Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back: Review By Josh

May 23rd, 2011 by Josh
... probably the best middle film of all time
  • OVERALL
    5.0
    SUPERB
  • Story
  • Acting
  • Directing
  • Visuals
The Empire Strikes Back is widely considered the strongest entry into the entire saga, most likely because George Lucas didn't have a hand in writing the screenplay. As a result, it becomes not a simple space fantasy but a complex moral tale of the nature of good and evil. The film's most frustrating element, its unresolved ending, is also one of its best.

From the budding romance between Han Solo and Leia to the comical introduction and slow realization of identity of Yoda, the terrifying first appearance of the Emperor, to the Darth Vader's fateful confession, so many of these scenes are among the most memorable moments in film history. And not without good reason. With the Death Star destroyed at the end of the first film, Empire allows the audience to be able to slow down and connect with the characters within the larger world Lucas has created. We meet new characters like the questionable Lando Calrissian and the cult anti-hero Boba Fett. Most importantly, though, we are introduced to Emperor Palpatine and Yoda, the two opposing poles on the spectrum of morality that the saga attaches all its characters to.

Most of the film is a slow build to its climactic cliffhanger ending, one that took everyone by surprise. The second film in a trilogy is often the weakest one, as it suffers from "middle child syndrome" but not only is this probably the best middle film of all time, but it is also one of my all-time favorite films.

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Comments (15)

  1. thedude-abides

    @shuabert With those great trilogies I would agree.

    1 year agoby @thedude-abidesFlag

  2. Josh

    @thedude-abides I agree, though I'd note that with trilogies like Toy Story and LotR, the films are all so close in quality calling one the "weakest" is almost a misnomer.

    1 year agoby @shuabertFlag

  3. Dan

    @thedude-abides Too true.

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  4. thedude-abides

    @dan1 I was just saying that, as far as what I was saying on the two schools of thought regarding trilogies, that Indiana Jones was a good example of the third film being better than the 2nd, but not the first. Toy Story would be another good example.

    1 year agoby @thedude-abidesFlag

  5. Dan

    @thedude-abides Lol, sorry, dude. What were your thoughts on Last Crusade?

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  6. Dan

    @shuabert That's fair enough. I know Burton isn't everyone's cup of tea. You might be surprised, but I actually think Sleepy Hollow might be my favorite Burton film.

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  7. thedude-abides

    Okay. I can see I'm not part of this conversation...

    1 year agoby @thedude-abidesFlag

  8. Josh

    @dan1 I enjoy the over-the-top style that was taken WAY too far in the subsequent film. Returns is ok too, but Burton's style gets on my nerves sometimes, and I remember finding the villains lacked menace. That said, it's been ages since I've seen either film, so don't take my opinion to the bank.

    1 year agoby @shuabertFlag

  9. Dan

    And Matrix Revolutions, besides the mechanized suits fighting the squiddies (I like that action sequence), was pretty awful...

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  10. Dan

    @shuabert How was Forever better than Returns? Granted, both are cheesy and products of their time, But I thought Cobblepot and Kyle were fun villains and the sets were way improved over the first Batman.

    Forever was just too campy for me in the end. I love Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey (most of the time), but their obnoxious over the top style with Two Face and Riddler turned me off.

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  11. thedude-abides

    @shuabert It is the weakest. By far.

    @dan1 Indiana Jones is a good example of what I was talking about.

    1 year agoby @thedude-abidesFlag

  12. Josh

    @dan1 I totally see the virtue of that argument. I'd point out that of those examples, Godfather 3 was released so long after the others that it almost doesn't qualify, Spider-Man was plagued by studio interference, and the Batman films weren't really a trilogy (with recasting and changing directors and all -- though I do consider Forever better than Returns).

    I would back up my argument with tighter trilogies like Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, and Pirates (yes, I consider Dead Man's Chest to be the weakest of the three).

    1 year agoby @shuabertFlag

  13. Dan

    @thedude-abides Hmm, maybe so.

    Empire always works for me. The romance between Leia and Han is great, and you've never witnessed such a f*cked up family lol. Betrayal, action, love, familial dysfunction, it's all here.

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  14. thedude-abides

    Fantastic review, @shuabert. Love this film as well.

    @dan1 While I agree with that, I think there are two differing schools of thought here as far as trilogies are concerned. The first obviously being like you mentioned.

    But another route trilogies often go is where the 2nd installment is so bad compared to the first, that the 3rd is sort of built up with a whole "pick up the pieces" vibe intended to get the bad taste left behind from the second film out of our mouths. The end result usually that it's better than the 2nd, but ultimately not better than the original. I think that's what Josh was getting at.

    1 year agoby @thedude-abidesFlag

  15. Dan

    Hmm, usually, to me, it's the 3rd film in a trilogy that is the weakest. Godfather 3, Spider-Man 3, Batman Forever, etc.

    Good review, though.

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag