Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back

My favorite of the Star Wars films for years, the recently dethroned The Empire Strikes Back is still among my favorite films of all time.

There are plenty of reasons why this is a great, great work of art. For example, the silhouetted portion of the fight scene between Vader and Luke Skywalker is one of the strongest scenes I have ever watched. There is always some intrigue with a torn character like Lando Calrissian - will he help the cause or hurt it? - and that insecurity for much of the film is largely a driving factor of its success. I also personally enjoy the introduction of Yoda and our first real glimpse of what it takes to be a Jedi knight. Having one of the most well-kept and shocking secrets in all of movie history revealed in the story doesn't hurt either.

However, what really puts this film over the top is the fact that the bad guys win. Too often do we see the "good guys" overcoming insurmountable odds again and again. One could argue that Han, Chewie, and Leia did just that with their flight into the asteroid field and that Han and Luke would never had survived the frozen tundra of Hoth overnight, but before final conclusions are drawn, consider this:

By the end of the film, Han is frozen in carbonite and on his way - compliments of Boba Fett - to Jabba the Hutt. Additionally, Luke is confused by the revelation that Vader is his father and tempted by the power promised by the Dark Side. The loss of his arm, much like his father's, is also an indication that the rebellion is falling apart because Luke is so dangerously tempted by the Dark Side of The Force.

Although slightly hindered because it is a transitional film, The Empire Strikes Back is still one of the best of all time, and a close second place to its predecessor.

Rating: 9.5/10