The Empire Strikes Back Appreciation Thread

[Solouk]

It's the episode that knits everything together. ANH was great, no denying. But Empire was the film (IMO) that truly made the story compelling. The Rebellion were up against a relentless and formidable Empire. The odds were heavily stacked against them, romance blossomed in the face of adversity, the hero's journey was fraught with danger and intrigue. The whole story was taken to another level. It's just a testament to fantastic story telling.

[ThePhantasm]

Originally Posted by Solouk

Empire is damn near perfect in every way. One of my favourite segments is the Falcon desperately trying to escape the Empire when the hyperdrive won't work. The music all the way from 'we can still outrun 'em' to when the Falcon loops the loop into the cave is thrilling! I still get goosebumps to this day watching it. Great action, great characters, great music. Great film. I sometimes wonder wether Lucas was/is a little bitter that the chapter of the trilogy he had the least control over, is considered by many to be the best. Hmm....

Yeah, I love the "Asteroid Field" music. Terrific stuff from John Williams, and the only time that theme is ever used in the whole series.

[Octoberist]

I watched 'Empire' again. Seriously, this is a perfect film.

[ThePhantasm]

Its stunning. I also love the fact that it is the least altered (special editions, etc.) of all the OT Star Wars films in re-releases.

[justpassinby]

Movie's transcendental awesomeness from start to finish lol.

With that said, just to be a dick - while not really "flaws", I've always had slight issues with
1) Chewie's "sad growls" throughout the movie, mostly the last act, and
2) C3's "cut-to-what-the-comic-relief-character-has-to-say-to-this" when he's on 1)'s back.

Both great in their own way (1's emotionally compelling, expands the character; helps set up a mood of dread and despair right from the start; 2's obviously funny on its own, and also consistent with his general "oblivious self-centered *******" personality), they haven't really been used this way in Star Wars (1 moved between gentle giant to mean badass and that's it; 2's humor was always a natural part of the scene, never intrusive - only exception being the "I'm melting" bit towards the end - which obviously was a "safer" way of using its quirky sidekicks), and to a small degree, like 5% maybe, it does admittedly feel a bit annoying and jarring.


But anyways... one thing I love to death about this movie that was well captured in the awesome OP, is all the unrelated ways in which the universe seems to hold darkness and danger for the protagonists, right from the start.
Luke and the wampa, as well as the lethal temperatures there, the asteroidosaur with ******* jerkbats flying around in its belly, the evil snakes / swamp monsters on Dagobah, and of course at Bespin, the hostile robot that shoots C3PO (preceded by a rude robot, respectively) and the evil gnomes working for the station.
Why are they such jerks, throwing around C3's head like that? They're just workers at the gasmine, right?
Well, none of that is in any way related to the Empire, or even necessarily makes sense in itself, especially the Bespin bits - but it makes complete sense to our "magical thinking", the sense that the whole world is somehow devolving into a desolate nightmare when some kind of unexpected problem arises.

No, it's not just that the Empire, an organized organization of British space nazis, is planning a powerful reprisal - the whole world, along with weather and fauna, seems to go wrong! Planting its little traps and stings in every little corner... as if to say "this is the part where you get ****ed". It's felt in the air... seen in even something as simple as a closing gate... and totally perceived by Chewbacca

Just ****ing awesome, love this movie.

[roach]

Joss Whedon has words about this film

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/roll-call-...181159009.html

[jonathancrane]

He must have seen a different film than I did.

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

He's right. It doesn't really end and endings are one of, if not the crucial element of a film that the audience uses to judge whether or not they liked it. It's the last impression of the film you'll get and I understand Whedon's qualms with it as a filmmaker. I'm glad he's making a conscious effort to not have that happen in Avengers 2. One of my problems with the Marvel movies is that they are trying to fit together like a puzzle while sacrificing the films' rights and ability to stand on their own and not as parts of a conjunction.

On behalf of The Empire Strikes Back, its ending gets a pass from me because what happens before it is so great.

[roach]

sorry but ESB ending the way it did was perfect.

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by roach

Joss Whedon has words about this film

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/roll-call-...181159009.html

......... that's nice, Joss.

[Happy Jack]

It may be an inconclusive ending, but it's an ending nonetheless. The major character arcs are brought to a logical stopping point like Han and Leia's relationship, Luke becoming and Jedi and facing Vader, and Lando redeeming himself. If you don't like cliffhangers I'd get why you wouldn't be satisfied with it however because it is a pretty big one. But that's a valid method to ending a story that's meant to be apart of a larger narrative.

[titansupes]

Uh, yeah... Empire's ending is completely glorious.

[kang604]

best movie ever.

[Gianakin_]

Joss talking out his ass again? Say it isn't so.

Maybe if Vader, Luke and Piett's line were 50% jokes/one-liners...

[Havok83]

I have a confession to make. I never saw a Star Wars film until 2 weeks ago and just finished this one. I was left unimpressed with Episode IV, but absolutely loved this one. So much better in so many ways and its sucked me in to the point that i cant wait to watch the others as well as check out some of the SW videogames

[Happy Jack]

Originally Posted by Havok83

I have a confession to make. I never saw a Star Wars film until 2 weeks ago and just finished this one. I was left unimpressed with Episode IV, but absolutely loved this one. So much better in so many ways and its sucked me in to the point that i cant wait to watch the others as well as check out some of the SW videogames

[gohei_]

Originally Posted by Havok83

I have a confession to make. I never saw a Star Wars film until 2 weeks ago and just finished this one. I was left unimpressed with Episode IV, but absolutely loved this one. So much better in so many ways and its sucked me in to the point that i cant wait to watch the others as well as check out some of the SW videogames

Oh my god. How old are you?
I guess you already knew about Vader being Luke's father beforehand?
One of the first games on your list should be Knights of the old Republic.

[Havok83]

Originally Posted by gohei_

Oh my god. How old are you?
I guess you already knew about Vader being Luke's father beforehand?
One of the first games on your list should be Knights of the old Republic.

Im 29. Yeah I already knew about Vader being Luke's father as well as the hand thing (although I only heard the latter part a few weeks ago when someone was talking about the movie). Its kind of hard to avoid that when Vader's line is probably one of the most quoted movie line ever. I didn't know they would happen in this film though and I guess was at least shocked to see those twists this early on.

Originally Posted by Happy Jack

when you see/hear something hyped up for your entire life, its kind of hard for it to live up to those expectations and that's how I felt with it. I went into V not expecting much and that might be why I loved it so much in comparison. Just felt so much better. IV was a bit slow for me as a lot of it was setting up the characters, settings, themes, etc... V jumped straight into the plot, further developed the characters, had more action sequences, did a much better job with the concept of the Force, etc... IV might be a film I'll appreciate more if and when I see it again, knowing all I do now, but it definetly didn't grab me the way V did

[Gianakin_]

Don't worry, same thing happened to many of my friends who saw Ep4. They were left unimpressed with it, but loved ESB and certain parts of RotJ.

[Hunter Rider]

The original teaser for ESB, made up mostly of Ralph McQuarrie's amazing and iconic concept art.

VIDEO-CLick to Watch!:

[Hunter Rider]

[Bim]

Yoda looks frightened of Miss Piggy