Movie Review: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, Peter Mayhew, Kenny Baker, Frank Oz, Alec Guinness
Directed By: Irvin Kershner
We're all hoping that Revenge of the Sith can be a better movie than the previous two prequels, maybe it can even be as good as the original three movies. But can it be the best Star Wars movie ever? Probably not, but to prepare myself, I had to re-watch the current best Star Wars movie ever.
But is it the best Star Wars movie ever? That's generally the consensus, but since it has been awhile since I've watched it, I wondered if that's just the cool thing to say. Maybe it doesn't match the magic of the first movie (aka "A New Hope"), or the fun of Return of the Jedi (because I like Ewoks, dammit). Maybe people just say that this is the best because it's the most serious. Well, I don't need something to be serious in order to enjoy it, especially when it comes to sci-fi/fantasy.
It's a good thing I watched it then, if I needed a reminder why this is the best of the bunch. Cause it is. And not just because it's the most serious in the series. It's also pretty funny, with Han and Leia's banter, and lot more action-packed than I remember. As a kid, I always thought it was the more boring one. As a kid, I could be kinda dumb sometimes. I think it was the Hoth intro scene that did it for me, cause the last thing a kid in Canada wants to see is more winter. That, and I was more impatient than even Luke during the Yoda stuff. Patience, smatience. Go fight Vader dammit!
But now, I just see it as all kinda awesome. I especially like the early Yoda scenes, when he's acting all crazy to fuck around with Luke. When he beats R2 with a stick? Classic. Also, as a kid, I probably failed to pick up on the raw sexual chemistry between Leia and Han. That Harrison Ford sure was a devilish rogue in his youth, huh?
Other than the Dagoba scenes, the movie is almost non-stop action from the time the Empire discovers the Rebel Alliance to when Luke gets his bionic hand at the end. The action is all pretty strong, mixing in a sense of wonder, danger, and tension that Lucas has failed to inject into both prequels. Sure, the Darth Maul fight scene in The Phantom Menace was cool, but it isn't as good as Vader v. Luke. The pod fighter scene only wishes it could be as cool as Han Solo flying through an asteroid belt. Oh, and Carrie Fisher puts Natalie Portman to shame.
I think the only flaw with Empire is that it isn't as good for kids. But, since I'm not a kid anymore, what do I care? It's not like I hated it as kid, it still had Chewy and R2-D2 and light sabers and the Millennium Falcon. Wait, that's not the only flaw. It still has Mark Hamill's ham-fisted acting in it too, but even that has improved since the original Star Wars. Sith has a lot of work to do to unseat this one (although, at this point, I'd just settle for it being a decent movie).
4.5/5