Tags
Empire Strikes Back, Episode V, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan, Princess Leia, Star Wars, The Force Awakens
A+
“Dae it, or dinnae dae it. There is nae try.”
It would have been easy to go with “naw, am yer Dah”, but that’s not how I roll. And I just found a way to include it anyway. Genius, eh?
As my second review in the Star Wars series and the second consecutive A grade, it saddens me to acknowledge that this is as good as it gets. Randy Meeks might have been right when he proclaimed that “sequels suck”, but Empire stands as one of the rare exceptions to this line of thought. Obviously The Godfather, Terminator, Aliens, Toy Story and so on prove that, in fact, sequels do work when dealt with appropriately; however bear with me for a minute. I’m trying to prove a point. Like my previous piece, I’m going to take a rather laid back approach (primarily because I can’t be arsed) and look at a motion picture which is not only one of cinemas greatest sequels, moreover greatest stand alone works. Let’s get crackin’.
It’s no surprise that the original cast reuinites with Hamill, Ford and Fisher playing Skywalker, Solo and Skywalk…Organa respectively. That feeble attempt at making a joke highlights the films enduring hiccup, but we’ll wait until Return of the Jedi for that one. We all know it’s incest! I can’t wait to see Disney trying to explain that one. “She was drunk.” Aye, sure she was J.J. Once again, the trio embark on a mission to bring down the Galactic Empire, this time requiring the help of an eccentric, little green creature with a peculiar speech pattern; all of which consequently manufactures the greatest twist in cinema history.
“I’m a progressive guy, but when ye see a bird nip her own brother tae make ye jealous, well it’s time tae get a taxi.”
If I may go off on a tangent actually, I have a funny little anecdote about this. I once argued with a guy, passionately, in a nightclub toilet (where all great debates take place), in which he insisted that my definition of incest was all wrong and thus proposed that Luke and Leia acting the way they did was nothing less than natural. “I mean, it’s not as if he pumped her mate.” I’ll leave you with that thought and beg for your sympathy as to the quality of my nights out. And if I’ve offended any of you guys out there who happen to fancy your own sister, then I am truly, deeply sorry. I hope she’s worth it.
Firstly, lets look at the unforgettable performance by Harrison Ford in this instalment. Empire Strikes Back established Han Solo’s legacy as the most endearing protagonist in the Star Wars saga, only matched (potentially) by Luke. Personally, fuck Luke, I prefer Han but it really is six and half a dozen. You know how it goes, “I love you”… “I know.” That’s some pretty fucking good writing if I may say so myself. Although it wasn’t written; it was improvised, because George Lucas can’t write for shit, of course. Lawrence Kasdan may have been the official scriptwriter, sure, but let’s not lie about Lucas wanting “I love you too.” It’s a Lucas thing to do…Attack of the Clones *cough*. Solo transitioned from the role of the “plucky comic relief” to a central protagonist, and most importantly the coolest bastard in the galaxy. The space cowboy grew up, and was now roped into the primary romantic subplot. The other one being the aforementioned incestful one between the Skywalker twins. Naturally.
“Here hen, who you callin’ scruffy?”
Clearly, the feature is celebrated as a result of its intense character development and its now famous twist ending. Let’s deal with the former first. Empire Strikes Back introduced arguably the saga’s most referenced and parodied character, coming in the form of a small green guy with a rather strange sentence structure. Obviously, I am referring to Yoda, an ex-Jedi Knight who has been in exile on the planet Dagobah for nearly two decades. Luke leaves his buddies in mortal danger with the hope of learning from the wise master, and completing the training he began with Obi-Wan Kenobi in the previous instalment. I’ve already spoke about Han, and, eh, let’s just talk about the ending already then shall we? Yoda is amazing, and that sums him up appropriately.
The remarkable conclusion of The Empire Strikes Back is one of the most well versed in all of cinema and its legacy is not only influential, moreover indispensable for the development of mainstream film. No one, be they fan or critic, could foresee the moment Darth Vader limps out of the police station, only to reveal that he has been faking cerebral palsy all along. After lighting a cigarette (Mayfair, no less for such a man…robot…thing), he drives away, never to be seen again. The sly bastard.
“The greatest trick Darth Vader ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. And like that; he’s gone.”
In reality, and pish patter aside, Vader divulges that he is indeed the father to the young Jedi; himself the fallen warrior Anakin Skywalker. Dramatic shit, right? Nevertheless, this isn’t the original twist ending in cinema, not by any means and it is important to pay tribute to the films which paved the way. Both The Cabinet of Dr. Calgari, a German expressionist film from the early twenties, and Hitchcock’s Psycho from 1960 act as astute examples as to the previous success of the twist ending in cinema. However with this in mind, the former was released in a period which viewed film as a novelty, and not yet an art form. Likewise, Hitchcock filmed Psycho on very little budget, and did not intend for it to be the box-office hit and timeless classic it would eventually become. Empire, on the other hand, was a major production and the direct sequel to the-then-highest grossing feature film of all time. For the filmmakers to take the risk that they did, they gambled the future of a saga which they could have simply half-arsed. By taking this gamble, they made their franchise immortal.
I like to keep these fairly short, admitably because after awhile I just can’t be fucked any more, but I’ve really enjoyed writing this one. Empire Strikes Back is arguably the most popular instalment in the franchise, and when weighing up all the factors it is no surprise why. Obviously the whole Vader being the father of Luke stuff is great, but Han Solo being a smooth bastard and Carrie Fisher being good to look at make this an instalment that really should not be missed. As sexist as that sounds, it’s not. Leia just doesn’t hit her stride till the third film. And no, I’m not just talking about the gold bikini. I’ll hopefully have time to do Return of the Jedi, as soon as possible. (EDIT: I did) Hope you enjoyed reading.
Peace.
Connor Keegan 