The best of the three (really, the best of the six)

Rating: 10/10 (25 May 2005)

What a movie. I remember crying when I found out that Vader is Luke's father (Granted, I first saw this when I was six, but still). It is easily the darkest of the original trilogy - nothing good happens to any of the heroes, but plenty of bad things happen. On the plus side, the rebellion lives to fight another day, and certain relationships are enhanced, and our main protagonists characters are further developed.
Some of the greatest characters in the trilogy are also introduced in this movie (some are fleshed out in the sequel) - Yoda, Boba Fett, and of course, the Emperor. The sets are great, and it features two epic battles; the Rebel defeat on Hoth at the hands (feet?) of the Imperial AT-AT walkers, and Luke's defeat and maiming at the hands of Lord Vader. The lightsaber battle and its accompanying dialog is easily the emotional climax of the movie.
As always in the original trilogy, the humor is great. It is probably at its best in this movie ("laugh it up, fuzzball!") Seeing these movies again (I just watched the whole original trilogy for the first time since seeing Revenge of the Sith) made me realize what is really missing from the new movies - that great chemistry that the actors/actresses had. For all the technical and visual flair of the new flicks, you just don't have the kind of relationships like you had in the old movies - Han and Chewy, Han and Leia, Luke and Leia, R2 and 3PO, Luke and Vader, Luke and Yoda, Yoda and Ben, Luke and Ben...I could go one forever. That human element makes up for any "shortcomings" the old movies had visually (although I would contend that the use of models helps these movies stand the test of time - the re-release looks AMAZING) and allows the audience to connect on an emotional level much deeper than with the new trilogy. While the last installment of the prequels was good, it does not hold a candle to this epic, sad and yet heroic tale. EMPIRE is the crown jewel of the saga, replete with mythical story lines, humor and stunning visuals. Fun for folks of all ages.