RateItAll: The Opinion Network

The best of the batch. One of the few sequels that's better than the original. From the very beginning, you could feel the tone of the film was going to be darker, more intense, and desperate. Vader gave off a palpable sense of menace throughout, and his actions were crafted with the greater forethought befitting a galaxy-wide empire. Luke changed for the better, as well; he was back on his heels from start to finish, taking a mean bruising and not knowing where to turn next. Complex twists and turns came about which kept you guessing as to how it could all be wrapped up in the last installment. Not without its flaws (the snow monster/cave sequence; the incredible luck of having tow ropes on the speeders that took out the Imperial walkers; the initial mawkish comic relief of Yoda; Lando's slap-in-the-face to Han Solo as he wore his shirt and vest as they warped out at the end), but more than made up for by the Millenium Falcon's asteroid chase scenes and the Skywalker/Vader duel. A remarkable accomplishment.