THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

STARRING: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Frank Oz, Alec Guinness

1980, 124 Minutes, Directed by: Irvin Kershner
 

Description: The middle film in George Lucas's enormously popular Star Wars science fiction trilogy. The rebellion led by Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) suffers before the superior forces of the Empire, young hero Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) faces his first defeats as he attempts to harness the Force under the tutelage of Jedi master Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz), and cocky Han Solo (Harrison Ford) is betrayed by former ally Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams). — Amazon.com

Once the familiar music and opening titles have rolled across the screen, we are in familiar territory. This is Star Wars country and this film is a worthy, if not at times better, sequel to its illustrious predecessor.

Things go terribly wrong for the Rebel Alliance as the evil Empire has its revenge for the destruction of the Death Star chronicled in the previous movie. This makes the film rather unpredictable (and thus truly exciting!) since one never really knows what is going to happen next.

As far as sequels go, this one make sense: barely a rehash of old ideas, it follows naturally on the previous film and fits in perfectly.

Technically, the film is superior to Star Wars. It is doubtful whether something as visually exciting as the chase through the asteroid field will ever see celluloid again. The duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader at the end of the film makes their final duel in Return of the Jedi seem lame and is everything that the duel between Darth Vader and Obi Wan Kenobi in the first film should have been.

What can I say? If you haven't already seen it, then what's wrong with you?

Followed by Return of the Jedi in 1983.
 

• Read a book review of George Lucas: A Biography by John Baxter.
• Read an extensive retrospective.
• Read the script.
• Watch the trailer.
• We bitch and moan endlessly about the Star Wars "Special Edition" DVDs . . .

Voted
# 4
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