for Richard Marquand.

Rating: 10/10 (10 August 2010)

It's hard to think of Empire as merely a film.To me,it represents more than that.In a way,i wish i could watch it again through new eyes and experience it without knowing the next piece of dialogue seconds before it's uttered.When you think this way about a film,it means you love it more than you ought to.This is true of mine and Empire Strikes Backs relationship.I saw it as a child and all the deep and meaningful stuff was lost on me but i recognised that i was sad when Han was taken away. Years later,the power of the film hit me and made me understand that, not only was this film amazing to look at,it covered almost every base technically. Looking at the Star Wars 'franchise' (hate that word) as it stands now, this is the film that made the life and longevity of the thing possible. Empire is truly the best of the Star Wars films and a strong contender for best sequel ever made. It's a film about relationships and growing and learning who you are. It's about finding your place in the world/galaxy and understanding how your impulses,as strong as they are sometimes, are not always the path to progression and betterment. I understand Empires power now, it's a film that teaches if you let it. Its also an amazing spectacle of the imagination that furthers something that was already brilliant and groundbreaking. If you thought Star Wars was a tough act to follow, spare a thought for Richard Marquand, director of Return Of The Jedi.