Summary The saga continues for Luke Skywalker…
My Thoughts
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
Empire Strikes Back is the sequel to (at the time) the biggest blockbuster ever to hit the big screen, captivating audiences across the world and transporting them back into this massive immersive universe with the beloved characters from “A New Hope”. Of course with any good sequel, the universe expands and the characters face bigger obstacles, the stakes are higher and so are the rewards. Empire is a perfect example on how to make a sequel without taking away from the lore of the first and expanding on those ideas with new settings and challenges. Besides Luke's main quest to become a Jedi, Empire is a vastly different, and darker film, bringing in new and fresh story elements that makes the viewer wonder what happened to George Lucas during his days of writing the prequels (while the original trilogy is full of magic and morals, the prequels are arguably the exact opposite). “Empire Strikes Back” continues it's testament as one of the best sequels of all time, even almost 40 years later.
George Lucas may not have directed “Empire” but the ideas and story are all his. It is directed by Irvin Kershner, whose steady hand and eye for detail bring Lucas's ideas to life. While 'bigger is better' is the sequel formula, Lucas and his gang set out to give the world just that, but also entirely different. Instead of rehashing the same plot (looking at you Force Awakens) as the original, this one takes our heroes to new lengths and impossible choices. The world-building (or should I say galaxy-building) in these original films are what make it truly special to me. I remember watching these films with my father as I was growing up, the sheer child like excitement I would get while the snow speeders wired a massive AT-AT around it's legs, to have it fall on itself in a glorious explosion can still be felt every time I watch it. The moment Darth Vader reveals himself as Luke's father shook my very core on what a plot twist really was, I still get chills when Like wails and declines his father's invitation to the dark side, the message of hope in such a dark moment has only furthered Empire's test of time.
The Empire Strikes Back is easily the darkest of the original trilogy, in fact if this was made just a few years later I'm sure it would have gotten the PG-13 rating, I bet some parents weren't too fond of our favorite intergalactic space smuggler Han Solo being strapped down and tortured for valuable information, while Chewbacca weeps angrily at his best friends screams, holding scraps of C3PO who was decimated by guards. Things definitely take a few turns in this space opera, and it only makes for a more compelling story. Lucas was going through a dark time himself during this process, and that obviously bleeds onto the screen, like a painting made by an artist and it raises the stakes, giving the audience a villain far greater than expected.
The ending doesn't leave on a high note of our heroes getting medals, saving the day from the dreaded Sith Lords, no, Luke's hand is chopped off, dormant daddy issues are now active, ready to erupt like a long silent volcano, Han Solo is frozen in carbonate, and hope for the alliance isn't looking so great. These higher stakes are what make Empire such a classic, audiences were left to think and contemplate for three years on what the outcome for the rebels will be, knowing very well how powerful the Empire is, it captured the minds of that time like few other science fiction films could, this galaxy had become a reality to some, or at least in terms of pure escapism and entertainment, and that's something the other two trilogies just could not grasp with, the blending of light and dark, but as they say, lightning doesn't strike twice.
The expansion and exploration is one of many things that makes Star Wars such a fun and immersive film series, seeing the different creatures and ways of life special for each planet, like the Bespin with cities in the sky, or the massive snow planet of Hoth, home to Taun-Tauns and Yetis. We are also introduced to most evil villain in all the galaxy, the Emperor (Ian Mcdyrimad, “Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace”) himself, the one who trained Darth Vader, the brilliant make up job and sinister delivery of lines is all one needs to know about how evil this character is. And of course we can't forget the quintessential and now timeless relic, Yoda, the Jedi Master who has sought refuge after the clone wars on the remote swamp planet of Dagoba, played and voiced brilliantly by Frank Oz. Luke is sent to Yoda by his old friend Ben Kenobi (Alec Guinness, “Bridge on the River Kwai”) to be trained as a Jedi Knight, it's a slow and rewarding chain of events for Luke as he struggles with his inner self and battles the darkness that resides in him.
Yoda teaches about the force, and gives the audience a further knowledge of it as well, organically through the events, nothing about mitachlorians here, just master and student through a range of emotions. One scene has Luke go into a pit to confront his fears, there he is met by a vision of Darth Vader, who he strikes down only to have his own dead face staring back (PG my ass). These moments of intimacy and development are why the big reveals are so satisfying, because we've seen the struggle, the uphill battle. This original Star Wars trilogy is character based, it's through them that we are able to let go and believe in what they do, it's that strong character connection that the sequels have seemed to miss, making them feel hollow, losing a lot of the magic of these beginning films.
There's a documentary out there called “Empire of Dreams”, which is basically a behind the scenes look at the making of all three films, it's a great watch and provides many insights on how this wonderful, timeless trilogy was made, and how each film kept growing and growing. Of course with a growing story, and characters, the battles have to match that level of ambition as well, and that they do, and then some. The miniature work in this trilogy is nothing short of mesmerizing, obviously the CGI god didn't show himself around this time so Lucas couldn't sell his soul to it, so he has to resort is real, practical effects, and to this day the other installments still can't hold a flame to the magical special effects this original trilogy offers. The creatures are creepy, the explosions glorious, and the dog fights all that more intense, and in Empire you get all of them on a much larger scale. The millennium falcon fighting its way across an astroid field, hot on their tails are many tie fighters, some smashing and exploding into the space rocks, to escape Han Solo pilots the ship into a crater on a larger asteroid, except unbeknownst to him he's flown the Falcon into a giant space worm! It's crazy, it's fun and it all works in this fantastical galaxy the once genius George Lucas created.
Overall, The Empire Strikes back is the best Star Wars film ever made, it takes all that was great (which is all of it really) about “A New Hope” and expanded on that lore and those characters organically, and methodically, Lucas and Kershner giving their blood, sweat and tears to bring to life one of the greatest blockbusters of all time, again. Larger than life battles such as the Hoth invasion and the final lightsaber duel between father and son strike this film home and being bigger and better than the original, with a darker and more brooding villainous plot that leads into the third chapter of the saga, it keeps viewers entertained and captivated. The story beats aren't forced and each character is given time to become fully realized, even side characters like the bounty hunter Boba Fett, who doesn't need a lot of dialogue for us to know his intentions. “A New Hope” is us being introduced to the force, while Empire Strikes Back sees us believing in the power of the force, through characters like Yoda and Ben Kenobi, and the all too real Luke who struggles with the belief, we are transported to this galaxy and I definitely don't want to leave any time soon.
I give The Empire Strikes Back 5 stars out of 5
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