I am going to begin this review by quoting a completely different movie that was talking about this movie. Randal: Which did you like better? “Jedi” or “The Empire Strikes Back”?
Dante: “Empire”.
Randal: Blasphemy!
Dante: “Empire” had the better ending. Luke loses his hand and finds out Vader is his father. Han is frozen and captured by Boba Fett. It ends on such a down note. Just like in real life. All “Jedi” had was a bunch of Muppets.
‘The Empire Strikes Back’ that the movie sitting in the number 8 spot on my list. A much grittier film than Star Wars and not like the muppets movie of Jedi. This film was liked by the critics more than most of my top ranked movies with IMDb giving it a high (for them) 8.6 out of 10 & Rotten Tomatoes hitting the 90’s with a score of 92%. Released in 1980 (yep another 80’s movie!) this movie was three years behind the original movie. Story by George Lucas of course but the screenplay was Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kashdan. Produced by Gary Kurtz, this was actually directed by Irvin Kershner. With the music again created by John Williams. For its time this was a long movie running over 2 hours and made on a budget of $33m. Starring many of the same cast from the first movie which included Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, and Frank Oz. This movies success was guaranteed after the overwhelming success of the original movie and it returned $550.9m from the box office which was a massive success or a profit of 1,666.67%. This built on the back of the original story but had a downer of an ending as a trilogy you set the stall, you then set the villains and the negative tasks at hand before the final section where you have a triumphant success. This is the middle sandwich again.
Picking up three years after the conclusion of the first movie the rebel alliance is still in battle with the Empire, they have taken up a new base on the ice planet of Hoth. The imperial fleet are searching for any signs of their locations and sending droids out to scan planets. They find the base and plan an assault leading to the first epic battle of the movie where massive AT-AT walkers (giant dogs) with thousands of troops on board walk towards the base defended by rebel fighters. They are forces to evacuate and the stars all must head off to the rendezvous point. Luke Skywalker however decides he will take his mentors advice and rather than meeting up goes to seek Yoda a former Jedi Knight to ask him to complete his training to become a Jedi himself. Meanwhile Han, Princess Leia, Chewie, and the droids are chased across space by the Imperial Fleet. Avoiding the fleet, they head for Cloud City where Han links up with an old buddy Lando Calrissian, but they are unaware that they are being tracked by the bounty hunter Boba Fett. Boba sells them out to the Empire on the promise that he gets Han Solo so he can present him to Jaba the Hutt who has put a bounty on his head. Whilst training Luke senses that his friends are in grave danger and leaves his training to try and help them. Or is that just a trap to bring him to Darth Vader which was the plan all along.
This is the middle section and downer finish as already spoilt this, there is a revelation in this movie that everyone knows because of the new trilogy as well. I love watching reaction videos on YouTube of kids getting to experience what we did back when I was six watching this going huh! What! That can’t be true! If you bought into this franchise, then this revelation was amazing to you. The twist came out of nowhere and was perfect for its time. I have mentioned in other reviews, but this movie franchise summed up my childhood of running around the back garden with dressed liked an fool with a lightsabre made form an old swing-ball set, crash helmet and ski googles. To collecting the figures and the spaceships to learning a lot from these stories. Bad and evil people can be turned good just as much as good people could do bad things. This was life lessons for a pre-10-year-old and I won’t go on about how Disney killed it by ripping the carpet away from under the original stories as I’ve said it already too many times. What I will say is at best there are 6 truly Star War movies. Maybe seven if you include Rogue One but that is it. Forget the rest I am not interested in the Mandalorian as this only works because it leans on these movies. Not a bad thing but this is what they should have done in the first place stand on the shoulders of giants not cut them down to grow your own story, you idiots. Let’s tap into the young ones but ignoring the fact that its their parents that pass this story down, its their parents they are trying to connect with and you’ve alienated the parent so you’ve alienated the kids as well. Sorry I started again didn’t I? All three movies from episodes four to six maybe dated somewhat but they are still miles better than so many other stories out there, copied directly and indirectly so many times and probably by many in this list. Directors have used this for their own gains and if done well it is accepted and loved just as much (well maybe not as much). Trash it and you will struggle to get the success that you are looking for. For me, the three combined movies make up a major chunk of my childhood and as a result these will always have a place in my heart that not even the billions of dollars Disney plough into ruining this history has turned me against them and not the legendary movies these are. That’s it I’m done.
Next up on the list and in the number 7 slot is yet another comedy trying to masquerade as a horror movie.
I declare this is the best SW movie. I do however this you should try the Mandalorian, as it was made by people who love the original trilogy as much as we do.