Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Review: Do or Do Not
The Empire Strikes Back is arguably the best Star Wars film
What Happens in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back?
The Empire is slowly closing in on the rebellion which is currently based on the ice planet Hoth where we once again find Luke, Han, and Leia.
After narrowly escaping the Empire, the group is split up. Luke and R2-D2 journey to the swamp planet Dagobah where Luke searches for an old Jedi called Master Yoda who trained Obi-Wan Kenobi. The other half of the group is on the Millennium Falcon as Han, Leia, Chewie, and C-3PO try to escape the Empire which is hot on their trail.
Who Are The Characters in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back?
In Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Luke, Leia and Han return for another adventure. Besides these three characters, some other prominent characters appear. After the battle of Hoth, Luke arrives on Dagobah and he trains with Master Yoda. From their first encounter, Yoda seems to be a senile creature, but after revealing his identity, he becomes the wise Jedi Master.
Following the story of Han and Leia, the two arrive in Cloud City for repairs and meet Lando Calrissian. Although he originally betrays Han to the Empire, he proves to be a vital asset for Leia’s escape.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Review
The second Star Wars film to be on my top 20 favourite movie list and my personal favourite Star Wars film. The Empire Strikes Back is regarded by many to be the greatest sequel of all time and while I have never ranked sequels before I can say it would definitely be in my top three.
Almost every aspect of this film surpasses the original which is hard to do as the original is quite good in its own right. The film is tonally darker than A New Hope which adds to the stakes of the events that take place, as well as this constant sense of dread that is ever-present throughout the film.
The returning characters all continue to be well developed with Luke (played by Mark Hamill) continuing his journey to learn about the Force and the Jedi as his learning had taken a backseat to his responsibility to the rebellion. We get to see him train and learn more about the Force than we have ever learnt as Master Yoda provides the best explanation of the mysterious surrounding energy that Jedi use.
Han ( played by Harrison Ford) continues down his path towards being a better man as he has stuck with the rebels and we see his instinct and piloting skills come of much use as Harrison Ford steals most of the scenes he is in once again. Leia ( played by Carrie Fisher) really gets some much-needed development as A New Hope didn’t have time to do too much and here we see that she is quite a leader and a fighter through and through.
Darth Vader gets much more of a role this time around and we get to see that he is a skilled combatant, and we see why others fear him. The new characters that are introduced are all very memorable as well with the wise and unassuming mentor Master Yoda, the ruthless bounty hunter Boba Fett and the other smuggler in the mix Lando Calrissian while our other side characters like 3PO, Chewie, and R2 continue to provide many funny and memorable moments.
Another aspect of the film that makes it work so well is that both storylines are quite simple to follow and while not always connected neither ever lost my attention I was always captivated. The lightsaber duel in this film is my favourite of the saga and the emotion behind each attack feels earned and makes it even more suspenseful. The twist at the end of the movie may be well known these days but the way it was revealed and its impact on the story is still iconic. The galaxy that George Lucas created is still full of many wondrous planets and creatures and I love that we see new planets in each film.
All in all, this is arguably the best Star Wars film and I highly recommend that you either have a repeat viewing or if you haven’t seen it check it out again it’s worth it. So hop on Disney+ and get transported to that galaxy far far away.
