The Empire Strikes Back
1980
**** (out of 4)
If Star Wars showed what one man’s vision of a new kind of space opera could accomplish, The Empire Strikes Back was a testament to the power of teamwork and a slap in the face to the Auteur Theory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auteur_Theory).
Star Wars broke all box office records, but as Empire went into production, George Lucas was not yet a mogul with the clout to dictate full creative control of the sequel without interference. What was then conceived as a nine film saga was dependant on the success of the follow up. In an astonishing confluence of luck and creative energy, a team of such immense talent was assembled, that the quality of the original was not only matched, but surpassed. I join the now consensus view that The Empire Strikes Back is the best of the Star Wars films.
As elaborated on in an earlier review, my appreciation for the original Star Wars knows no bounds, but even the most die hard fan must admit that the dialogue was not George Lucas’ strong suit (and it would sadly only get worse.) This would change, thanks to the hiring of screenwriter, Lawrence Kasdan, who went on to write Raiders of the Lost Ark and Return of the Jedi, along with subsequent directing credits for Body Heat, Silverado and Grand Canyon. As the resume indicates, Kasdan was an enormous talent in his own right and the proof is on the screen in Empire.
The primary beneficiary of this sharper focus on dialogue was Harrison Ford. In Star Wars, Ford’s Han Solo was a basic cowboy type, a worldly smuggler and anti-hero who perfectly contrasted with Mark Hamill’s naïve farm boy. More than any other character, Han Solo was fleshed out in Empire. Allowed to be sarcastic, funny and vulnerable all at the same time, it’s The Empire Strikes Back that made Harrison Ford a superstar (Raiders cemented the deal.)
In Empire, relationships between many characters are redefined by how they interact with Solo. Comic relief bits by Chewbacca, and particularly C-3PO, are funnier because Ford remains grounded in reality and we share his frustration as a grounded human coping with a universe of aliens and mystics. Then there’s the smartly handled romance between Solo and Leia. Ford and Carrie Fisher spar with each other in the best tradition of classic screwball comedies like The Awful Truth. Their chemistry is fully believable and adds to dramatic arch without feeling like a tacked on afterthought.
Continuing to credit Kasdan’s writing, we now turn to another Empire MVP, Frank Oz. Like Darth Vader, Yoda has become so familiar to us that it’s easy to take him for granted. Think though about the audacity of introducing a Muppet into the Star Wars universe. Had Yoda not been so perfectly designed and executed, he would have brought this movie down faster than you can say Jar Jar Binks.
Instead, Frank Oz took his already impressive Muppet repertoire to a higher level which, despite such efforts as The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, has yet to be matched to this day. From his introduction as a trickster to his embodiment of Jedi Master wisdom (and backward talk), Oz gives Yoda such a wide acting range that suspending our disbelief is surprisingly easy.
It’s more difficult to gage exactly how much credit to give director Irvin Kershner because none of his other films are terribly noteworthy. The collaborative nature of Empire and its distinctly darker tone would seem to hint that the Kershner played an important role in shaping the sequel.
As revolutionary as the special effects were in Star Wars, Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic topped themselves in every way possible. Empire featured three distinct environments – the snow planet of Hoth, Yoda’s swamplands of Dagobah and the Cloud City of the climax. All three are rendered both fantastic and fully believable.
The Empire Strikes Back set the gold standard for visual effects until the dawn of the digital age. Yet, while I’ll gladly recognize that today’s computer generated wonders are more elaborate, they have yet to achieve the realism of Empire’s models and green screens. Most effects are all about spectacle, but the best films use them to create atmosphere.
There’s another little detail about Empire that needs mentioning and might go under the category of spoiler alert if it were not so well known, but - by the way - DARTH VADER IS REVEALED TO BE LUKE SKYWALKER’S FREAKING FATHER!!!! Maybe the shock has worn off over the last 30 years but think back to when this little tidbit was first revealed, especially if you were a kid at the time. I think my 10-year-old head must have exploded. The power of this reveal is why kids today should be introduced to the Star Wars films by order of release, not episode number.
While the secret is now notable for providing the overriding story arch of all six films, at the time, it was a dramatic punch that led to a downbeat ending and a cliffhanger that would leave us hanging for another three years. It also raised the possibility that good characters had the potential to turn dark. Instead of a simple space opera, younger audiences were presented with more adult themes and a story that resonates on an emotional as well as a visceral level.
I’ll never forget the summer of 1980 when my friend Paul and I seemed to spend just about every weekend at the Golf Mill Theater (now an X-Sports gym). We probably saw Empire at least eight times on the big screen. If Star Wars initiated my love of film, Empire confirmed it. As an adult, I’ve seen many acclaimed and classic films, some of which may be better, but few of which would have as strong an effect on me. There would never again be a time in my life where only one film mattered, but in the summer of 1980, that film was The Empire Strikes Back.
1980
**** (out of 4)
If Star Wars showed what one man’s vision of a new kind of space opera could accomplish, The Empire Strikes Back was a testament to the power of teamwork and a slap in the face to the Auteur Theory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auteur_Theory).
Star Wars broke all box office records, but as Empire went into production, George Lucas was not yet a mogul with the clout to dictate full creative control of the sequel without interference. What was then conceived as a nine film saga was dependant on the success of the follow up. In an astonishing confluence of luck and creative energy, a team of such immense talent was assembled, that the quality of the original was not only matched, but surpassed. I join the now consensus view that The Empire Strikes Back is the best of the Star Wars films.
As elaborated on in an earlier review, my appreciation for the original Star Wars knows no bounds, but even the most die hard fan must admit that the dialogue was not George Lucas’ strong suit (and it would sadly only get worse.) This would change, thanks to the hiring of screenwriter, Lawrence Kasdan, who went on to write Raiders of the Lost Ark and Return of the Jedi, along with subsequent directing credits for Body Heat, Silverado and Grand Canyon. As the resume indicates, Kasdan was an enormous talent in his own right and the proof is on the screen in Empire.
The primary beneficiary of this sharper focus on dialogue was Harrison Ford. In Star Wars, Ford’s Han Solo was a basic cowboy type, a worldly smuggler and anti-hero who perfectly contrasted with Mark Hamill’s naïve farm boy. More than any other character, Han Solo was fleshed out in Empire. Allowed to be sarcastic, funny and vulnerable all at the same time, it’s The Empire Strikes Back that made Harrison Ford a superstar (Raiders cemented the deal.)
In Empire, relationships between many characters are redefined by how they interact with Solo. Comic relief bits by Chewbacca, and particularly C-3PO, are funnier because Ford remains grounded in reality and we share his frustration as a grounded human coping with a universe of aliens and mystics. Then there’s the smartly handled romance between Solo and Leia. Ford and Carrie Fisher spar with each other in the best tradition of classic screwball comedies like The Awful Truth. Their chemistry is fully believable and adds to dramatic arch without feeling like a tacked on afterthought.
Continuing to credit Kasdan’s writing, we now turn to another Empire MVP, Frank Oz. Like Darth Vader, Yoda has become so familiar to us that it’s easy to take him for granted. Think though about the audacity of introducing a Muppet into the Star Wars universe. Had Yoda not been so perfectly designed and executed, he would have brought this movie down faster than you can say Jar Jar Binks.
Instead, Frank Oz took his already impressive Muppet repertoire to a higher level which, despite such efforts as The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, has yet to be matched to this day. From his introduction as a trickster to his embodiment of Jedi Master wisdom (and backward talk), Oz gives Yoda such a wide acting range that suspending our disbelief is surprisingly easy.
It’s more difficult to gage exactly how much credit to give director Irvin Kershner because none of his other films are terribly noteworthy. The collaborative nature of Empire and its distinctly darker tone would seem to hint that the Kershner played an important role in shaping the sequel.
As revolutionary as the special effects were in Star Wars, Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic topped themselves in every way possible. Empire featured three distinct environments – the snow planet of Hoth, Yoda’s swamplands of Dagobah and the Cloud City of the climax. All three are rendered both fantastic and fully believable.
The Empire Strikes Back set the gold standard for visual effects until the dawn of the digital age. Yet, while I’ll gladly recognize that today’s computer generated wonders are more elaborate, they have yet to achieve the realism of Empire’s models and green screens. Most effects are all about spectacle, but the best films use them to create atmosphere.
There’s another little detail about Empire that needs mentioning and might go under the category of spoiler alert if it were not so well known, but - by the way - DARTH VADER IS REVEALED TO BE LUKE SKYWALKER’S FREAKING FATHER!!!! Maybe the shock has worn off over the last 30 years but think back to when this little tidbit was first revealed, especially if you were a kid at the time. I think my 10-year-old head must have exploded. The power of this reveal is why kids today should be introduced to the Star Wars films by order of release, not episode number.
While the secret is now notable for providing the overriding story arch of all six films, at the time, it was a dramatic punch that led to a downbeat ending and a cliffhanger that would leave us hanging for another three years. It also raised the possibility that good characters had the potential to turn dark. Instead of a simple space opera, younger audiences were presented with more adult themes and a story that resonates on an emotional as well as a visceral level.
I’ll never forget the summer of 1980 when my friend Paul and I seemed to spend just about every weekend at the Golf Mill Theater (now an X-Sports gym). We probably saw Empire at least eight times on the big screen. If Star Wars initiated my love of film, Empire confirmed it. As an adult, I’ve seen many acclaimed and classic films, some of which may be better, but few of which would have as strong an effect on me. There would never again be a time in my life where only one film mattered, but in the summer of 1980, that film was The Empire Strikes Back.
