The Saga continues...

Rating: 9/10 (25 December 2000)

with this masterpiece of the Star Wars saga, which in my opinion is the best part of the whole series. I always thought that way and I guess that will never change. Of course I got some criticism, but it is basically the same I have for Episode IV and that would be that the special effects seem not as good as they once did, which is basically due to the enormous change and improvement on the special effects department. Besides that though I do not have any criticism on this film. As with the other Episode I also am talking about the Special Edition here and I must say that Lucas has done some good improvement with this Episode as well. There were a bunch of altered or added effects, like explosions and a few scenes in the city in the clouds, but the part that was altered best, I think, was the one in the beginning involving the creature in the snow. There were really some good scenes integrated here, which all looked very real. Maybe besides the fact that there was just a little blood when Luke gave the creature that stroke with the saber. That might be another criticism of this film. I mean there is quite a bit of lightsaber action in which someone is hit (three scenes) and it just appears that there is almost no blood lost. This might be regarded as a bit unreal by some people, but I was satisfied with that, for I am used of it since I was just a little kid and I think it was much better than the stuff that happened for instance in Indiana Jones (which I saw when I was about 11 or so) . For those scenes at the end of the first Indiana Jones really gave me the creeps when I watched that film for the first time and I had quite a couple of nightmares afterward. Whereas nothing of that kind happened after I had seen any of the thee old' episodes of the Star Wars Saga about a year earlier.

What I especially like about this film is, of course the battle on Hoth, right at the beginning, which starts this episode of the epic tale. In this film there are much more elaborate and much better battle scenes. But not only on Hoth, but also on the city in the clouds. I'm not talking about those laser fights here, but I'm talking about the lightsaber duel between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, which is so much better than the saber duel in Episode IV between Obi Wan and Vader. Last but not at all least there is much more character development in this one than in Episode IV and that also is what makes this such a great film. Besides all that, this film also introduces us to Yoda, (well if you've not seen Episode I that is) and the Emperor, who is the driving force behind the oh  so evil Vader. Speaking of which, he is really evil in this film. I mean if you thought you have seen his full wickedness in the first part you are so wrong. This man really is unpredictable and bad to the bone. His heart has been, you might say, destroyed by the dark side of the force, which is composed mainly of fear and hate.

Yoda is though important not that much of a main character, than you'd expect. He is just the person who is responsible for the upbringing' of the Jedi knights and who has been responsible for that for about 800 years. Although he seems quite useless and strange at the beginning, he actually is quite smart and helpful for Luke in this Episode in which Luke sees his connection with the Force reach a higher level. While Luke and Yoda prepare for battle Han and Leia are just making time fly by with a lot of jokes and action. I really must say here that Harrison Ford is great as Han Solo, who in this Episode (again) delivers most of the jokes. He is quite the scoundrel (as Princess Leia rightly noticed) and he is by far my most favorite character in the whole series, for his one  liners and his conversations with Princess Leia will always be remembered by me. My other favorite comedian from the first film (C  3PO) is not on such a roll as in the first one, but he still is pretty funny. The fact that Han Solo is my favorite character does not mean I do not like Luke, or I do not sympathize with him. It is just that if I wanted to be a character in Star Wars I would want to be Han Solo, because I think he is coolest and because I think if I could be someone in this Saga I could be Han Solo.

Besides all that, there happens something in this Star Wars film, that is well known and remembered by all fans of the Saga and it is something I do not want to spoil for anyone of you who has not seen this film (if there are such persons). All of the fans will know what I'm talking about and I think that is the biggest and most important event of the whole saga and by far the most touching one too. It brought tears to my eyes when I saw it again, something I would not have expected. It was just done so well, I really must applaud everyone who took part in that scene and of course George Lucas and John Williams, who in my eyes is the god of Scores.

Watch, be blown away, surprised and moved.

May the force be with youalways.

9 out of 10