The Empire Strikes Back is, without a doubt, one of the greatest sequels of all time. It does everything a good sequel should: it raises the stakes, introduces new elements into the franchise’s mythos, and it puts its characters through hell. Everything clicks in the fifth installment of the Star Wars saga, and it contains some of the most iconic scenes in cinematic history.
Right off the bat, Empire sets a much more mature tone than A New Hope. Where Hope’s opening was epic, Empire’s opening is much more threatening. The Imperial probe kicks the plot into motion, and it makes for a mysterious start to the story. Luke’s encounter with the Wampa feels a little pointless, but it shows how the relationship between Luke and Han has grown. Han shows great character development when he braves the cold to go find Luke, and it is wonderful to see the two on-screen together, even if it is only for a few minutes.
The absolute highlight of the first act is the Battle of Hoth. It is still a technical marvel to behold even today, and director Irvin Kershner (Lucas only worked on the story and served as executive producer) does an excellent job of establishing the spectacle and scope of the battle. What many audiences do not appreciate today is how shocking the end of the battle is. The good guys losing was not something that was done often in Hollywood at that time, and seeing the Rebels fleeing from the Empire is still shocking to behold. With that being said, watching the snowspeeders take down Imperial Walkers (AT-ATs) is a ton of fun.
Luke’s venture to Dagobah, where he encounters Yoda, is the best written part of the movie. Credit must go to screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan for his writing of Yoda’s character. Yoda starts off as a seemingly crazy little green creature, but he evolves into a plausibly wise Jedi master. Unfortunately, the prequels ruined Yoda’s mystique by having him wield a lightsaber, but watching Empire on its own creates a wonderfully wise character who embodies everything about the good side of the Force. Luke’s trials on Dagobah get a little frightening at times, especially when he confronts a vision of Vader in a cave, but this helps reinforce the exoticism of what Luke experiences.
Meanwhile, Han and Leia’s storyline is a wild ride. Watching them flee from the Empire involves some of the best visual effects in the original trilogy, and the relationship between the two develops in a natural way, something that cannot be said for a certain love story in the prequels. Harrison Ford carries the film during these sequences. His performance as Han Solo anchors all three films, mostly because his performance keeps the audience involved. Ford keeps a skeptical look on his face and lends a certain amount of charisma to the role. The prequels don’t have any performance nearly as entertaining or enjoyable as Ford’s, and hopefully his return in The Force Awakens helps anchor the film as well.
The third act, set in Cloud City, becomes downright disturbing at times. Lando’s betrayal of Han, Han’s torture at the hands of Vader, and the showdown between Vader and Luke all have an air of darkness that was not present in A New Hope. The set design of Cloud City is brilliant, especially the interior where Vader and Luke fight. The carbonite freezing chamber is contrasted brilliantly with the vast emptiness of the location where Vader reveals a certain jaw-dropping twist to Luke.
What makes the ending of Empire so great is how shocking it is. There are few optimistic moments in the film: Han is frozen in carbonite and taken away by Boba Fett, Luke has his hand chopped off, and Lando, Leia, and Chewbacca all fail to rescue Han. It is bold for a film to punish its characters as much as Empire does, but it works brilliantly. However, this does provide the film with its only flaw: it does not stand on its own as well as A New Hope did. Hope ended satisfyingly, with only a hint of a sequel, but Empire leaves several plot threads hanging that require almost a third of Return of the Jedi to resolve. Still, Empire is the best written, acted, and directed film of the entire saga, and its boldness in putting its characters through hell makes it the best Star Wars film.
Star Wars Ranking: 1/6
