Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was the second Star Wars movie ever made, which makes it the first Star Wars movie that was made by people who knew what “a Star Wars movie” meant. And it meant everything. Expectations for the sequel were higher than showbiz had ever seen, and production was not un-troubled. Leigh Bracket, George Lucas’s original choice for screenwriter, unfortunately passed away from cancer after submitting a first draft. Lawrence Kasdan, brought on to replace her, had put together a couple well-regarded scripts (The Bodyguard, Raiders of the Lost Ark) but none of them had yet been filmed. Director Irvin Kershner had mainly done quirky independent dramas and TV movies. The production went disastrously over-budget and over-schedule. The first critical reactions were lukewarm and bewildered. And yet? It’s a masterpiece. It’s one of two films with a credible claim to the title of best Star Wars movie. Sometimes lightning strikes twice.

The year is 3 BBY (IYKYK) and the Rebel Alliance is on the run after their victory at Yavin. The Sith Lord Darth Vader, smarting from his defeat at the hands of the Millennium Falcon and a surprising starfighter pilot with a strong Force connection, scours the galaxy for the rebel scum. Luke, Han, Leia and the rest of the crew find themselves under assault on the ice planet of Hoth, and have to split up to escape. Leia and Han, their romantic tension sparking, grab Chewie and C-3PO and head to Cloud City to hide on a colony run by Han’s old “friend” Lando Calrissian. Meanwhile Luke and R2-D2 flee towards the swamp planet of Dagobah to meet Yoda, an ancient Jedi master, after the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi gave Luke a strong personal reference. But Vader is as resourceful as he is determined. The bounty hunter Boba Fett, planning to take Han Solo back to Jabba the Hutt and collect his reward, leads Vader to Cloud City while Luke’s connection to the force warns him his friends are in trouble. What secrets will be revealed, and what price will be paid, when the forces of light and dark finally meet face-to-face?