Star Wars - Episode V:
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

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Director: Irvin Kershner
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher

Synopsis:
Following the destruction of the Death Star, the Empire forces the Rebel Alliance to go on the run with Darth Vader personally spearheading the hunt for Luke Skywalker.

Impressions:
This movie is now seen as the best of the series, but it wasn't always regarded so highly. (Indeed, Lucas apparently rates it as his least favorite. Part of me shakes my head in disbelief and another part nods along and sees it as entirely in character.) Now, this is a dark chapter in the story, but that's exactly why a lot of people love it. Our heroes take a beating and just barely claw their way through.

I think it was a stroke of genius to tap a director known for character-focused movies for this. More than that, I like the fact that Irvin Kershner, as one of Lucas' teachers, takes the reins for him. Speaking of character focus, there's a lot of great development in the cast from the first film and the introduction of new characters that further add to story. Among the newcomers, I want to give a special nod to Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian, a great complement to Han, and Frank Oz's performance as Yoda.

There are a lot of great scenes, but I want to give special praise to the Battle of Hoth (which is so good that it gets recreated in dang near every video game adaptation) and Luke's confrontation with Vader. John Williams' score continues to wow, including the debut of the iconic Imperial March.

Touching on the Special Edition, the '04 version corrects the most egregious offense of the '97 version and while I feel the additions are the least bad of the OT, it's still unnecessary. As always, I advocate the theatrical cut.

I can't endorse this film enough. It's arguably my all-time favorite and while I grant that sentimental value plays a big part of that, even by an objective standard it's outstanding. Treat it like the precious gem it is.

Rating:
Treasure It