Directed by:
Irvin KershnerCinematography:
Peter SuschitzkyComposer:
John WilliamsCast:
Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, Peter Mayhew, Frank Oz, Alec Guinness, Jeremy Bulloch (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
Three years later Imperial forces continue to pursue the Rebels. After the Rebellion's defeat on the ice planet Hoth, Luke journeys to the planet Dagobah to train with Jedi Master Yoda, who has lived in hiding since the fall of the Republic. In an attempt to convert Luke to the dark side, Darth Vader lures young Skywalker into a trap in the Cloud City of Bespin. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (10)
The fifth episode of Star Wars primarily completes the world where these movies are set. Regardless of the several crucial findings, it has also perfect cinematography, which I still think about even today, and about how George Lucas actually managed to come up with it back then. But apart from supporting the viability of the world itself, this episode hides possibly the biggest amount of great action and explosions per square meter, which is confirmed especially in the beginning, the end, and actually also in the middle of the movie. Hats off. To film the second episode and to claim that it is the fifth one, and at the same time forcing the viewers to think about what the first to third episodes contain and leave them at it for the next almost twenty years takes some balls. Not just anybody could do that.
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The much darker sequel to the galactic saga is properly armed with a better story and execution than its predecessor, which already set a high bar. The Empire Strikes Back offered me everything from action, adventure, to gorgeous production design, perfect technical workmanship, costumes and make-up effects – everything that the first installment did for me, plus a little something extra. With Empire I was able to get more into the storyline, which I found richer. And there was the wise-cracking character of Yoda, whom I love. In short, in almost all ways, if not all, a perfect must-see film.
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Considerably worse compared to the new episodes. There is a lack of dynamics, location changes (the whole film is basically about three mini episodes), and structured plot. The visual effects and production design, on the other hand, are good, especially in the remastered versions. Fatefulness? Nothing. Episode 1 is criticized for its immaturity, and it's exactly the same here. Clearly less rich, less action-packed, and less watchable than the new episodes.
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One film legend says that there was a fundamental difference in the approach to the world of cinema among the three most influential filmmakers of the 70s, namely Spielberg, Coppola, and Lucas. While Spielberg and Coppola literally lived for movies, exhaustively watched the performances of acclaimed film classics in film clubs, passionately discussed cinema with similarly affected individuals late into the night, and tried to push the world of film forward, Lucas was an enthusiastic reader of outdated comics, a viewer of 1950s TV space operas, and film theory was inherently foreign to him. However, he was able to capture the essence of popular culture and the transformation of the film audience from the 40s to the 70s, when the average age of cinema-goers continued to decrease. At the same time, due to sociological processes and the enrichment of society, there was a change in the perception of film. The infantilization fully manifested itself and the concept of a family film with a lower standard prevailed to be understood by a wider range of potential viewers. This is how Star Wars came into being, where a fairytale was wrapped in cosmic technology and the nonsense of the then-popular New Age movement. Lucas filmed it as visually and naively as possible, and precisely because of that, it had such a penetrating success. What succeeds attracts attention and the desire to imitate, and at a certain stage, when it becomes a cult, it is practically unquestionable and by itself carries the seal of quality regardless of its content. I saw the first three films of the famous series at an age when I found the motifs and execution, especially the "intellectual superstructure," laughable. Otherwise, the course of events is such that you see it for the first time at the age of 8-9, and then with an iron regularity, so you grow up with it and it has emotional and nostalgic value for you. Even if I grew up with it, I still would have most likely become a fan of the Star Trek series, which, despite its clichés, naivety, and the ideological basis that stems from multiculturalism, represents an honest work from the sci-fi genre. Star Wars only shares the space settings with the sci-fi genre. It is a fairytale fantasy that is neither clever nor innovative nor brilliantly directed. The later three episodes of the series are loaded with bombastic special effects, but they are more childish than anything, and they also lack the confident ironic detachment that emanates from every smirk of Han Solo. His portrayal by Harrison Ford somewhat resembles the much more pronounced ironic detachment of the Indiana Jones character. Personally, the entire series has nothing to offer me, and although there are understandably significant nuances between each film, what bothers me, such as the frenzied waving of lightsabers, the babbling about the Force, and the cute plush creatures as extraterrestrials, are typical of all the episodes. Therefore, this commentary applies to all parts of the Star Wars series. Overall impression: 20% for the set design.
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More narrative, dynamic and story-driven than Episode IV, and, despite its massive age, almost as mature blockbuster filmmaking as Episode III. Kershner uses all the amazing locations, mythological motifs and interrelationships between the heroes on both sides of the force even more imaginatively than Lucas, and creates a true cinematic singularity, equal parts action, suspense, poignancy and fun. The catchphrase I am your father is as much a part of modern history as Armstrong's "It's only a small step for man...." and so is the movie.
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