Star Wars: Episode 5 - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Review
Main Character
There is sometimes some criticism of Mark Hamill's performance in the first two Star Wars films because he does complain and wine quite a bit. However, I think this helps make this character feel interesting to me, the other two jedi's we meet in the first two films in Obi-Wan & Yoda are very wise and all knowing so easy to respect but hard to relate to. Luke is us the audience, we don't understand the teachings of the Jedi and we get frustrated easily, Luke makes mistakes as a character which makes him easier to root for as he feels very human compared to these other characters who feel like gods. This film does a great job in making Luke flawed but also making us care about him and want to see him succeed in his mission despite these flaws.Supporting Characters
As mentioned in my previous review Harrison Ford as Han Solo & Carrie Fish as Leia are brilliant supporting characters and they are great in this film together. They have so much charisma and there chemistry together is off the charts (probably due to real life chemistry), they have some of the most iconic scenes in film history together in this film and there romance really evolves in the film and feels very natural and appropriate for the two characters on screen. Now onto possibly the star of the show the character of Darth Vader, in A New Hope we are given a brief introduction to Vader but in this film he is centre stage and he is the embodiment of pure evil in this film. He is menacing and you are scared of his power as we aren't really shown that in the previous film, he is very commanding and you learn more about his character that makes him even more interesting then he was in the previous film. Frank Oz voices Yoda in the film and he was a great addition to the film, you can really see how wise Yoda is as a character and I really liked his dynamic with Luke in the film as you see two people pretty much at different points of life and how they treat things which leads to them clashing. Billy Dee Williams plays Lando Carrissian, a smuggler that are heroes meet and he also has loads of charisma and charm to him even though you can tell he maybe isn't as honest as he lets on and like Han from the previosu film he has his own motivations to help the team.Story
This film takes risks with its story by splitting the characters up into two different storylines but it really pays off. You have the slower but really interesting personal story with Luke & Yoda and you have the faster more exciting romantic story involving Han & Leia. They both mesh incredibly well and they both give an audience member different things to enjoy and it allows the pacing to feel perfect and well done. Obviously this film has some twists in it that are very well known but I wn't mention them specifically in case there is somebody who doesn't know about it, but it is all handled perfectly and really adds drama to this film but also the future films aswell that was pretty revolutionary at the time and even holds up now even though I know the twists.Script
The script for this film is so well written, the dialogue makes the characters feel so real and the drama is amped up in this one to truly make you care about the characters and the plight that they are in. The humour is good too especially with Han & Leia as it fits there characters perfectly and feels right for them and their romance. Also the twists are perfectly handled and written brilliantly to allow you to really sink them in and understand them.Style
This film's style is darker then A New Hope but it feels right as the heroes are plunged into a darker story and as the title of the film suggests the villains are all over them from very early on. In terms of action scenes The Battle of Hoth at the beginning of the film is one of my favourite battles not just in Star Wars history but in film history. Also the lightsaber battle between Vader & Luke is faster and just as personal as the one between Vader & Obi-Wan making it more exciting and a much better watch. Also John Williams score is even better in this film and really adds to the suspense and the darker story that is being told. I should also mention that I watched the newer Blu Ray version but unlike A New Hope the changes are very small and I actually thought they were fine and didn't change the film one bit.Overall
Overall, I literally struggle to find any faults with this movie. It is the perfect middle part of a trilogy and should be watched as that so watch A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back & Return Of The Jedi in a short time frame to truly appreciate the development of the characters and the story. With this being my favourite film of all time I heavily recommend this film and the other two films in the trilogy.Rating - 10/10
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