Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - PG
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that there are two versions of this Lucasfilm classic, the original 1980 release (on VHS and Laserdisc) and a later one (extant on DVD) to which George Lucas added enhanced special effects. Both hold up equally in terms of quality. This movie was originally a middle chapter in the Star Wars saga, ending with a narrative jolt and an unresolved cliffhanger that tantalized and frustrated fans, but since then George Lucas shot three prequels; viewing them in the new order spoils some of the surprises that threw 1980 viewers. There is abundant fantasy violence including light-saber fights (with arms cut off a recurring theme), dismemberment and near-incineration of the robot C3PO, and the freezing of Han Solo.
Families can talk about the characters' choices and motivations, and the idea of "the Force" as a mystic self-actualization philosophy. Parents can tell their children that since 1980 audiences did not have the benefit of the three later prequels, all these plot twists (Master Yoda's identity, the revelation of Luke Skywalker's parentage) were breathtaking surprises. The much-imitated and parodied secret of Luke's relationship to Darth Vader can lead to discussion about feared, estranged fathers in real life (though this is a sensitive topic, naturally). Do you think it's an omission that nobody makes much fuss over how this news about Vader might affect Princess Leia too?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Charles Cassady, Jr.
By many opinions, this is the very best in the Star Wars series. EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is the first sequel made (unless you count a goofy 1978 Christmas TV special officially disowned by LucasFilm). Empire awed viewers of all ages by not only living up to but in some ways surpassing the trend-setting 1977 original.
George Lucas did not direct, but handed the reins to a time-proven but relatively unsung director named Irvin Kershner, who delivered a space spectacle that is true to the Joseph Campbell mythology and fairy-tale wonder of the first Star Wars Episode IV. But Empire stands apart from the rest in terms of mature, straight-ahead storytelling. It's significant as the only Star Wars feature (the holiday special included) that doesn't have a big "Cantina" scene in which the filmmakers overindulge in cramming the frame with all the wacky aliens they can. No, the straight-ahead focus is on the pursuit of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and the other rebel heroes by the cyborg villain Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones, though a British bodybuilder named David Prowse is filling the menacing black suit).
Right at the start there's an outburst of violence, as Luke is mauled by a Yeti-like monster on the ice planet where the rebels are hiding. This was an addition to the story to explain actor Hamill's scarred face after an auto accident, but it's woven well into the saga. Luke, looking to sharpen his powers of the Force, seeks out a long-lost master named Yoda for some serious training in the Eastern-religion style mysticism required to be a fabled Jedi knight. Note that Yoda (making his debut) was not a CGI image as in the later prequels, but is a Muppet brought to life via Jim Henson's wizardry.
Meanwhile, Vader, with his ominous John Williams theme music and a fleet of marauding starships, hunts Luke's friends, all fleeing aboard the ramshackle ship of galactic fortune-hunter Han Solo (Harrison Ford), who maintains a bickering romance in this one with Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher). Of course the real payoff of this plot is when Luke confronts Darth Vader in single combat, and learns the dread secret of his family tree. Every fan knows it now, but to 1980 audiences (who did not have the benefit of The Phantom Menace and its follow-ups) it was a breathtaking surprise.
For those who think relating this hugely entertaining mix of sci-fi spectacle, fantasy, and funny robots to real life is futile, there is a noteworthy movie that puts the Darth-Luke conflict in an earthly setting. It's an Oscar-nominated Dickensian drama from the Netherlands called Karakter, in which a young man grows up in Rotterdam tormented by the idea that his father is the city's most hated and feared debt collector. The filmmakers couldn't have missed the parallels, even making the dad's looming, cloaked silhouette look like LucasFilm's Dark Lord of the Sith. And "Vader" is Dutch for "father," of course.
Fans of this film will probably enjoy the rest of the series. Other good bets include the Mel Brooks spoof Spaceballs and the fantasy adventure Willow. Older kids will enjoy the slightly more intense Lord of the Rings series. Video game fans may want to check out LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentTight-pants shots of Han as he fixes the ship; witty sexual tension between Han and Leia. |
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ViolenceExplosions of spacecraft and ground weapons. Light-saber fighting results in loss of limbs. Underlings choke to death and die when Darth Vader wills it. Luke Skywalker gets mauled, and his camel-like beast of burden is cut open in brief close-up. |
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LanguageFine, unless you don't like that Leia calls Han a "nerf-herder." |
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Social BehaviorThough it ends on a dark and disturbing note, the would-be Jedi Knight Luke is supported by his friends. Lessons in confidence-building and mentorship come courtesy of Jedi Master Yoda. Han Solo talks proudly of his past as a rogue and gambler, and he is complemented by the first actor of color to appear in the series, Billy Dee Williams, as a sort of smooth space criminal named Lando. |
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CommercialismToys and other tie-ins aplenty. See a character, spacecraft, or creature, find it for sale. |
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