My favorite of the five

Rating: Null/10 (3 August 2002)

What a remarkable film this is. Easily, the greatest of the five Star Wars films made so far and one of the greatest fantasy films of all time. I remember what a revelation ESB was when I first saw it as a child. What a contrast it was from the first film. From the offset, it was darker and more brooding and psychological. It was of a more mature nature and had the richest character development of any of the Star Wars films. In a way, I think that it was the most "realistic" of all these films, in that it was more grounded in solid emotions and there was palpable resonance to it. This truly is the film that solidified the Star Wars mythology, and it defined and molded the characters in ways that give them all deeper meaning, purpose, and motivation. Everything starts working on a whole other level. To me its all about dark family secrets lurking just beneath the surface, and you definitely feel that all throughout this film. When the awful "truth" is revealed in the end, you realize that the clues have really been there all along. Luke's anguished cry after Vader tells him that "I am your father", is not one of shock or denial, but of the acceptance of something that he has really known all along. And Vader suddenly has more form and dimension. He has a purpose (as all truly great villains must). Is he not now, after all, basically a father trying to find his children and bring them to his side? Yoda is wise and wonderful and really embodies all the magic of this modern fantasy myth. The developing romance between Han and Leia is engaging and believable. And there's real chemistry there. It's truly light years ahead of the love story between Anakin and Padme from "Attack of the Clones". On just about ALL levels, its far superior to "Clones", making the latest Star Wars release seem cold, ineffectual and flaccid. AND, most importantly...
No Ewoks...
No Jar Jar...
It's the quintessential Star Wars movie!!