Thats what you think happened and fair enough. My opinion is that it's the strongest and most emotional of the films, including the third act and I have revisited it often, sometimes with and without my rose tinted glasses. I wasn't aware that it wasn't as critically acclaimed as the first upon its release.
I'm definitely not narrow minded toward other's opinions. I agree with you that many of the strongest moments in the OT are in this installment. I also agree that it's the most emotional. It simply has pacing problems mostly in the 3rd Act, and the surprise ending wasn't set up properly and therefor didn't have it's intended impact.
You're free to disagree, of course, but if you read the critics' reviews in 1980, very few of them were impressed. Empire Strikes Back is the lowest grossing film of the entire saga, out all 8 films! It was only after repeated viewings that ESB came to be appreciated - once people got over (or forgot) their initial feelings toward it.
Why do you think that is?
The third act is impressively brave in its narrative, seemingly evil trumping good, dark tone, and emotional power which all logically and superficially flow.
There are definitely many impressive moments in the 3rd Act. The duel between Vader and Luke is perfect. It's Leia and Lando's escape from Cloud City and the build up from when Han and Leia are turned over to Vader to Han being frozen in carbonite that were botched.
The reveal is relatively subtle and works well for repeated viewing.
This is my point. It only works well for repeated viewings - once you already know who Darth Vader is. It doesn't work very well the first time around, I believe, because it wasn't set up properly like a good surprise ending should be.
Obviously a big deal having Darth Vader as Luke's father yet I don't feel the whole movie should have been a lead up to this, now hugely famous pop culture moment, as there's more than this going on.
It would be inappropriate for the whole movie to be taken up with giving hints to the big reveal but the whole movie is taken up with Darth Vader's obsession with finding Luke Skywalker, even to the Empire's great expense, so it needs to be addressed at least once before the reveal.
The most logical place would have been Vader's conference with the Emperor. The Emperor should have echoed the audience's thoughts and asked Vader why he was using and risking all of the Empire's resources just to capture Skywalker when the rest of the rebel force were fleeing in the other direction. Then it could be revealed that Vader's motives were personal.
Again I would have to disagree with you, the music, the pace, the dialogue, the story, all very strong and fluent with the film as a whole, I would be close to calling it a masterpiece.
I'm afraid you've misread my post. I never said the film was bad as a whole. I even admitted it was my favorite. What I said was that it isn't as structurally solid as ANH. It has pacing problems "in the 3rd Act" and the surprise ending "wasn't set up properly." If it weren't for these main flaws, ESB would be a masterpiece and excepted so in 1980.
If anything the writers mucked up with ROTJ, again relating the Leia gimmick, the Ewokes although originally I think they were meant to be Wookiees and others things i can't think of.
Yes, RotJ is definitely the weakest of the OT. I could go on with the myriad problems in
that sequel! As a side note, I don't think the addition of the Ewoks was a problem. It's actually a good idea. They provide perfect character arcs for 3PO and Chewbacca and Leia as well.
It was the way they were given too much screen time and too prominent a role in bringing down the Empire that audiences couldn't swallow and ultimately lead to many fans' resentment, causing them to begin to hate the Ewoks altogether.