THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
As if Star Wars couldn't get any better, George Lucas and Irvin Kershner made the sequel of all sequels, the one that truly transcends the original, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
PLOT
Three years after the destruction of the Death Star, Darth Vader (David Prowse) is able to locate a rebel base on the planet Hoth with a probe droid. On the said planet, Jedi Luke Skywalker is attacked by a wampa and before he is rescued by his friend Han Solo, the ghost of his mentor Obi Wan ‘Ben’ Kenobi (Alec Guinness) instructs him to go to the planet Dagobah to learn the ways of the force from Master Yoda. He does so and takes R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) with him after the Empire attacks the base, causing Rebels to retreat. Han and Princess Leia Organa flee via the Millennium Falcon, along with Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels). However, their hyperdrive malfunctions, causing them to hide in an asteroid field until they can repair it. At Dagobah, Luke goes through various mounts of training under the instruction of the diminutive Yoda, who was hesitant until convinced by Kenobi’s ghost. It is during this time where he realIzes that his anger is holding him back from fully grasping the power of the Force. As Han’s group eventually leaves the asteroid field, he and Leia confess their feelings for each other with a kiss. Once they leave, they agree to take shelter in Planet Bespin’s Cloud City, governed by an old friend named Lando Calrissian. However, they fall into a trap as the latter was enforced by Vader to surrender them to the Empire, knowing Luke will come for them. This was only possible due to being tracked by bounty hunter Boba Fett. Han is then frozen into carbonite, as a test for Vader in hopes to imprison Luke. The rebel does survive the process, but is escorted by Boba to Jabba the Hutt on Tattoine, to collect the bounty on Solo. On cue, the young Jedi senses his friends in danger and leaves Dagobah before he could complete his training, promising to return. As he leaves, Kenobi’s ghost worries that he is the last hope to defeat the Empire, but Yoda only replies that there is another. Lando is able to free Leia, Chewie and C-3PO, in hopes to retreat from the empire, but are unable to save Han. When Luke arrives to Cloud City, he meets Vader for the first time and duel over the central city’s air shaft. The Sith overpowers him by severing the Jedi’s right hand, losing his lightsaber in the process. Now cornered, he tries to convince him to join the dark side to rule the galaxy and overthrow the emperor. Luke refuses because he recalls Kenobi telling him that he killed his father Anakin. However, Vader reveals the truth that he is his father. Unable to believe the truth and desperate to escape, he drops into the air shaft, gets ejected beneath the city and hangs onto an antenna for dear life. He calls for Leia and she senses him, resulting in her to quickly rescue him before she could leave with the others. The rebels are able to retreat once R2-D2 reactivates the hyperdrive. Once boarding a rebel fleet, Luke is given a new robotic prosthetic hand. The film ends with him wishing Lando good luck as he & Chewie plan to find Han and rescue him.
THOUGHTS
When I first saw A New Hope, I didn’t think it couldn’t any better than that, until I saw this one which only blew me away 100 times more. Everything we got before only improves significantly: John Williams’ epic score, Peter Suschitzky’s captivating cinematography and incredible practical/visual effects. Whenever you’re in space or get a look at the unique creatures, you’re still glued in. Thanks to it, it makes the Battle of Hoth only more mind boggling to witness. My favorite shot will always be Luke & Leia watching the stars in the end, along with R2-D2 & C-3PO, because it reminds me how beautiful space can be. While I regularly criticize the changes made from the special edition, they actually made an improvement with the introduction to the Emperor. I was not so intimidated at all with the stand-in of Marjorie Eaton, nor the voice of Clive Revill, so replacing them with Ian McDiarmid, who would later redefine the character with Return of the Jedi,was very wise. The main reason why I identify this film as the very best entry of the overall franchise is because it leaves behind a strong message of how only true faith is required for belief in a higher power to do any good. You get this in the shoes of Luke Skywalker, in which Mark Hamill gives his best outing of it. Here, he acts out more arrogant than before, as an act of determination to do right by what he believes in. Little did he understand is that his aggression is exactly what can lure him into darkness. Although he abandons his training and fought Vader too soon, his heart is still in the right place and is still far from the worst part of himself. When you first hear James Earl Jones say aloud 'I am your father', there is no way anyone could've expected that the protagonist is related to the enemy, which makes it an incredible twist that many stories try to replicate as time went on. When you make it to that scene, it brings up the question on if our parent's past footsteps set up a future we're destined to follow. Luckily, Luke's leap of faith proves that it will not always be the case for everyone. Although the rivalry of Luke and Vader make the movie all the more unforgettable, the mix of old and new characters still spice things up. When you add Frank Oz's fascinating puppetry and incredible voice acting, Yoda becomes a great addition because the wisdom that he passes on is international and with the power he possesses proves that anything is possible. 'Do or do not, there is no try' speaks the loudest because to me, it means that you must always give your all in whatever you do, because trying may not always be enough. While Boba Fett does not have that much screen time compared to what is given here and in Return of the Jedi, he makes a mark because even he is formidable when determined to reach his goals and if it's collecting bounties, then that will only make him more intimidating. Lando was another great addition to the cast because Billy Dee Williams portrays him as a neutral character behind his own suave charm: He is not exactly good and nor is he bad, but can only stay afloat in the gravity of everything around him. Although some of the decisions he makes are not the best, he always found a way to go back on it, which makes you relieved on how quick he redeems himself on saving Leia & Chewie. Harrison Ford's Han & Carrie FIsher's Leia go through an unexpected growth by unveiling the hearts they regularly hide in their trying times of war. At first, they didn't get along because they only mistook each other as selfish figures, but overtime, they saw that they are both as selfless people who care about the cause. Their kiss is so unexpected, yet pays off because it was not rushed. She does not love Luke, but she kissed him anyway back on Hoth to make Han jealous. It was smart to have Han say 'I know' when Leia says she loves him because it suits him. While I admire this movie for excelling everything that made A New Hope special, it still had its moments that annoy me. Like for instance, why would Han leave to deal with Jabba? He is safer with the Rebellion and it makes no sense for him to put his freedom at risk. And every time I’m cleaning my glasses, I still see Lando wearing Han’s clothes, it’s so weird. Other than that, my love remains the same. In short, The Empire Strikes Back has grown to be one of the best movies of all time for raising stakes and further exploring its lore so creatively. If you had a blast with A New Hope, it only gets better when you get this one.
Comments