THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK-REVIEW

It is a dream that one can sit down and have an experience that takes you into space and can captivate you until the finale. This dream has given me an opinion that 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of my favorite films. Not too far behind it in the science fiction genre is THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. From the groundbreaking, revolutionary visuals to the thought-provoking story continuation, The Empire Strikes Back gathers all of the correct ingredients to cook up one of the most fun experiences I've ever had watching a film. These are characters, stories, and classic moments that have captured a special place in our hearts and our minds, creatively, spiritually, philosophically, imaginatively. Stressing through the five categories I often look at for generalization, I will start with story. It takes more than just a genius' frame of mind to enhance what was thought possible technically at the time of production (late 70s). George Lucas, not a screenwriter but rather the creator of the story, maintains his position as a space king with this chapter. We start with an iconic scene in the ice planet Hoth, where Luke and his tauntaun are attacked by a Wampa. Here, in the Wampa's habitat, Luke is "forced" to use his special power to escape and eventually defeat the Wampa with a lightsaber. This scene is so culturally iconic that it demands to be viewed a second time, like so many other scenes in The Empire Strikes Back. The true gem in this film is truly not the visuals, or the acting, or the John Williams score. It's the story--not to belittle the other elements of the film, but the story and journey these characters embark on is truly the golden stone of the film. The acting--once again, Harrison Ford is great. The best acting in the film. Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher make huge improvements from the original Star Wars. The acting in that film is well below average, and in The Empire Strikes Back, characters are truly fleshed-out and accompanied by great performances. Still not Oscar-worthy, but good performances nevertheless. The visuals in the film are stunning, all of them; the city in the clouds, Hoth, the Millennium Falcon. So ahead of its time and revolutionary. Space hasn't looked better since. One of the best aspects of the film is John WIlliams' score. One of the greatest in film history. This is great music that will stand the test of time throughout film history. I love this film's score, so fresh and original that you can't help but to feel empowered when you hear it. The direction from Irvin Kershner is great. For a man who is only known for this and Robocop 2, Kershner delivers an exciting new look in the Star Wars saga. He takes the film to a level of which was not expected by anyone. To reach higher than the first is hard; The Godfather almost did it, The Terminator did it, and The Empire Strikes Back definitely does it. The best entry in the saga by far, George Lucas again finds a way to entertain us and surprise us. Action-packed, thought-provoking, adrenaline-inducing, The Empire Strikes Back deserves its title as an epic, the second greatest sci-fi film I've ever seen. This is not just a movie that is enormously popular in pop culture today, but also a film that can be represented as a masterpiece at anytime in history.

Story and Script: 19/20

Acting: 17/20

Sight: 20/20

Sound: 19/20

Directing: 19/20

OVERALL: 94/100 (A)