Image Copyright Lucasfilm
If I have little to say about The Empire Strikes Back, it is because I
don’t think there is much of anything new to say. Its stellar reputation is
completely deserved. It is [barring a somewhat awkward line delivery or two apiece
from Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher] splendidly acted. The script, the editing, the
soundtrack, the effects, the directing- all are top-notch, or nearly so, and it
functions as a perfectly natural extension of the original film, both deepening
it and providing a solid foundation for subsequent installments. And of course,
if at all possible, the pre-1997 edition is the one to watch. While it is the
least tampered with of the original trilogy in its various post-1997 iterations,
practically every single change is both unnecessary and distracting [and many
of them create visual continuity errors that did not previously exist].
In short, the late Irvin Kershner and his
team really did make an even better sequel to an already great film. They made
the best Star Wars movie to date [not
because it’s the most morally grey or thematically dark anything, as is sometimes
claimed (although it has such elements), but because it is the most solidly
executed of the bunch]. Nothing more needs to be said.
Actual Quality: 12/12
Personal Enjoyment: 12/12
