"It's like something out of a dream."

Rating: 10/10 (17 September 2006)

As Luke Skywalker sits in a swamp on an alien world talking to his droid companion R2-D2 he unwittingly gives that most accurate of all descriptions for this movie. The Empire Strikes Back does indeed seem like the stuff of dreams. The images, the music, a beautiful princess, a city floating in the clouds,...the atmosphere is surreal and unearthly. One critic aptly stated that it was hard to believe this movie was even filmed on earth. This epic battle of good versus evil in a galaxy far, far away has elements of all your favorite space, fantasy, and swashbuckler stories. It strikes a responsive chord somewhere deep in your memory. Again Luke says it best with his observation that "there's something familiar about this place."
From the outset, Empire Strikes Back was in a class by itself, far outshining its two companions in the trilogy, Episodes Four and Six. Even the newest Star Wars offerings, Episodes One, Two, and Three don't quite measure up to this 1980 blockbuster. George Lucas now has access to much more wondrous technology to tell his stories but he has fallen into the trap of relying too heavily on computer-generated images. When this technique is overdone what you end up with looks kind of like a Bugs Bunny cartoon. That's okay while you're trying to find a good seat in the theater, but when the actual movie starts the audience expects to see something a little more real. By contrast, when you watch ESB you have to keep REMINDING yourself that it's not real! That's the highest compliment you can pay a sci-fi movie.
Well, Empire is back in the stores again. For a limited time of course. I look forward to the day Congress declares this movie a national treasure like The Wizard of Oz. Then maybe George Lucas won't be able to yank it off the store shelves whenever he feels like it. If you're like me, a Star Wars fan from way back, it's time to get reacquainted with an old friend. If you still haven't seen The Empire Strikes Back at all, shame on you for putting it off so long. But I envy you the adventure you are, I hope, about to discover.