Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back Review and Discussion

Yesterday my friends Abby, Jeremy and I discussed what is widely considered the best of the Star Wars films: Empire Strikes Back.

I watched Empire Strikes Back twice last week and each time I was truly blown away by it.  There was a new director for Empire Strikes Back, Irvin Kershner and new writers Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, and you can really feel their influence on the finished film.  I am not overstating my feeling when I say every decision they made works.  There isn’t anything I would change in the film.

The characters are the first stand-out in Empire Strikes Back.  You get some new characters in Yoda who is a tough taskmaster to Luke as he teaches him about the force.  You also get to know Lando Calrissian who at one moment betrays the team but there may be more too it than that.

Then of course our core group are all back with Luke learning about his father, facing his demons, and getting training from Yoda.  Han Solo has become fiercely loyal to Luke and him and Leia have terrific romantic chemistry.  He is asked to sacrifice everything and is frozen in carbonite in an amazingly tense scene.

The Empire led by Vader is more like a Nazi regime in this film and especially in the final confrontation with Luke there is no doubt of Vader’s strength and overwhelming control of the force.  When Luke realizes his father is Vader it is such an intense, devastating moment (not to mention the greatest reveal ever in movies).

The action is all better with incredible battle sequences on Hoth and in Cloud City.  The special effects are great and the writing is poignant, funny, emotional, everything you could want in a movie.

If it is possible Empire Strikes Back was even better than I remembered it on this recent rewatch.  Without a doubt in my mind one of the most perfectly executed films ever made.

I hope you guys enjoy our discussion and would love if give it a thumbs up if you do.  Thanks so much!

What is your favorite moment from Empire Strikes Back?

Overall Grade- A+