Never tell me the odds…

This weekend we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, arguably the greatest chapter in the Star Wars trilogy and a life-altering movie of my childhood.

What made this movie so great? It was a movie to grow up on. It was darker by far than Star Wars, and suddenly a lot more was at stake. Luke loses a hand, Han is frozen, the good guys are defeated, and we find out one of the greatest twists in movie history. We’re not being treated like kids anymore.

Many would argue (and I tend to agree) that Empire was the best of the three because it was the only one not written or directed by George Lucas. It does show, as Empire feels grittier and less naive than the first or third movies.

Another thing this movie did very well was bifurcate the storyline. While Luke is training with Yoda — a necessary plotline but not exactly exhilarating stuff — Han and Leia are having one exciting escape after another. The adventure, romance and comedy of their story balances well the heavier, more philosophical stuff happening on Dagobah. Yet, Han et al’s adventures are not mere plot-wrangling but are essential to the story, as they have to get to Cloud City in order to be used as bait to entice Luke in before he can finish his Jedi training. Everything ties together satisfyingly, despite the cliffhanger ending.

I don’t think they make action-adventure movies like this anymore, with the exception of The Lord of the Rings (which obviously draws from the same mythological pool as Star Wars). It seems like most movies of this genre start at Point A and proceed relentlessly and linearly to Point B, taking no time to explore branching storylines or introduce any more complications than an extra CGI fistfight. And that’s another reason why I miss the original Star Wars trilogy and the other great movies of my childhood. They just don’t make them like that anymore.

More:

“I love you.” “I know.” (MetaFilter)
The Empire Strikes Back on TV Tropes
Anniversary Celebrations on StarWars.com
What if Empire was made 60 years ago? (YouTube)