The best of the trilogy; an awesome space adventure!

Rating: 10/10 (25 May 2006)

One of the rare sequels that arguably tops it's own classic predecessor, the second film in the original STAR WARS trilogy manages to seamlessly combine the cliffhanger thrills and good-natured humor of the original with a darker and more adult-oriented storyline. Producer/writer George Lucas (who also directed the first film) decided to pass the directorial duties over to semi-avant guard director Irvin Kershner (best known at the time for 1970's LOVING and 1972's UP THE SANDBOX), which proved to be an ingenious move. Kershner's dramatic background serves him well in helming the complex plot, and he pulls fully-rounded characterizations from the entire cast. The merging of Kershner's storytelling talents with Lucas' mastery of the film-making technique is the very heart of this, which is arguably the greatest space adventure ever.
The film works in numerous ways. Scene-by-scene, the film continually tops itself with one startling set piece after another, yet the picture also gels perfectly together as cohesive roller-coaster ride of suspense, romance, and still-dazzling special effects - with even some philosophy effectively thrown into the mix. Many of the series most intriguing characters are introduced in this installment, including space-age playboy Lando Carlissian (charismatically played by Billy Dee Williams), ruthless bounty hunter Boba Fett (an unrecognizable Jeremy Bulloch), and especially the ultimate mystic Yoda (flawlessly voiced by Frank Oz). The notorious Emperor (voiced by the sinister Clive Revill) also makes a brief-but-memorable appearance that initiates an intriguing set up for the following film.
The new cast of characters are seamlessly woven into the saga's vast tapestry, and perfectly compliment the returning cast members, most of whom are at their best in this film. Mark Hamill's seemingly perpetual man/child Luke Skywalker actually does an impressive deal of growing up in this installment, and the deeper characterization suits the winsome actor well. Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are given a genuinely believable romantic subplot that never feels contrived or tacked on, and C-3PO (the delightful English actor Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2 once again steal nearly every scene they appear in as the series' sparring robots. And this is to say nothing of Darth Vader's (once again eerily voiced by James Earl Jones) shocking revelation to Luke during the film's bravura climax, which is a plot twist that packed a major wallop back in 1980 and is still somewhat startling even today.