Review of The Empire Strikes Back (1980) by Kevin P — 07 Dec 2017
It's hard to pick the greatest film in the Star Wars saga. Tough as it is, I must go with Empire Strikes Back. It expertly builds on what made A New Hope work so well, with the added bonus of more confident performances from the cast.
The darker tone perfectly fits the story and really hammers home how much trouble the good guys are in. Though there are still a few laughs, the more serious setup allows the stakes to feel greater. As noted, the cast works even better than the original film.
The love triangle between Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) was hinted at when Leia kissed Luke, but never further than that, so the focus could be on Leia and Han.
They succeeded in providing ample screen time for the characters we loved, while also bringing in new ones that remain relatively iconic to this day. Boba Fett, Lando Calrissian and Yoda were all welcome additions for different reasons.
The score of the film remains a highlight, while the action and fight sequences are better this time around. I thought the Darth Vader/Luke Skywalker final battle was arguably the best in the series. It's not the most impressive looking, but the sheer emotion and beauty of it makes it the most memorable.
The film also boasts two of the greatest lines I can ever recall. Solo's "I know," response to Leia's proclamation of love was a perfect character moment, while Vader revealing that he's Luke's father is one of the best twists in cinema history.
An absolute classic.
This review of The Empire Strikes Back (1980) was written by Kevin P on 07 Dec 2017.
The Empire Strikes Back has generally received very positive reviews.
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