Unlike Father & Son

Rating: 10/10 (13 November 2004)

Back in the 80's, people were very excited for the release of The Empire Strikes Back, the much-awaited sequel to the phenomenal Star Wars. But, I can imagine, they were also wondering if it would be as good as Star Wars. No, it's not. It's much better. There's more action, the characters become richer and we are introduced to new ones. Thankfully, Lucas backed down in directing and/or writing the film.
Considered as the best film among the Trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back starts with the whole gang staying at a Rebel base in the ice planet of Hoth. After almost getting mauled by a Wampa Beast, Luke gets a message from Obi-Wan Kenobi to go to the Planet of Dagobah and look for a Jedi Master named Yoda. The Imperial Army arrives and tries to destroy the base, but the Rebels have already escaped, with Luke accompanied by R2-D2 goes to Dagobah. The Battle of Hoth is easily my favorite action scene in the whole Trilogy.
While Han, Leia and Chewbacca are hiding from the Imperial army that's chasing them, Luke meets the 800 year-old Jedi Master Yoda. Full of wisdom and a funny way of talking, Yoda trains Luke to be a real Jedi and teaches him the ways of a Jedi. Almost nothing happens in the middle of the film, except for great character development and lots of intelligent dialogue. It manages to keep us interested and excited without having too many action scenes. We get to know more about all the characters, including the villains and new characters that we are introduced to.
We then meet Lando Calrissian who lives in Bespin, a city that floats among the clouds. Lucas hardly touched this masterpiece, but he still added some more striking visuals, most of which aren't unnecessary. More windows are added to the buildings in Bespin, adding lot more light and life to the settings. The visuals added aren't a bother anymore, and for once probably made a scene look better.
Han and Leia don't trust Lando, to which we soon find out that they were right about their feelings toward him. Luke forsees that they're in trouble and goes to make sure that they're all right. As Han Solo is about to be frozen, Leia finally admits to Han that she loves her. To which Han replies with, "I know." It's an incredibly touching and emotional scene, where things are just about to get worse.
As Luke arrives at Bespin, he encounters Darth Vader, to which father and son fight. Quite possibly the best Lightsaber fight in all the Star Wars films, the scene is filled with so much emotion and a shocking revelation. Luke sacrifices his own life rather than join the dark side, and is saved by Leia and Chewbacca, along with Lando, after much threats from Chewy. The film ends on such a downbeat note, keeping a cliffhanger for the final movie in the Trilogy.
The characters have yet to face another adventure, and learn more from each other as the Imperial is yet to be beaten and Solo to be rescued. It's not a happy ending, or should I say, a beginning for the characters as what the future holds from them is yet to be known. It shouldn't be a suprrise from anyone that The Empire Strikes Back is considered by many as the best of the Trilogy, because the film is a great stepping-stone for the characters we've grown to love in the first film and introduces us to new ones that we easily grow to love and care for. That's what makes Star Wars a great Trilogy in the first place: it's the characters we remember. Not the visuals.
10