Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Directed by: Irvin Kershner
Starring: Mark Hamill

***

There are times when I give an actor the benefit of the doubt. I'm one to believe that someone can be a good actor and give a bad performance. Well Mark Hamill had three changes to be a good actor when he played one of cinema's most iconic heroes.

I've seen the original Star Wars film enough times to remember that Hamill wasn't great in his introduction as Luke Skywalker, I did however pardon it because it was his introduction and the naive, obedient yet stubborn personality of Luke was well-captured regardless of the quality of his line delivery. In Empire, we no longer need an introduction to this personality and Luke just becomes annoying. That being the case, it becomes a lot easier to see how poor those line deliveries really are. All this having been said, Hamill's performance hurts Empire, but it doesn't ruin it.

After the triumphant conclusion of its prequal, Empire opens in depressing fashion on the ice covered planet of Hoth (I apologize if Hoth is a system and not a planet... I don't really have a good memory for such things). The Rebellion is basically in hiding from the Empire which seems unnecessary considering they blew up their whole base, but whatever, gotta start somewhere I suppose. So after an action packed opening appropriate for such a film, Luke heads off to learn how to become a Jedi from Yoda. Given the history of films, it was hard to imagine that Yoda's introduction was in fact Yoda's introduction. Would I have known that the funny looking green character was a great Jedi master or would I have been as in the dark as Luke. While the thought of this doesn't nearly have the impact as it would had I known nothing about the movies, it is still an interesting observation.

Plot points such as this one mentioned are part of what makes Empire a good movie. If you are the one person who hasn't seen the Star Wars movies or at least know the basics, that's your fault. When Darth Vader reveals to Luke that his father was not murdered but that he in fact is his father, even Hamill's poor acting can't take one out of the moment. It is perhaps one of the most iconic revelations in film history and it involves two of the most iconic characters. That alone could set Empire on some kind of pedestal.

There are parts of Empire that really do take you out of the film and there would be more had it not been for Harrison Ford's ability to keep cheesy lines from being too cheesy. Nevertheless, some of those lines, some of the ridiculous looking characters which seem to serve little to no purpose hurt the overall quality of the film. The battle scenes however are entertaining and plot driven. The climax of the film rivals just about any other movie if not in the quality of its execution then in the way its placed within the context of the film, the story and the trilogy.

I have intentions of revisiting The Return of the Jedi and I only expect to have a similar reaction the that film. That being the same one I had upon concluding the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I'm amazed at the structure and completeness of such film compilations and even without having seen the final installment of the Star Wars trilogy recently I can already respect and admire the accomplishment if not the quality. In short, Empire is a good part of something greater.