On May 25, 1977, a movie that would spawn one of the biggest movie franchises in cinematic history was released. Star Wars was not expected to become the giant blockbuster that it did since many of the actors, distributors, and even the director himself thought the film was a mess and would not connect with audiences around the world. However, they were wrong, as it became a surprise hit and soon became the highest-grossing movie of all-time. Due to its success, a sequel called The Empire Strikes Back was released three years later in 1980. It could have easily been a mediocre sequel trying to ride off the success of the original, but they decided to expand on what was already established and is now regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made.

The Empire Strikes Back did what many thought to be impossible, which was to surpass the original movie in almost every way. The movie manages to have the characters go through new challenges that help develop their characters and heightens its emotional levels. This is especially true during the final act, when Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader clash in a spectacular duel that doesn’t disappoint. One of Empire’s strengths is that an action or romance scene isn’t put there to distract the audience for a few seconds, but to help progress the story. The duel between Luke and Vader doesn’t put emphasis on how fast the action plays out, or how many flips they can do in the air, or how many explosions can be detonated. It puts emphasis on the emotions the characters are experiencing and the struggle they have with containing them.

Another good example of this is within the first five minutes of the movie, where the film hints at a romantic relationship between Han Solo and Princess Leia. Thanks to the superb acting of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, they made audiences believe that their affection for one another is real and made them hope that they would not be separated. Unfortunately, once the Imperial forces capture them and they punish Han by freezing him in carbonite, the look of Leia’s eyes shows that she’s heartbroken by this loss. Still, she tries to stay calm because she knows that’s what Han would want her to do. It’s an amazing sidestory that gives the characters a lot more depth and insight into what they must be going through in their situation.

Of course, nobody can’t talk about Empire without discussing the big plot-twist the movie ends on (SPOILER ALERT): Darth Vader is Luke’s father. In the first Star Wars movie, it was stated by Obi-Wan Kenobi (Luke’s mentor) that his “father” had been killed by Darth Vader during the Clone Wars. Yet, that doesn’t seem to be the case, since Obi-Wan probably knew who Vader really was and hid the truth from Luke to not overwhelm him. Back in 1980, this was a shocking moment for audiences, as it had been established that Luke’s father had died and that he was never known to resurface again. The plot-twist helped heighten the tension between Luke and Vader to a whole new level and set-up the plot for the next movie, Return of the Jedi; in which Luke would try and guide Vader to the light side instead of the dark side of the force.
   

The Empire Strikes Back is a rare species of film, in which the movie gets better every time I watch it. It was a perfect sequel that took everything the first film succeeded in and expands it on a much larger scale. Thanks to the efforts of Kershner, Lucas, and everyone else involved, the movie was able to exceed all expectations both critically and commercially speaking. It showed the public that Star Wars weren’t just entertaining kids movies, but a sophisticated piece of classical storytelling that hasn’t been surpassed in terms of quality.