So, we’re starting with a bit of an obvious one here. The Star Wars saga is an epic space opera about an ordinary farm boy who ends up being the key linchpin in a galactic civil war. I’m not giving more of plot recap here, because it’s Star Wars, you either hate it or love it. Clearly, I love it. But instead of explaining simply why I love this movie, I’m going to explain a little bit of why it’s my favorite Star Wars film as well.
Why It’s Great
The original Stars Wars trilogy are movies I remember fondly from childhood. Hearing the Star Wars theme still gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. However, unlike many other films I enjoyed when I was younger, I still really enjoy them as an adult. Not only am I still drawn into the fantasy world, the action scenes still work and the characters are still appealing.
A lot of Empire proponents point to its “darker, edgier” tone. That’s certainly a factor. But to me it comes more to the pacing, characters, and actions of the second film. The original Star Wars, while one of my favorite films of all time, feels a little slow-paced now. Empire is the best paced of all the Stars Wars movies, zipping along from the ice planet of Hoth, to the swamps of Dagobah, to Cloud City with interesting actions and subplots in each location.
In terms of pure action there are some series’ highlights. The battle on Hoth between the Imperial AT-ATs and the Rebellion’s fighters is a great large scale battle scene. The light saber battle between Luke and Vader at the end is probably the most exciting light saber duel of the original trilogy.
But the depth of the characters is really what set this movie apart from the others in the series. Luke has become more complex than just a kid looking for an adventure. He’s now someone with a power he doesn’t fully understand, and a power that can used for good or for evil. Han and Leia’s relationship becomes more realized and each of their characters is less one-dimensional. Yoda is a much more interesting teacher for Luke than Obi-Wan was.
Speaking of Yoda, I’m a sucker for a good training segment in a movie, and this is one of my favorites. Yoda not only trains Luke physically, he also explains some of the more interesting aspects of the Force to Luke. Most of the interesting aspects of the Force were unfortunately undone in the prequels, but the concept of faith being more important in mastering the Force than brute strength was a key theme of the original series that is laid out nicely in Yoda’s teachings.
We can’t talk about this movie without talking about the reveal at the end. I think it’s appropriately dramatic without going too far over the top. Really the entire original trilogy, hinges on whether that moment works or not. To me it does, and it’s a great set-up for the Return of the Jedi.
So, that’s why Empire is one of my favorite movies of all time and my favorite movie in the Star Wars series. Agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments. Also, on a completely unrelated note, I liked the Ewoks and they should not be judged based on the future sin of Jar-Jar Binks.