The best sequel ever made

Rating: 10/10 (8 January 2018)

The Empire Strikes Back is a movie that respects the original film while going in a deeper and darker direction. It isn't something that's easy to achieve but Irvin Kershner was able to do exactly that with this memorable and powerful sequel.
After the Empire attacks the rebel base on Hoth, our set of heroes go seperate ways. Luke goes to the Dagobah system to learn from the wise Master Yoda. The rest of the heroes are attempting to flee from the Empire until Han finds an old friend in Cloud City. However, something sinister is happening in Cloud City and Luke senses this through the force.
What is so great about this sequel is its masterful blend of action, humour and deep philosophy. The battle of Hoth draws you into the movie with its spectacular special effects. Then the movie spends time dealing with the philosophy of the force with Master Yoda, one of the greatest characters in the series. We also have more humorous adventures with Han, Leia, Chewie and C3PO.
The climax is what separates this movie from the rest of the series. Essentially the heroes lose and the Empire gains the upper hand. We also discover a dark secret which wowed people at the time. People didn't know what to think at the time of release but now it's cemented as the series high point.
Essentially this movie managed to expand upon what was already a perfect roller coaster ride of a movie. This is what a sequel should be and along with Aliens and Terminator 2, this is the best sequel ever made!