Man…
I don’t always like to go with the easy pick with this Challenge. I try to go with something a little different. But since it’s later on Saturday and I have been drinking, there’s really no other I can pick for my favorite film sequel than the Empire Strikes Back.
Younger readers (if there are any) should remember that for most of my life, this was the second Star Wars movie out of three. And if you ask a lot of people from my generation, it is probably their favorite (although a lot of people may pick A New Hope, which for most of my life was referred to as Star Wars.) It’s pretty amazing to think that a three-movie franchise that started in 1977 ended just a couple years ago, and is maybe still going on if you throw in the Disney + shows. So, is this even a sequel when ten movies came after it? and can I make the not-so controversial statement that most of the recent ones were so bad that I’d like to just pretend that it ended with Return of the Jedi? And how does Rogue One fit in as a prequel?
More importantly, who cares? Empire Strikes Back is still my favorite Star Wars movie, and for a good chunk of my life was my favorite movie, period. I remember seeing it many times in theaters with my parents, grandparents and basically any adult who would take me. I had a whole bunch of the toys, including Boba Fett’s Slave-1, which was one of my favorite toys of all-time, but has apparently become a problematic name. But it’s still a cool ship.
I love Harrison Ford’s performance. I love the AT-AT’s and the battle of Hoth. I love the asteroid field scene, the lightsaber duel, what a bad-ass Darth Vader is, and yes, even the ending. It’s one of the only Star Wars movies where the bad guys don’t look like total idiots. In fact, they are pretty dominant the whole movie until R2-D2 helps the rebels barely squeak by at the end. That’s how to make a movie with a really down ending somehow seem like everything turned out okay and get you to come back for the next one. It’s pretty basic Screenwriting 101. And did I mention At-At’s?
I don;t really need to go on, do I? It’s really the only film sequel I could have picked as my favorite. Not only is it one of my favorite movies in general, but what the Hell is a sequel these days, anyway?
And also, AT-AT’s.
Come back… in a few hours, I guess. And Linktree!
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