STAR WARS: EPISODE V - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
5/5 stars
Part of John Ulmer's Favorite Movies List
(http://www.wiredonmovies.com/favorites.html)
Date of Review: April 3rd, 2004
REVIEW BY JOHN ULMER (Copyright, 2004)
(Note: This review contains some spoilers.)
Movie novelty quickly wears thin, which is why so many sequels pale in
comparison to their originals. "Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire
Strikes Back" is the best of the original "Star Wars" trilogy, darker
and deeper and even more powerful than the first film. Granted, the
original pioneered an endless saga of imitators and somewhat
imaginative knock-offs, and is still one of the greatest films ever
made, but "The Empire Strikes Back" is a tiny inch ahead in the race.
It is the dark middle chapter in an almost perfect trilogy, crammed
full with imagination and special effects. It is simply one of the
most visionary movies of all time, which is rare for a sequel -- any
sequel -- especially in the case of a sci-fi film. Just take a look at
"Predator 2" for an example of an idea running out of steam, or a
director who cannot cope with his script.
The film generally picks up where the last left off: Luke (Mark
Hamill) saved the day by blowing up the Death Star, the heroes were
awarded with medals by the princess (Carrie Fisher), and peace was
temporarily restored. But Darth Vader (voice of James Earl Jones) is
still alive, and the Emperor's fury grows stronger as Luke begins his
Jedi training under the help of Yoda. Meanwhile, Han Solo (Harrison
Ford) and Leia flee to Cloud City to escape an attack from the empire,
where they are taken under the wing of Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee
Williams), an old pal of Han's who is secretly working for Vader,
somewhat against his own will.
The movie is strong in its morals and Biblical metaphors, just as the
original. Luke is the savior, Calrissian could be considered the
equivalent of Judas, Han Solo is one of Luke's good disciples and
Vader represents pure evil. And of course, there's the truly iconic
line, "I am your father," that is relevant to the devil, who --
according to the scriptures -- was an angel before being cast into the
bowels of hell and becoming Lucifer.
Lucas admittedly used these various metaphors to strike a nerve in the
subconscious of his viewers. Like all good fables, of fantasy or
reality, "Star Wars" is a trilogy that relates to just about everyone,
in one form or another, and is -- at its roots -- a story we are all
very familiar with. It is the ever-familiar notion of good-vs. -evil
at its core that helps propel these movies into the hearts of many.
Yes, "Star Wars" is the quintessential nerd's film, engulfed in an
entirely different dimension, but the film's bad rap for this is
undeserved -- it's still a wonderful story, and you don't have to be a
die-hard fan to appreciate its fine points (and it has many).
One of the most popular legends (and misconceptions) regarding the
"Star Wars" phenomenon is that George Lucas helmed the entire Star
Wars trilogy, when in fact he only directed the first and wrote the
screenplay for all three combined. "The Empire Strikes Back" is
directed by Irvin Kirshner, who also delivered us the disappointing
"RoboCop 2." How could one sequel be so great, and the other so bad?
Simple: Kirshner's darkness in "The Empire Strikes Back" had a point,
and a high value. In "RoboCop 2," it was just excessive and silly, not
to mention totally unnecessary. What Paul Verhoeven was able to do
with the original "RoboCop" was something not many films can
accomplish, and Kirshner tried to add on to this with a darker
narrative, which only ended in a frustratingly empty motion picture.
"The Empire Strikes Back" has a point amidst the action, and is the
most important of all three "Star Wars" movies. It has the famous
introduction of the creature Yoda, who sits tucked away in his hut on
a swamp planet, at first startling Luke with his strange features, and
then with his subtle wisdom. It is Yoda who trains Luke in the ways of
the Jedi, and eventually leads him towards his destination: The
showdown with Vader, when the infamous secret is finally revealed.
The movie is expertly crafted, both in terms of a a narrative and
literal context. From beginning to end it is darker, fiercer and more
powerful than the original film, which is not an easy feat. All
trilogies have their dark areas, and this is usually the middle
chapter ("Back to the Future Part II" is a good example), yet in "The
Empire Strikes Back" the darkness seems very appropriate given the
material. It is a film that dwells long and hard on betrayal, murder,
revenge, and unrecoverable mistakes. By the end of the movie, we know
what Luke is feeling: There is still much to be done, despite an
overwhelming emotional downpour of attachment and confusion. For us,
as an audience, we know everything must come to an end within the next
installment. For Luke, it could be an eternity of struggle. But we all
know there will be an end to the epic saga, and we have always known
this, ever since we first caught a glimpse of a younger, more innocent
Luke working for his uncle on that deserted planet, so many years ago,
when he could only dream of having adventures in other galaxies far,
far away...
- John Ulmer
http://www.wiredonmovies.com
e-mail: johnulmer2003@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
37495
X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 1269458
X-RT-TitleID: 1006605
X-RT-SourceID: 1382
X-RT-AuthorID: 6769
X-RT-RatingText: 5/5
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