Star Wars fans were overjoyed when it was announced that George Lucas was creating a sequel to Star Wars: A New Hope. This highly anticipated sequel would continue the adventure of Luke Skywalker and his Jedi training, explore the mystery behind Darth Vader’s origins, and follow the harrowing, space exploits of Han Solo. It also promised the return of music composer John Williams and another one of his brilliant scores. With all these key pieces in place, there was no doubt The Empire Strikes Back would be a blockbuster smash. However, one question lingered…would The Empire Strikes Back be an improvement over the first Star Wars movie or another mildly entertaining sci-fi action film? After watching this sequel, the answer was an easy one for me.
By the end of the first Star Wars movie, we assume the destruction of the Death Star marks a turning point for the Rebels and their war against the Empire. However, when Empire Strikes Back opens, the words that scroll across the screen tell a different story. We read that the Rebel force suffered a terrible defeat by the Empire and are on the run. We also learn Darth Vader has now focused all his energy and resources on finding Luke Skywalker. After the text finishes scrolling, the film opens on the desolate, arctic planet, Hoth, where the Rebels have settled. Unfortunately, the evil Empire has detected their location and invaded Hoth, determined to destroy the Rebellion. The Rebels strive to fight off the Empire, but they are no match for the enormous, nearly indestructible Imperial Walkers and are forced to evacuate. Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and C3PO narrowly escape in the Millennium Falcon.
Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker and R2D2 set off together on a separate mission. Luke has had a vision of his old master Obi Wan Kenobi. In this vision, Luke’s former Jedi Master advises him to seek the well-renowned Jedi trainer, Yoda. Luke follows his advice and he and R2D2 fly to the mysterious planet Dagobah. After Luke’s ship crashes in a swamp, they encounter a small, wizened creature, who reveals himself to be none other than Yoda. We share Luke’s amazement that this little fellow, who looks more like a Muppet than a serious Jedi Master, could be the one Obi Wan Kenobi spoke of. Yoda has some misgivings about molding Luke into a Jedi but decides to train him anyway. During his training sessions, Luke continuously disappoints Yoda and the experienced Jedi Master must constantly remind him to control his emotions. For the moment, Yoda seems correct with his doubts about Luke’s future as a Jedi.
The movie switches back to Han Solo and his team, who are being hotly pursued by the Empire’s Star Destroyer ship. Han Solo shrewdly throws off the Star Destroyer by escaping to Cloud City, which is run by Lando Calrissian. The audience discovers that Lando was once the pilot of the Millennium Falcon but lost this ship to Han Solo in a card game. When the two men reunite, Lando enthusiastically welcomes Solo and his crew and offers to repair the ship. Any trace of bad feelings between the two men seems to have disappeared. Appearances can be deceiving, though, and unbeknownst to Solo, he has just walked into a trap. We learn that Lando has struck up a deal with bounty hunter Boba Fett and agreed to turn Han Solo and his friends over to the Empire. Meanwhile, back on Dagobah, Luke is learning how to master the Force. Through the Force, he sees a disturbing vision of his friends’ suffering and believes that he must leave to help them. Yoda warns Luke that he isn’t ready and should stay to complete his training, but Luke ignores him. He departs with the fate of his friends in his hands, ready to face his destiny.
The Empire Strikes Back took everything I loved in the first film and did it even better, which is an unusual accomplishment for a sequel. Let’s start with the musical score. John Williams, whose music was groundbreaking in the original film, composed a score that was twice as beautiful. His musical arrangements are responsible for creating the tension and emotions that audiences experience in the film. To this day, “The Imperial March” remains one of the most recognizable pieces in cinema. With its first few notes, it has the power to create feelings of dread in the hearts of every Star Wars fan. And, how about those special effects? In the first film, they might be considered a little outdated and border on cheesy. However, the special effects team stepped up their game with The Empire Strikes Back. This is evident in how they developed the look of the planets, like Dagobah, Cloud City, and Hoth. Each one of these locations features distinct landscapes, full of unique inhabitants. Every aspect of these strange, new planets is carefully designed by the film crew, and it is their attention to detail that results in the film’s realism. Because of their skill, the audience can almost feel the below freezing temperatures of Hoth or the heavy humidity of Dagobah. To this day, the set pieces used in the film’s space battles still hold up, and the Imperial Walkers are just as exciting now as when they first stormed across the screen. Many sci-fi films in the ’70s and ’80s came across phony and cheap, so it’s a credit to The Empire Strikes Back crew that they succeeded in bringing this fantasy to life.
The biggest improvement between the two films is the sequel’s screenplay. While Star Wars: A New Hope lagged at times, at no point in Empire did the picture bog down. It’s interesting to note that the screenplay was penned by Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett. George Lucas, however, received no screen credit even though he was responsible for the story. That’s not to say Lucas doesn’t deserve any credit for the screenplay. He developed a story full of different twists that explored the complexity of the Force’s mystical nature and the relationship dynamics between the characters. His great story provided a foundation that enabled the script to flourish. Lucas wisely refrained from interfering with the writing, leaving this part to Kasdan and Brackett, and instead focused his efforts on perfecting the themes and effects that dominate the film.
The story itself is darker and more unpredictable in The Empire Strikes Back than in the previous film. As the film opens, the scrolling text tells the audience the Rebels are on the run from the Empire. From here on out, things continue to go downhill for our heroes. Luke gets captured by a dangerous beast out on the frozen tundra and almost dies of frostbite. Meanwhile, the Empire mercilessly defeats the Rebels on Hoth. Then, the Millennium Falcon barely reaches lightspeed in time for Han Solo, Princess Leia, and their crew to escape the Star Destroyer. And that’s only the first half hour of the film. These thirty minutes set the tone that this film is going to be more than just a stereotypical action picture. During this short time, audiences have learned that the Empire has grown more powerful with its army of weapons and ships, and its leader Darth Vader has grown more ruthless than ever. This well-done introduction successfully builds tension and develops intrigue concerning what will happen next in the film.
It bears repeating that the screenplay for The Empire Strikes Back is superb and follows a similar pattern used in popular TV shows, like Breaking Bad and The Wire. The first season of these productions was done to establish the main characters. Then once audiences were familiar with the main cast, the writers could introduce new characters and present different situations since the show’s foundation was now established. In a similar way, Star Wars: A New Hope introduced us to Luke, Princess Leia, and Han Solo. Then, in The Empire Strikes Back, we meet a batch of new faces, and just like the new people in Breaking Bad and The Wire, we grew to love all the new Star Wars’ characters. The additions of Yoda, Lando, Boba Fett, and the Emperor truly enrich the film. Yoda is one of the most popular characters in Star Wars. He embodies the strength of the Force and demonstrates how mastery over it can make anyone a great Jedi regardless of his size. He brings a wonderful blend of humor and wisdom to the film, and his scenes are easily the highlight of this movie. Then, there’s Lando, who gives Han Solo a run for his money as the coolest person in the Star Wars universe. His character adds another element of intrigue and makes us question whether he is a man who can or cannot be trusted. Fett is the perfect villain to complement Darth Vader with his cool exterior and menacing presence. The Emperor himself only appears in a single scene, but it’s enough to make an impact. It reveals that Vader is under someone else’s authority and that the mysterious Emperor is responsible for the tremendous power of the Empire.
The greatest strength of the screenplay is how it successfully adds dimension to the personalities of the main characters. This can be seen particularly with the character development of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader. Luke was appointed as the next great Jedi and hero at the end of A New Hope. However, in The Empire Strikes Back, reality brings him back down to earth, and he learns that to become a Jedi, he has to earn it. Whether it’s his inability to control his emotions or nearly dying at the start of the film, we see that we have a flawed hero. Even so, we can’t help but like him due to his good heart. Maybe he made a bad choice leaving before he completed his training with Yoda, but we are willing to overlook this because his decision was driven by his loyalty to his friends. Han Solo and Princess Leia’s demonstration of leadership and bravery in response to the Empire’s attack on Hoth firmly establishes them as strong heroes. Han risks his life rescuing Luke while the Princess remains at the crumbling base, overseeing the evacuation of the Rebels before the Empire advances. These two characters also have terrific chemistry, making their evolving romance even more fun to watch. The Empire Strikes Back is the movie that truly defined Darth Vader as one of the most memorable villains in cinema. He is even more evil and diabolical than in the first installment. While the Empire’s success is important to him, it takes a back seat to his obsession with destroying Luke Skywalker. He kills off Admirals, hires bounty hunters, and is willing to torture Luke’s friends if it lures Luke back to fight him. Amidst his evil dealings, Darth Vader’s impenetrable armor starts to show a few cracks of humanity. Vader’s fierce lightsaber battle with Luke showcases his mastery of the Force, yet also reveals this machine has a heart. Surprisingly, he doesn’t want to destroy Luke but actually wants the young man to partner with him. Of course, there is Vader’s overly quoted revelation that goes a long way in supporting this fact. In a saga like this, you need a complex, evil, and somewhat sympathetic villain, and Darth Vader’s character more than meets this criteria.
Many critics have hailed the original Star Wars film as one of the most innovative movies ever made due to its special effects. However, when it boils down to story quality and style of filmmaking, The Empire Strikes Back is hands down the better film. While Empire maintains the excitement and thrilling action found in the first film, it also succeeds in giving the themes and characters more depth. These are characters we can pull for as they scratch and claw their way through impossible odds. Even when they fail, we can relate with their struggles and admire their courage. I’ve watched this film at least 20 times and each time, I enjoy it as much as when I saw it for the first, fifth…or the fifteenth time. This is the film that officially solidified Star Wars as the enormously successful franchise it is today. With its fantastic musical score, brilliant cast of new characters, and strong screenplay, Empire is not only the perfect sequel, it’s the perfect film.
Brian’s Rating 10/10