Review of Back Roads (1981) by Vidyabum — 19 Jul 2014

In short, it's the best Star Wars has ever offered. The most iconic, memorable and the best of these movies are almost all in this one.

To me Episode 4 suffered from some severe lack of time for the characters to be properly developped. And also a lot of bad cliches.

None of that was deadly to it, but it harmed it.

Empire Strikes Back doesn't have these problems at all, but while the movie is more deep, more emotional, and just all around better and darker than its predecessor, I think the limits of the formula show up by now.

I still wonder what the "Dark Side" of the Force is. I know it comes from anger, hate, and agression, ok, but what the hell does that mean in practical terms? Does it control your mind? It obviously seems to change your personality drastically, so how does it work exactly? I don't even think this is spoiler material anymore, but when it's announced that Darth Vader really is Luke's father, although I think the reveal is glorious, I also get an unwavering doubt that we never really know how he turned to the dark side. And don't talk to me about the prequels, they're making it worse. Even if they didn't exist, the answer should've been in this movie in the first place: does the Dark Side completely change you or not? It seems so, but why? How does it work? All we know is that the Light Side is stronger and that you should focus really hard to feel the Force around you. A little weak maybe?

Now learning about the Force in depth and Vader is Luke's side of the story in Empire.

The Solo/Leia side is about not getting totally owned by the Empire because the Millenium Falcon is made out of tinfoil and can't get into hyperspace while the Imperial Fleet is right on his tail.

By itself it's a great plot basis to build tension, but what happens at the end of the movie simultaneously feels like a cop out and like a dissapointment.

Without revealing it all, there is a clear announcement that things will turn terribly awry for Leia and Han. And then...it doesn't.

They just eventually make it through, with a huge snag indeed, but they still make it through.

My problem mainly with this movie is that despite being the best of the three originals, I get a sense that nothing really happens.

Big spoiler zone from here on out, but Luke is promised that his friends will die, and they don't, he's promised that he'll fall to the dark side, and he doesn't, There are many times where things should have dire consequences but in the end it all ends up fine. To be blunt, I think the movie would've had a much bigger impact on me if Han Solo died. But instead we get this cliffhanger ending where they promise that beyond the darkest time(Empire) lies the renewal and ultimate victory(Return of the Jedi).

And I don't know really, there is nothing essentially wrong with this movie, but I didn't feel much from it. And I really think more definitive consequences would've helped. Instead, I get this constant impression that nothing is wrong, yet that nothing really gets my interest.

On the purely positive side, I love everything about Hoth, from the base to the snowy adventures to the big battle.

The scenes about Yoda and Luke, despite showing the limits of how G.Lucas envisioned "the Force" still are probably the most classic and memorable Star Wars moments. And several scenes around the end, despite being ultimately a scarecrow with no real consequences, are suitably dark, sad and dramatic. The clunky duel between an untrained Luke and a Vader that is far too gentle for someone we should be afraid of, all of that is possibly the best all of the six movies have ever offered.