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

Star Wars is a very popular well-made film series and appeals to certain demographics. I once heard this franchise be summarised as space politics. While space politics does not enthral me the Empire Strikes Back (1980), is a good film, which I appreciated watching. In Star Wars: Episode V, the 2nd of the original Star Wars episodes, we watch the brutality of the authoritarian Empire on a planet comprised entirely of ice. We have Yoda’s first appearance and he reluctantly agrees to train Luke Skywalker with the aim of making him a Jedi. While this is occurring, Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett are in pursuit of Luke Skywalker’s friends across the galaxy.

This film was infamously written by George Lucas. Even if you have not seen the film, you may recognise the household name. This is particularly due to the success of his space opera. The Empire Strikes back stars: Mark Hamill as the protagonist, Luke Skywalker; Harrison Ford as Han Solo; and Carrie Fisher as the love interest, Princess Leia.

The numbers do the talking and express well Star Wars Episode V’s popularity. The sequel grossed $550m globally and since records began, is the 2nd-highest-grossing sequel of all time in North America. I recommend watching the prequel to really appreciate the story in its entirety. As you may not know, the order to watch Star Wars in its most basic form is Episodes: 4,5,6; 1,2,3;7,8,9.

I have scored Episode V 66 simply because of the effort that went into realising the idea effectively. The Empire Strikes back is a perfectly enjoyable film which has probably scored so highly (14th) on the IMDb list because of the nostalgia factor from 80’s children. Try watching the Empire Strikes Back once, to understand the hype behind it and references in everyday society.

Judging Criteria

SCRIPTURAL INTEGRATION - 20 points: 10

STORY/SCREENPLAY - 10 points: 6

DIRECTOR - 10 points: 7

CINEMATOGRAPHY - 10 points: 7

EDITOR - 10 points: 6

PRODUCTION DESIGN - 10 points: 7

ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE or SCORE EFFECTIVENESS (if not original) - 10 points: 8

SOUND DESIGN - 10 points:7

ACTING - 10 points: 8

TOTAL SCORE 100 POINTS. : 66