Why can't they make them like this any more?

Rating: 10/10 (3 March 2007)

From it's opening scenes on the bleak ice-ball that is the planet Hoth, to its exciting finale on the cloud city of Bespin, The Empire Strikes back is a worthy sequel to the magnificent Star Wars. Taking over the directorial reins from George Lucas, Irvin Kershner steers the movie into darker territory to deliver a more mature movie than its predecessor.
The Empire is still licking its wounds after the destruction of the Death Star, and evil Darth Vader is intent on finding the rebels responsible for destroying his new toy. Luke's aim, meanwhile, is to become a fully fledged Jedi knight, whilst Han sets himself a more difficult target: he plans on getting into Leia's knickers.
With more incredible FX packed action scenes than you can shake a light-sabre at (highlights include the fantastic battle on Hoth, a chase scene through an asteroid field, and the Luke/Darth light-sabre duel), and THAT moment where we learn the truth about Luke's father, it's no surprise to find that this episode is often said to be the best of the series. Personally, A New Hope will always be my favourite (for sentimental reasons), but The Empire Strikes Back is a very close second.