(Harmy’s Despecialized Edition)

“The Force is with you, young Skywalker. But you are not a Jedi yet.”

Without a doubt one of the greatest sequels ever made. It has such a different tone to the first film, but compliments it perfectly. It’s absolutely crazy to me how well the original set up all the reveals in this one up despite George Lucas not originally planning them that way.

The Empire Strikes Back does what a fantasy sequel should always do - it expands the world and lore. This film does this with ease, introducing us to new unique planets like Hoth, Dagobah, and best of all, Bespin. It also introduces us to new force abilities and things that weren’t previously established in the original.

Speaking on tone, the first film was a fun, family friendly adventure that you could rewatch anytime, anywhere. Its sequel has a very, very different tone. It’s quite a bit darker, not edgy in any way, but more serious and less lighthearted. However, there is a lot more to take away from it because of that. There are lots of themes and lessons here. Not that there weren’t any in the first movie, but the first movie’s lessons and themes were a lot more basic and surface level. Themes such as the ability to learn, going after bigger things in life, redemption, and the strength of friendship. The Empire Strikes Back touches a lot more on sacrifice, wisdom, patience, and the struggle to acknowledge hard things, alongside the themes already present in its predecessor.

The visual effects take a big step up here too. The visual effects in the original are amazing, yes, but in this film you can tell the creators had a lot more budgeting freedom and were simply able to do more. The set pieces, planets, space combat, puppet effects, and even lightsaber effects are proof of this. The original one has aged just as well as this one, but this one just goes for more if you know what I mean - due to the success of the original. This ends up making the universe of Star Wars even more grand, exciting, and full of potential for future projects.

Even after talking about everything I already have, what really makes this movie a step up is its story. The 1977 classic had an amazing one, but somehow Empire’s is even better. I already acknowledged the tone, so I won’t say much more on that. The character development is absolutely magnificent and even better than before, especially for Luke. This story takes place three years after where the last one ended, and already you see the progress our main protagonists have made. Being three years later, the difference in these characters at the beginning should be daunting, but it’s not because it was set up perfectly previously.

The one and only criticism I have ever come across online for The Empire Strikes Back is that Han and Leia don’t have much to do and are simply there to support Luke’s journey and arc. I understand why people would see that, but I honestly have to disagree. There is so much more at stake, not only for Luke, but Han and Leia as well. They are put to the absolute ultimate test by the end and have to sacrifice huge things for the sake of the greater good. And their relationship with one another is one of the best in cinema history. It’s classic for a reason.

After all the praise I’ve already given, I have to talk about my absolute favorite thing in this entire film - Yoda. Even though ninety nine percent of people on the continent of North America already know a lot about him and even already have an image of him planted into their heads, even those who have gone without seeing any of the movies, I won’t comment on his physical or character traits specifically because I always try to avoid spoilers in my reviews. Even if avoiding the most mild and culturally known ones might be seen as a bit unnecessary.

Yoda is without a doubt one of the greatest mentors in cinematic storytelling history, even topping Kenobi in the predecessor. He is the primary instrument for developing Luke’s character, and the way he challenges him to his max, yet still gives him lessons to learn is inspiring. They can even be applied to our own real lives, which makes them even more special. He also leads one of my favorite scenes of all-time, the “lifting” scene. That specific scene gives me goosebumps every time I watch it and easily belongs in the highest tier of the best scenes of all time in my book. Just the music alone makes it chilling.

And Darth Vader - there is no way on Earth that I can’t mention him. The first film perfectly introduces him, but yet also adds a lot of mystery to his character, making you almost want to immediately watch the sequel to find out more about him. He was intimidating and well-established as the big bad, but here he is taken to an entirely different level. He’s terrifying. Every scene that he is in that involves other characters, including other Imperials, you feel so much dread, tension, and despair for them because you already know how unforgiving he is of others and how willing he is to hurt others. You never know what he’s going to do. And going back to the mystery part of him, this film ends with you knowing a lot more about him and overall feeling satisfied, but still somehow wanting to know more. Especially after its incredible and now iconic ending.