Entertaining Adventure, Not to Be Taken Too Seriously

Rating: 7/10 (17 October 2005)

"The Empire Strikes Back" clearly has the feel of the middle episode of a trilogy. The beginning carries on from the original "Star Wars" film; although the Death Star has been destroyed, the Empire remains strong and the evil Darth Vader continues to hunt down the rebels on their base on the icy planet of Hoth. There is no really definite ending; the film might just as well have ended with the words, familiar from old Saturday morning serials, "To Be Continued"- which of course it was in "Return of the Jedi". In between, the mix is much the same as it was in the first "Star Wars"- a science-fiction adventure incorporating elements of other film genres, notably the war film but also the western, the oriental martial arts film, sword-and-sorcery type fantasy and the Robin Hood type of mediaeval adventure, all topped off with a helping of mystical religion.
All the major characters from the original film make a return in this one; Obi-Wan Kenobi was killed off in a duel with Darth Vader, but returns here as a ghost. The main developments in the story are a growing romance between Han Solo and Leia and a startling revelation about Luke's origins. (I won't say what that is). In addition to Luke, Leia, Han and the rest there are two new characters, Lando Calrissian, an old but not necessarily reliable friend of Han Solo, and Yoda. Yoda is a senior member of the Jedi Knights, the mysterious brotherhood to which Obi-Wan also belonged, and the Jedi Master to whom Luke is sent to undertake training with a view to initiation into the order. The scenes between Luke and Yoda strengthen the semi-religious tone already apparent in the first film; the philosophy of the Jedi, as expounded by Yoda, seems to have much in common with Far Eastern religions such as Zen Buddhism. Given the seriousness with which these scenes were obviously intended to be treated, it struck me as unfortunate that Yoda was not a human being but rather a strange alien creature looking like a wizened garden gnome with outsize ears. It was difficult to take seriously anything said by such a bizarre-looking character, especially as Yoda, despite his supposed immense wisdom, seemed incapable of mastering the rules of English syntax, coming up with odd sentences such as "This one a long time have I watched".
There is some good acting, particularly from Harrison Ford as Han Solo, a character who undergoes considerable development from the cynic of the first film to a man prepared to take on responsibilities and take risks for what he believes in. It is perhaps a pity that Alec Guinness's role here is rather limited, as he was easily the best actor in the original film. I am not one of those who regard the original "Star Wars" trilogy as great cinematic masterpieces, but there is plenty to enjoy in them if you do not take them too seriously and regard them simply as entertaining science-fiction adventures. This is as true of "The Empire Strikes Back" as it is of its predecessor. 7/10