The Empire Strikes Back

Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Frank Oz (voice), Alec Guinness, James Earl Jones (voice), David Prowse, Jeremy Bulloch, Julian Glover,
Directed by: Irvin Kershner
Rating: PG
Genre: Action, Science Fiction
1980

Times Seen:
Tim: 5

Summary: Before facing off against Darth Vader (voice of James Earl Jones), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) travels to a foreign planet to train with Jedi Master Yoda. When his friends Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) are in peril, Luke must come to their rescue.

Review:

Tim: Now, this is where I differ sharply with most Star Wars fanatics. From so many people I've spoken with or read, I have heard overwhelmingly that this is viewed the best film in the original trilogy. I differ because I feel it is the weakest. I know that it has perhaps the franchise's best moments (training with Yoda, Darth Vader's shocking revelation), but I can't help but feel this film is slightly weaker than the other two. It is still a great movie, but still represents a slight drop in quality.

Now, Star Wars redefined the way we watch movies. This film offered some iconic moments that will be in the minds of viewers for all time. It continued the amazing story started in the original film. The cast all give equally as good performances as they did in the first film, and the addition of Yoda greatly aids the film.

There is a great deal of debate (at least between most of the world and me) about where this film ranks. Despite the best moments, I feel the film is still the weakest of the original trilogy.

*Update- so it's interesting for me to return to this film after a decade plus away. It's probably closer to 20 years. First off, I just cringe at my original review. I obviously wrote this quite early and my writing leaves a lot to be desired. As much as I want to simply delete the original, it makes more sense to preserve that and add on here. I didn't do that effective a job the first time, so I'll spend a bit more time here.

Before getting to the specifics of the film, I want to note that I watched this movie with my 7 year-old son. That's been one of the highlights of getting older- the opportunity to revisit classic films with my kids. My son loved Star Wars and couldn't wait to see this one. The Empire Strikes Back is definitely a darker film in tone and subject, but as he's getting closer to 8 years of age, I felt like he could handle it. He did so quite well and was as enraptured by this world as I was at his age.

It's funny to see the majority of my original review is about where The Empire Strikes Back falls within the original trilogy. It's interesting now, to see this film in a broader context, now having 9 total Skywalker Saga films and several spinoff movies, too. I still feel like this is the weakest of the original trilogy (and honestly, I'd put The Force Awakens above this one, too. Blasphemous, I know. But, who cares about that? It's all artificial and relative. The Empire Strikes Back is a great movie, the rare sequel that pushes the boundaries of the stories and characters beyond what was established in the original. This is absolutely not a rehash of the original, it drives everything forward. It's hurt somewhat by obviously being what was expected to be a trilogy. The ending is bleak, but it feels unfinished. This movie feels somewhat like a bridge.

Now, this isn't to say the movie is without incredible moments. The early scenes on Hoth always felt off to me. It felt strange to pick up three years later in a totally different place. I felt a bit of that here, but mostly I felt appreciation for the vast change of landscape- this isn't Tatooine. The Empire's massive attack with the AT-AT walkers is terrific and absolutely a highlight. Our protagonists are split after this- another aspect I never loved about this film. It makes sense, to have Luke venture solo and begin his Jedi training with Yoda. Those scenes are the highlight of the movie, as George Lucas introduces one of the series' most iconic characters. The asteroid field chase is memorable and exciting. The carbonite freezing doesn't pay off until the third movie, but it's not the easiest scene to watch (for kids). The climactic battle between Darth Vader and Luke, with the stunning conclusion and revelation is obviously one of the great twists of all time. It did feel like the movie peaked a bit too early, but again, that's me explaining why I don't think this is the best film in the trilogy.

The cast is once again so good, further cementing their legacy to these characters. Mark Hamill as Luke, Carrie Fisher as Leia, Harrison Ford as Han. They are more comfortable with them this time, deepening their relationships and our love for them. There's iconic moments (the "I know" line) and it's just so wonderfully entertaining to see these young actors establishing characters that generations will adore.

Any way you look at it, The Empire Strikes Back is a great film. It capitalizes on the success of the original while introducing new characters (Boba Fett! Lando!) and broadening and deepening the scope of the series. George Lucas crafts something here that would endure for decades. We absolutely should celebrate this achievement- it's a great film and a true classic.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Star Wars, Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith