The earliest memory I have of the movies is a scene that I can see when I close my eyes: Rebel snow speeders swooping past some lumbering AT-ATs. It is, of course, from Star Wars Episode V- Empire Strikes Back, which doesn't require much of review because it is a great film, more or less. This is the follow-up to the massively successful Episode IV: A New Hope and it is about, as the title suggests, the Empire striking back. It is much darker than the first film and ends on a melancholy note that was pretty neat.

Darth Vader has made it his mission to find the pilot that bested him and destroyed the Death Star and he tracks Luke Skywalker and the rest of the Rebel Alliance to the planet Hoth where they attack and the Alliance is forced to escape and disperse. Separated from the rest of the fleet, Han Solo and Princess Leia are pursued by Darth Vader. Meanwhile Luke goes to the planet Dagobah to be trained as a Jedi by the Jedi Master Yoda. Events conspire to bring them all together and I won't spoil it for anybody who hasn't seen it yet because those who have seen it know it inside out.

The Good...

There is a lot of good here. The dialogue is stronger. The dark humour in the Vader scenes, the introduction of Yoda. C3PO had a story arc. Chewbacca is able to convey so much even in his costume limiting expression.

The Not So Good...

I don't get the timeline of this one. It sort of seems like it happens really quickly but I wonder if that's true. I imagine that it would take months to travel at sublight speeds without hyperdrive so that Luke could have been on Dagobah for a really long time training while Han and Leia are making their way to Bespin. Minor quibble but it's never addressed.

I do not care for Boba Fett. There, I said it. Overrated. Don't at me. You can love him if you want. I don't care. Considered by many to the best of the series, I prefer A New Hope as it was the original, but it is a great film.

Great film.

-all photos via IMDB.com