The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to captur...
WHAT I LIKED: The first Star Wars was an archetypal tale of two men inevitably becoming heroes to fight evil, but what gives 'The Empire Strikes Back,' its edge is that no-one's fate seems certain.
A bombastic opening battle establishes the Empire with newfound might, as well as our central heroes as part of a close-knit rebellion army. But soon, Luke leaves his pals to be pursued by Darth Vader's fleet as he travels to find Master Yoda and train as a Jedi. Embroiled in a game of space cat-and-mouse, it really feels like Han and Leia are in constant danger, whilst on the other side of the galaxy, we're told Luke risks "turning to the dark side," at Vader's hand if he leaves his training early to help his friends.
That conflict is the central dilemma that the first two acts quietly build - does Luke fulfill his destiny as a Jedi and leave his friends behind, or risk it by forging his own path and helping them? Jeopardy hangs heavy over both options, and when he decides to go against Yoda's warnings, that follows through, as he's defeated by Vader, Han is frozen in carbonite, and Leia and Chewie are left to watch the tragedy unfold. By the end of the film Luke has started to forge his own path, but his arc is far from complete.
Where the first film had an enchantingly predictable narrative then, this one is daring and tense, and that's matched perfectly by the world-building. Its predecessor spent a lot of time exploring George Lucas' world but left a lot of questions unanswered - how does the force work, what is a Jedi, how does the Empire control the galaxy, who was Luke's father. This one answers many of them in bold and surprising ways, as we learn that the force is about much more than lifting rocks, we witness how the Empire controls populations when they blackmail Lando into betraying Han, and we of course learn that Darth Vader is Luke's father. And the universe expansion extends to the visuals too, as Norman Reynolds' production design introduces the smoky, petrified forest of Dagobah, the mystical, spectacular Cloud City, and the ice-cold planet of Hoth, all in shades of dark blues and purples.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Though the film does a great job building a sense of threat, Luke is the only one to get an engaging arc, and even his inner conflict doesn't really arise until the end of the second act and is left unresolved by the end.
VERDICT: 'The Empire Strikes Back,' is a striking sequel that's less concerned with character arcs and mysterious world-building, and more so with putting its heroes in jeopardy thanks to its uncertain narrative and bold reveals.
