There is a serious growth in Luke's story arc. In this film we see him starting to train to become a Jedi. We see the urgency in him wanting to stop Darth Vader and the Empire, especially when they kidnap his friends. He has a sense to become stronger and more capable, even though his fears and wants can ultimately lead him to the Dark Side. There is a presence of personal conflict here. Though it is a hint of it, more of it is explored in the next film. And again, Mark Hamill perfectly represents this. Han and Leia also have their own interesting arc going on as well. They have a romantic relationship blooming, that what seems to be very rare in action blockbusters is actually interesting and charming. Ford and Fisher's chemistry is perfect and they represent a romantic yet realistic and relatable couple. We also get a new character in Lando Calrissian. He is portrayed entertainingly by Billy Dee Williams as a suave and cool guy, oozing with charisma. His charm is mesmerizing and fun to watch. But of course we got to discuss two featured characters that absolutely steal the show. One is of course Dath Vader. If you though this guy was an awesome villain in the first movie, HOLY HELL does he get massively better in this film! He is a ruthless, beast like, takes no crap from no one SOB in this! His obsession of finding Luke makes him reach to serious anger levels, though very subtle. If one of his officers angers or disappoints him, he just gets rid of them, in the most effective way he knows possible. He becomes more of an intimidating menace when he duels with Luke. And then there is Jedi Master Yoda. Where do I start? Let me first off by saying out of all the entertaining and iconic characters this franchise has to offer, Yoda is by far my favorite! Why? Because he is both is and not what he seems. He is old, small, and fragile, but at the same time witty, wise, and inspirational. He may seem to have a lot of disadvantages but he always sees the truth and tells it. When he talks, you feel like you are being taught by the best teacher you have ever had. You feel like he is changing or motivating your life some how. To me Yoda is the heart of the whole Star Wars mythos. His knowledge and explanation of the Force explains so much about this world of these movies, as well the characters' relationships and motivations. Yoda knows all, period. With a mixture of improved old characters and new iconic characters, this movie already proves to be an achievement!
Irvin Kershner takes the director's chair this time around and he makes the world of Star Wars seem more real and grander than it already was. Most of the sets do not seem as dense and claustrophobic anymore. The settings seem more three dimensional and open, making it for a better scope. A lot of the practical effects used are still impressive today. The puppetry on Yoda, though still obvious that he is a puppet, he still seems very lifelike. His expressions and body language are on point and are believable. The effects during a lot of the battle scenes are great as well. A lot of the stop-motion and models used work to great effect and they make the battles seem like there are high risks and stakes. The battle on Hoth and the asteroid field escape are intense and nail-biting because every hit, crash, blast, and collision seem real and authentic.
The lightsaber duel with Luke and Darth Vader has got to be the best duel in all of the Star Wars movies. It's tense, dark, dramatic, and it ends with the mother of all twists. This duel proves why the motivations of the duels in the prequels are of little interest in me. Here there is obvious tension between Luke and Vader, and the anger in both of them are greatly represented. This tension builds and builds until the ultimate finale of the battle. It is absolutely perfect!
The story switches from a basic good vs evil plot to this multi-layered, character driven, and deep narrative. Not only the dialogue is better, but the story is more three dimensional thanks to screenwriters Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett. The scenes between Luke and Yoda are just great, and like I said before when Yoda is teaching Luke the ways of the Force, it feels like he is teaching and engaged audience. The romance between Han and Leia, seems so real, you don't want any tragedy to interrupt that. And the duel between Luke and Vader seems so epic and Shakespearean. There is hardly dialogue through most of the fight, and a lot of the words and delivery just shine through the expressions and them clashing their lightsabers against the others. I am grateful that the story of Empire Strikes Back makes the world of Star Wars seem more real than it ever was. The stakes and character arcs are upgraded to the max, making the story a lot more grand. It continues to be my favorite Star Wars movies in this legendary trilogy!
GRADE: E
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