Star Wars: Episode V (The Empire Strikes Back)
Released in: 1980 (re-released in 1997)
Produced by: 20th Century Fox
Type of Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes score/my equivalent: 97%/A
NOTE: For this review I watched the 1997 re-release of the film since I do not have a copy of the original release.
NOTE 2: I'm also trying out a new format to these reviews, you'll see some changes from past ones.

Personal History

While many people regard Empire Strikes Back as the best Star Wars movie of all-time, when I first watched it growing up, I didn't care much for it. Back then, when I thought of a movie that had "Star Wars" in it, I expected, y'know fighting in space. Granted, this was at a time when I was a lot more gullible when it came towards movies and didn't pay as much attention to story as I do now.

As the years passed and I grew up, I slowly began to grow an appreciation for this film and I could start to see why it is so highly regarded. Now, some 20+ years after I first watched it, I have a much better opinion on the movie, although personally I still prefer the Original Star Wars.

Basic Storyline

After the destruction of the first Death Star, the Empire chases the rebels to the ice planet Hoth and invades the base that was set up there. However, the rebel forces manage to escape as Han and Leia try to evade capture while Luke seeks out the wisdom of Yoda to complete his Jedi training. Later in the movie, Han and Leia travel to Cloud City where they meet up with Lando Calrissian who initially leads them into an imperial trap, but will later redeem himself after he realizes what he has done. Finally, Luke confronts Darth Vader for the first time directly and after having his arm cut off discovers that Vader is actually his father. In the end, Luke and Leia reunite along with Lando as they prepare to go recover Han.

What works with this movie

+: The story (complex and intense, full of many surprises that one who had never seen this movie before would not expect, # "I am your father")
+: The Humor (there are several points in the movie that invoked laughter from me, mostly revolving around the relationship between Han and Leia, and of course the robotic Laurel and Hardy of C-3PO and R2D2)
+: The confrontation between Darth Vader and Luke (What else can I mention here that I already haven't?)
+: Wise Ass Yoda (In the prequel trilogy we got bad ass Yoda, here we get to see the other side of the character as the wise mentor full of experience as he attempts to teach Luke in the ways of the Jedi)
+: Lando (He's a wise ass and he seems to care about the citizens of Cloud City to the point where he's willing to sacrifice one of his friends to keep it safe, until Lando discovers that he's being screwed over and makes up for the error of his ways, even though it appeared he had "good intentions". In fact, Lando reminds me of someone else I like, who was put in a very similar position not too long ago. Who am I talking about you may ask, you'll find out soon enough)

What didn't work in this movie
(NOTE: Most of what's listed here is based on the re-release, as these issues weren't present in the original release)

-: Some of the scenes look a bit fake to me (mainly in the beginning with the tauntauns...though it's nowhere near as bad as it was in the re-release of the original Star Wars)

Things that have me asking questions in this movie

?: There's a bit of an incestuous relationship between Luke and Leia isn't there? (Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with that...as you all know by the majority of the stories I've released, but it seems to me that the two of them might have a relationship stronger than the traditional brother/sister relationship)
?: How is Luke able to escape certain death so much at the end of the movie? (Yeah, I get it, he's the main hero, but it seems to me that with one of your arms chopped off and hanging from some sort of antenna thousands of feet above the ground would be a recipe to end up on the show "1,000 ways to die". It just seems a bit far-fetched to me that he'd be able to hang on as long as he did)

CONCLUSION: This film had to grow on me over the course of 20 years, but once it did, I could appreciate it for what it was. It has a strong and compelling story, high entertainment value, and strong character development. Though the original Star Wars will always be my favorite of the series, I can definitely see why this movie is so highly regarded

Story Grade: A+ (Rock Solid)
Entertainment Grade: A (A couple of dull moments here and there, but otherwise very entertaining)

OVERALL GRADE (Story/Entertainment average): A
(Like the original Star Wars, this is a classic in every sense of the word. If you haven't already watched this film, track it down and watch it.)

Next Review: Return of the Jedi

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