Review of The Empire Strikes Back (1980) by Landon M — 10 Jan 2016

After Star Wars blew everyone away, it seemed impossible to make the sequel better. But alas, Irvin Kershner, George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, and the returning and new cast came back to make The Empire Strikes Back one of the greatest movies ever made.

Not only did they succeed, but also created my 2nd favorite movie of all time. The Empire Strikes Back, just like the original, is as close to perfect as possible. It takes everything that was set up in the first movie and explodes it into amazingness.

It develops the characters, furthers the story, and adds more mythology. It also raises the stakes and keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. The themes and metaphors mixed into this nonstop, emotionally-intense rollercoaster make it darker and deeper than you would expect from a Star Wars movie.

There are so many scenes in this movie that stand as some of the greatest scenes in movie history. From Luke's escape from the Wampa, to the Battle of Hoth, to the Falcon's ride through the asteroid field, to Luke and Yoda's multiple training sessions, to the Giant Worm in the asteroid, to Luke's vision in the Dagobah cave, to Luke and Vader's amazing lightsaber confrontation, Han being frozen in carbonite, to the Falcon's escape at the end, and finally to the greatest plot twist in cinema history.

There are too many amazing moments in this movie, it's actually overwhelming. I was trying to find a flaw in this movie, but I couldn't find one. The Empire Strikes Back is one of the most intense, emotional, and groundbreaking movies ever made, and is my 2nd favorite movie ever made.

10/10.