The Empire Strikes Back is widely considered to be the best Star Wars film, and for good reason. It has become the standard for sequels in blockbuster franchises, a standard few films meet.
It’s a movie I’ve seen plenty of times, but I still wanted to watch it again before seeing Star Wars: The Last Jedi. We’re all aware of the criticism The Force Awakens drew for following the Star Wars formula to a T, and even though early reviews of The Last Jedi say the film is like nothing we’ve seen from the franchise before, I wanted to remind myself of what makes a great sequel.
First off, the movie’s pacing is excellent. We get caught up with Luke, Han and Leia, and it doesn’t take long for the tension to rise. Luke gets knocked unconscious and captured by a Wampa, giving him an opportunity to show how his power in the Force has progressed. Meanwhile, we immediately get to see the romantic tension between Han and Leia, and get to hear some pretty great banter between the two. However, it’s clear that Han isn’t only concerned about getting the girl, as he springs into action when he learns that Luke is in need of help.
Han’s arc in the original trilogy is one of the most celebrated parts of these films. It’s great to see how he has changed from a scoundrel that’s just in it for the money, to a scoundrel who will risk his life for his friends.
Empire is where Han shines the most, from his romance with Leia to the way he fearlessly fires his blaster at Darth Vader when the two come face-to-face for the first time. Carrie Fisher’s performance as Leia is also fantastic, as she once again shows that she is far from a damsel in distress.
On the other hand, C-3PO is probably at his most useless in Empire. It’s funny to see him out of his element without R2-D2 to complain to. The dynamic between C-3PO, Leia, Han and Chewbacca is pretty entertaining, and provides most of the laughs in the movie.
While Empire is the best example of a dark second chapter in a series, there is still a ton of fun to be had. While Luke is on Dagobah learning about the darkness that lives within him, we flash back to the Millenium Falcon for a bit of comic relief. The storyline on the Falcon is also great because of its urgency. Our heroes are on the run for the majority of the movie, so we’re never bored.
The side characters in Empire are some of the most iconic in movie history, with Boba Fett and Lando Calrissian becoming memorable characters for their own different reasons. Fett is cool because of his armor and silent demeanor, while Lando is cool because he’s played by Billy Dee Williams. However, the show-stealer is Yoda, introduced as a weird, little, green guy and revealed to be the Jedi Master Luke is searching for. Yoda changes our perception of the Jedi as just imposing warriors, and takes Star Wars lore in an interesting, more introspective direction.
The film’s finale is what we really need to talk about though. Luke fails to listen to the warnings of both Yoda and Obi-Wan, and heads to Bespin only to fall into Vader’s trap. The big reveal of Luke’s parentage is the cherry on top of an incredible scene.
To conclude, I don’t know if I can say anything about The Empire Strikes Back that hasn’t already been said, but the movie is excellent. It’s a fun adventure with a massive scope and intensely personal stakes. It turns the Star Wars saga from just summer movie fun to a drama that is, at its core, all about family. George Lucas, Leigh Brackett, Lawrence Kasdan and Irvin Kershner took big risks, and the risks absolutely paid off.