No one could’ve expected Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope to be nearly as successful as it was. On a budget of $11 million, the film made over $500 million worldwide and was the highest-grossing film of 1977. Within a year of its release, there were numerous toys, rereleases, novelizations, comics, and even a now-infamous holiday special. Naturally, a sequel was to follow, but this time Lucas decided to self-finance the film to maintain full creative control. However, he became overwhelmed between managing Industrial Light & Magic and financing, so he brought on Irvin Kershner as director. Not only was Kershner Lucas’ professor at USC, but Lucas was impressed by Kershner’s 1978 film Eyes of Laura Mars. Most of the original cast returned, ILM worked on the effects, and Lawrence Kasdan was hired to write the screenplay. In 1980, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back was released.
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Synopsis
After the destruction of the Death Star, the Galactic Empire has become more active in seeking out the Rebel Alliance. The Empire soon finds their location on the ice planet Hoth and launch a full-scale ground assault on their base. While their base ends up destroyed, the Rebels manage to escape, and our heroes decide to split up for now. Luke (Mark Hamill) travels to the swamp planet Dagobah after receiving a vision from Obi-Wan (Alec Guinness) to go there. Once there, he meets the wise Jedi master Yoda (Frank Oz), who agrees to help Luke continue his training. Meanwhile, Han (Harrison Ford), Leia (Carrie Fisher), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) are being pursued by the Empire. They take refuge in Cloud City thanks to Han’s old friend Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), but it’s a trap. Sensing their danger, Luke goes to rescue them and confront Vader.
Review
Oftentimes, a sequel falls into the trap of not being as good as the original or failing to meet expectations. However, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back is not just a worthy sequel but an all-around better film. The film takes everything that made the previous film work and further develops it, while also adding to the material. Also, while the first film was more of a fun sci-fi adventure, this one is much darker and more character-driven. Of course, there’s plenty of the Star Wars action we’ve come to expect, especially in the first act. The Battle of Hoth is a spectacle to behold, the stop-motion of the Imperial Walkers being a major highlight. There’s also a lot more humor than the first film, especially when Yoda is first introduced. His being introduced as a random funny puppet makes him being a wise sage even more impactful.
Acting-wise, everyone delivers ten-fold, having established their characters in the last film and getting to further develop their characters here. Not only does the original cast do a phenomenal job, but Billy Dee Williams is a great addition. His naturally suave charm radiates off the screen, which makes it even more upsetting when he betrays his supposed friends. Now, it’s hard to talk about this film without mentioning the major plot twist that’s revealed towards the end. Given that this film is almost 40 years old, it’s not much of a twist anymore, but it’s still effective. It’s the sort of plot twist that makes audiences immediately want to know what happens next. On a final note, this thankfully was tampered with the least when it came to the special editions. Overall, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back is what a sequel should be: bigger, bolder, and better.
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