Happy Birthday Empire
Posted by Mr. Yoder on 21 May, 2010
It was 30 years ago this week (May 21st to be exact) that The Empire Strikes Back was first released in theaters. Truly, this is an occasion to celebrate.
I’m not going to name Empire as my favorite Star Wars movie. I honestly have a hard time picking one. I know some would say that if you can’t pick a favorite you don’t really know them, but I disagree. Trying to differentiate pieces of the larger story is a disservice to that larger story. That’s the moral high ground I will take.
Empire is a crucial piece to the Star Wars franchise beyond the role it plays as Act 2 of the Original Trilogy. Its release and ultimately its success set the stage for sequels throughout the industry. It firmly established that ANH was not a fluke and that the story and style had merit. The character of Yoda was a revolutionary breakthrough not in his personality, but in his physical make up. And to think that Frank Oz, the man with his hand in the puppet, was not even nominated for any awards is inexcusable.
Personally, Empire holds a special place for me. Seeing Empire in the theater is one of my earliest memories. In the style of wispy memories, I only remember fragments: my Dad was home, so it must have been a weekend. I had ham and cheese with mustard for lunch. We went to see a matinee and got there late (Luke was escaping from the Wampa). And that about covers it. My mom says I spent most of the movie under my jacket, and Empire wasn’t my first introduction to Star Wars (that came on Christmas at my uncle’s house, watching on HBO with an uneaten twizzler dissolving in my hand). However, nothing can take away Empire’s first memory status.
Without further ado, my top 10 Empire moments
10. Han rescues Luke from the cold. Gingerly using a lightsaber to cut open the tauntaun, Han declares, ‘And I thought they smelled bad on the outside.’
9. Bounty hunters. This was Empire’s cantina/Jabbas palace scene. In a Battle Royal, I think Bossk comes out on top if he can convince the others to unite against Boba Fett and eliminate him first.
8. Vader revealed as Luke’s father. Easily the most misquoted movie line of all time. Vader says, ‘No, I am your father.’ Not, ‘Luke, I am your father.’ Some would say this is low on the list; to that I say I grew up knowing that Vader was Luke’s dad; the shock value was minimal.
7. Artoo fights Yoda for a flashlight. I love that Artoo is somehow offended by Yoda’s behavior, and his solution is to defend the sanctity of the flashlight. This kind of begs the question: shouldn’t Artoo recognize Yoda, or at least have some idea as to who he is?
6. Han stumbles across Lando’s name in the galactic phone book he has on the Falcon, prompting the line, ‘Lando’s not a system, he’s a man.’ That should read, ‘Lando’s not a system, he’s the man.’
5. Vader vs. Luke I. A great fight; I used to get so mad at Vader for what I thought was cheating, throwing stuff at Luke with the Force. He redeems himself by offering Luke the role of assistant to the guy that overthrows the Emperor.
4. Luke’s Jedi training. The distant ancestor to the 80’s music montage, there were times in my life that I emulated this in my own exercise routines. I have never successfully done a flip over a fallen log. I have never successfully done a flip period, but it looks so cool going over an obstacle.
3. Chewie puts Threepio back together backwards. The nerve of Threepio here is appalling. Blasted to pieces after wandering away from the group, he then berates Chewie after being reactivated because his head is on backwards. Chewie, showing incredible patience, does not re-dismember the droid.
2. Han frozen in carbonite. A terrifying sequence, but it includes one of the smoothest lines ever. After Leia declares her love for him, Han’s answer is, ‘I know.’
1. Luke regains the whininess of ANH as Yoda explores the camp site declaring, ‘You’re making a mess.’ I use that line frequently, in an attempted imintation of Mark Hamill’s delivery. It is funny for me, at least.
Happy 30th Empire, here’s to many more.