Perfect blend of sci-fi and fantasy. Light years above the other Star Wars pictures.

Rating: 10/10 (9 April 2005)

How do you follow up the most successful science fiction/fantasy film of all time? Make a sequel that's bigger and better than the original. Not only is The Empire Strikes Back better than A New Hope, but it completely blows it out of the water. The first Star Wars film started it all and paved the way for the second installment, but essentially it was a fairly bland and simple space adventure with great special effects. Return of the Jedi, which followed The Empire Strikes Back, was also a weaker film. Empire is clearly the best film of the original trilogy. So much in fact it transcends the other films and it's easy to appreciate the film out of the context of the Star Wars universe. While the first film was too cartoonish and the third too unbalance, the second hit exactly the right note. The story picks up several years after A New Hope. The Death Star is destroyed and the rebels are hiding at their base on the ice planet of Hoth. The Empire is hot on their trail with a zealous Darth Vader combing the galaxy in search of them. From the very start of the movie it's one big giant chase. Unlike the other two films, Empire gets the big battle out of the way in the beginning so that it can slowly build down until the climax. It's a reversal of the typical adventure film arc and it works perfectly. In Empire all of the characters are fleshed out and become as real people, whereas in A New Hope they just served the storyline. There's the classic Greek mythology pathos going on with the battle between good and evil. There are also many shades of gray in the film, as the characters drift in out and of good and evil, and face difficult decisions. Out of the entire trilogy the middle film also features the most impressive and elaborate sets. Over the course of two hours we are taken into four different worlds, the ice planet Hoth, the swamp world of Dagobah, an asteroid field in space, and Cloud City. All four locales are entirely impressive. The lighting is another key factor in the film's vibrant look. Lighting becomes the most flamboyant towards the end of the film during the dusk looking scenes at Cloud City. Finally something must be said of the epic lightsaber duel between Luke and Vader that makes up the film's climax. It's the best duel in any of the films. Storywise there's a lot on the line, but it's choreographed and filmed so well it wouldn't matter how it ties into the story. It's the dirtiest and grungiest of all the duels. It's nice to actually see the physical effects of fighting for a change. In the other films the characters are pretty much stoic but here we get to see Luke grow out of breath, tire, bleed, and have his cloths torn. He stumbles around, expresses emotion, and even gets a few nice on-uppers on Vader when he's underestimated. Ultimately it's a wonderful way to finish a great film. Also I should mention the good performances from Billy Dee Williams, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford.