STAR WARS EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

No…I am your Father.

WHAT?!

There are a lot of reasons why I think The Empire Strikes Back is the greatest movie ever made. The big expensive battle isn’t at the end, it’s at the start. In the end, the heroes don’t win. In fact, they don’t have a single victory in the entire movie. They end up scattered across the galaxy. And, of course, the reveal of Darth Vader being Luke Skywalker’s father.

It also introduces three major new characters to the universe, all of which have gone on to become fan favourites. First we have Yoda, the mysterious and crazy green creature Luke finds on Dagobah. Next, we have Lando Calrissian, gambler, former friend of Han Solo, and head of Cloud City. Finally, we have bounty hunter Boba Fett. Who, despite only having about three lines, has become one of the most loved characters in the franchise.

Empire adds a huge amount of backstory and lore to the universe. While Episode 4 tells us what we need to know, Empire goes into the past. We learn more about the days before the Empire rose to power, and most of all, we learn what really happened to Luke’s father. While we aren’t shown as many weird and wonderful creatures as we saw in Episode 4, mostly in the Cantina scenes, the increased budget is clearly visible. More time is spent with Vader and the Empire. The battle on Hoth takes place in day light, so you can see every detail possible.

We’re introduced to so many new narratives in Empire. Luke travels to see a Jedi Master in exile. We learn huge amounts about the Force and what the hell Obi Wan was going on about in Episode 4. Leia and Han become an item. Which is good, seeing as it would have been creepy as hell if Leia and Luke were together. We’re also shown the Emporer for the first time. The battle on Hoth shows us, for the first time, the Empire on the attack, instead of defending their giant space station. And, unlike Episode 4, there is no celebration sequence at the end. The Rebel Alliance is scattered. Han is no in the custody of Boba Fett. Luke doesn’t have a right hand for a while. And, worst of all, Lando steals Han’s clothes.

I could go on, but I’ll be writing for days. Empire looks a lot better than Episode 4. Whilst everything still has the great dusted, used look that the prequels stupidly through out the window, everything looks much better on screen. The story telling is a lot better too, as this time the heroes aren’t saving the damsel in distress. Plus, unlike Return of the Jedi, there are no savage teddy bears that try and eat Han and Luke. Yeah. Bet you forgot about that. Cannibals. And that is why The Empire Strikes Back, in my mind at least, is not only the greatest movie in the Star Wars saga, but the greatest movie of all time.

10/10

That could all change, depending on if The Force Awakens turns out to be as good as the trailers make it seem. Which I really hope it does. Even if it isn’t, it stands a bloody good chance of being the highest grossing movie ever.