We're chugging along here at something of an accelerated pace due to the pleasant problem of having the release date for Episode VII practically upon us. So without further ado, I present to you the second of the Original Trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back (ESB):
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| AKA The Bad Guy Poster. Though the Emperor's only in about three minutes of the film. |
Set two to three years after A New Hope, ESB finds the heroes of the Rebellion hunkered down on the arctic world of Hoth, as Darth Vader (David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones) hunts them, particularly eager to locate Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). When the Rebel base is at last overrun, Luke finds himself drawn to the swamp world of Dagobah, to study with Yoda (Frank Oz), the last surviving Jedi master. Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) are forced to flee from Vader's relentless pursuit, which eventually leads them to cross paths with an old comrade of Han's, Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams). Everything converges in a fight at Cloud City, when the heroes' worlds are turned upside down forever. Alec Guinness appears as Obi-Wan Kenobi - or his spirit, anyway, and Kenny Baker once again appears as R2-D2. Jeremy Bulloch plays the bounty hunter Boba Fett, and thanks to some digital manipulation, Ian McDiarmid appears briefly as the Emperor, replacing an earlier dubbed actress with superimposed chimpanzee eyes. Kenneth Colley and Julian Glover also appear in small parts, and John Ratzenberger has a cameo as a Rebel officer.
ESB is, to put it simply, a superlative movie. In fact, I would go so far as to say that ESB is one of, the greatest sequels of all time...I think The Godfather Part II might be the only other major contender for the title of 'Best Ever'. True, ESB is very much the 'middle' of the story - it assumes you know the characters, and doesn't even try to wrap up all of the plot lines at the end...far from it...but beyond that, it functions magnificently as a film, surpassing the original in quality and serving as not only the best Star Wars film to date, and one of the best science fiction movies, but also one of the best movies ever made.
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| Sometimes it feels like the Empire is just cheating. |
Why does it work so well? For one thing, it has absolute economy - every bit of dialogue either furthers the plot, develops character, or both. The story moves forward in straight lines, with no tangents or diversions, or unnecessary subplots. It doesn't rehash the events of A New Hope, but enjoys the benefit of having already introduced the main characters, and as such, can simply move ahead with the story. Every frame serves the picture, compelling the narrative on, and is beautifully shot. The set, costumes, and design are more advanced than ANH, and just pop that much more boldly, and John Williams' score builds on the first films, adding more motifs that are instantly recognizable - the Imperial March, in particular. Nothing in this movie distracts from the whole, and nothing is present that doesn't enhance the film. There are very few films in ANY genre that can make that claim.
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| Not counting Boba Fett (who has about five minutes) these guys have a combined screen time of less than thirty seconds, and yet have become some of the most popular Star Wars characters in the franchise history. Go figure. |
The story is well conceived - we learn more about the Jedi and the Force, the nature of the mystical powers, and more about the galaxy. We're introduced to several striking new characters, which are immediately distinct, while the cast of the original film is fleshed out in both broad and subtle ways, and every character gets a solid amount of screen time. I think the reason for this is due to the fact that while George Lucas does get the Story credit, he neither wrote the screenplay nor directed the film...those credits go to Leigh Brackett & Lawrence Kasdan, and Irvin Kershner, respectively. So we got Lucas' brainchild, but this time its tempered, cleaned and polished by others, and all to the good. There's probably a lesson in teamwork to be learned here.
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| I'd watch these two bicker over listening to Anakin and Padme's wooing any day of the week. |
While having a sharp, smart script is important, having a cast hit its marks perfectly also helps. Hamill, Ford and Fisher all get meaty parts that allow them to grow their characters, and lets them build on the somewhat stock roles from the first movie, making them vibrant and relatable. From the moment Billy Dee Williams appears on camera, he radiates charm and charisma, creating an instantly likable rogue, smooth where Han is rough. The real star of the film, however, is not truly human - Yoda, as much as he is a Muppet (and as a child, the fact that he sounded so much like Grover kind of disturbed me), is the most compelling character in the film, an immediately resonant figure given an enormous impact. Yoda may be Frank Oz's best role, and the effort that went into the design and articulation makes it very easy to accept him just as much as any human performer.
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| Just off camera: Kermit the Frog and a banjo. |
The visuals are incredible, as always - the ice world of Hoth is breathtaking in its starkness, while Yoda's swamp home is teeming with life and mystery. Cloud City, where the third act of the film takes place, is a floating palace made up of several different sets, all of which are distinct and yet blend together convincingly, and is illuminated in fiery sunsets to great effect. We get to see more of the ships this time - something of a 'behind the scenes' look at the Millennium Falcon, and the austere, imposing black, white and grey of the Imperial Fleet.
ESB answers some of the questions that A New Hope raised, primarily regarding the workings of the Force, but it's perhaps better known for raising even more. The climactic fight between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in the underbelly of Cloud City culminates in one of the most famous moments in movie history - the oft-references "I am your father" scene. This particular line of dialogue is one of the most well-known spoilers in cinema, and even when audiences know it's coming, it still maintains a powerful impact decades later.
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| "Not to give anything away, but I think you have my lightsaber..." |
What makes the whole project truly impressive, though, is that the movie ends without resolving the questions raised. Audiences were left to wonder if Vader's parentage claim was legitimate, and if so - how the hell did that happen? And what was Yoda referring to when he mentioned another hope? Not only that, but the film closes with Luke maimed, and Han Solo frozen in carbonite, a kind of living death that would have allowed for Ford to leave the franchise, which is also why Lando was introduced. In fact, you could say Luke was unHanded in more ways than one - (insert rimshot here). It's rare for a film about good and evil to conclude with a victory for the villains - Luke defeated, Han imprisoned, Cloud City fallen to the Empire and the remaining heroes on the run. Suddenly, the story wasn't so predictable anymore. Doubts and uncertainties surround the protagonists as they retreat to lick their wounds, because what had been a fairly stereotypical sci-fi set up suddenly became complex and ambiguous, and the challenges not so easily overcome.
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| Men in Capes |
All of that conspires to create a rich film that's exciting, compelling, and interesting. It's well-paced, well-written, acted, directed, shot, and complex. At times it's humorous, other times, it's frightening. It leaves you wanting more, but yet manages to be satisfying in and of itself. Just as ANH redefined what science fiction conventions could be, ESB raised the bar to a level that may still be the standard today. Moreover, it's smarter and better executed than many other dramatic films, proving that fantasy absolutely had a place at the 'big kids table'. There are countless other films, box office hits and Oscar winners alike, that didn't do their jobs half as well as ESB.
It is, in short, a perfect movie.
FINAL RATING: 10 PAWS (OUT OF 10):
ROAR!!!!
And this is why I couldn't give A New Hope more than a rating of nine, by the way...because as good as ANH is, The Empire Strikes Back is better. On a personal note, I can't help but observe that it's easier to write a more succinct review when the movie gives you nothing to complain about!
Next up, the home stretch - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
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