SECOND HELPINGS: Return of the Jedi (1983)

After the emotional gut-punch of The Empire Strikes Back, George Lucas intended to wrap his Star Wars trilogy up with a crowd-pleaser. Instead, he delivered a film that still has hardcore Star Wars fans drawing lines in the sand to this day. For some reason, there is not much middle ground on Return of the Jedi. You either love it or you don’t. I’ve never understood the lack of middle ground but, then again, I happen to love this film.

When I was a kid, this was my favorite of the original trilogy films. As I grew up, I came to understand the flaws of Jedi and it fell to the bottom of the list (again, original trilogy only). I still think that this film is more fun to watch than Empire but that’s probably because I don’t mind the Ewoks as much as some people do. More on them later though. First we should consider the most important elements of the film.

The central conflict of the film is pretty lazy. A second Death Star certainly poses a threat to the Rebel Alliance but it’s nowhere near original. This latest time around, the stakes have changed what with the Emperor on board and no thermal exhaust port trenches to make easy work of destroying it. Having Luke aboard during the Rebel’s assault might have increased the tension but I realize now that I never honestly thought about Luke being in danger. I am not sure why that is. Perhaps I just assume the hero will survive.

The rescue of Han Solo from Jabba’s palace at the beginning of the film allows Lucas to add a plethora of exotic creatures to the Star Wars universe. It’s a fun portion of the film to watch without being too cutesy and includes a lot of good filmmaking. Luke’s escape from the rancor is an ambitious sequence but it hasn’t aged very well. Still, the whole first portion of the film serves to get the gang back together and charges up the audience for an almost unwinnable battle.

Luke’s mission to secure his father’s redemption is interesting, as it almost becomes an obsession that threatens his allegiance to the light side of the Force. Darth Vader and the Emperor push Luke to the edge, making for some very tense and emotional drama. The Emperor is an interesting villain because he does not look imposing or threatening at all like Vader, though he does unleash some terrifying Force skills near the end. He is brilliant but cocky. Sure, he managed to single-handedly start a rebellion that brought down the Republic and put him in a position of absolute power, but he relies too much on the strength of his Empire and not enough on the Force. Perhaps he felt he had grown strong and secure enough that the Force was irrelevant to maintaining his power.

Now for all the hate directed toward the Ewoks. What gives? I concede that they are overly cute and an unlikely victor over Imperial forces but they provide some much needed comic relief in what is otherwise a very serious film. And the Ewoks alone do not conquer the troops on Endor. They provide enough chaos and distraction to allow the Rebels to take the upper hand.

In some ways, Return of the Jedi is a more dramatic rewrite of the original Star Wars. The rescue of Han Solo mirrors the against-all-odds rescue of Princess Leia. Then there is the obviously parallel second Death Star and the triumphant ending. It’s not a total ripoff because the characters are much more developed by this installment but I can see why these elements might turn some people off. The music also isn’t as dynamic as Star Wars or Empire but I don’t know if that could be avoided as it incorporates many of the character themes from the other films.

In the end it matches the uplifting climax of the first film with a little more cheese along the way. I can’t help but think that the people who hate on this film probably hold Empire as their favorite. I’m not saying that is a bad thing but sometimes a happy ending can be a good thing. You just have to accept it and let it happen. I am more than okay with this film, even if I do think it is the weakest of the three. It’s a great closing chapter to a dynamite trilogy.

ORIGINAL RATING: 4 out of 5

NEW RATING: 4 out of 5

SECOND HELPINGS: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Much like my Second Helpings review for Star Wars, I really don’t think I am capable of adding something new to the conversation about this film. Hopefully my personal musings will be equally, if not more, enjoyable to read as they were for Star Wars.

With Empire, George Lucas gives his Star Wars universe staying power by showing that the first film was more than just a one-off adventure flick. After all, blowing up a space station in the remote stretches of the galaxy would hardly bring the Empire to its knees. The audience is drawn deeper into the lives of Lucas’s characters. Luke is called upon to develop the Force sensitivity he displayed in the first film while Han Solo is forced to scramble against all odds to protect Princess Leia from the Imperial forces hot on their tails.

Pretty much everything in The Empire Strikes Back is better than the original Star Wars. There, I said it. The world did not come to an end, so let’s all agree that Empire improves upon its captivating predecessor. Lucas used his own money to produce the film and his doubling of the production budget is evident just about everywhere.

Shooting for an authentic look and feel over studio fakery, Lucas once again starts a Star Wars film out on location. The snowy wastelands of Norway provides a spectacular landscape for the Rebel Alliance’s secret base. I think shooting in the elements helps the brain buy into what it is seeing because the finer nuances of nature just can’t be faked. Lucas does pretty well at fooling us by crafting Yoda’s swampy Dagobah hideout though.

Speaking of Yoda, what an accomplishment! In our world he is just a puppet but you’d never know from watching the film. Between Frank Oz’s puppeteering and careful cinematography, Yoda is a fully believable and powerful presence in this film. I always wonder what it is like for actors to deal with inanimate costars on set. Obviously there are dozens of set crew members around but to be able to completely buy in and commit to interacting with a puppet takes skill. To make it all work out believably on screen is something special.

Had this film been another caper film like the first, Empire would have been a bust. Thankfully, Lucas and his co-writers push deeper into the lives and emotions of our main characters. Luke’s journey to study under Yoda draws out the awe and mystery of the Force while Han and Leia’s attempts to evade Imperial Forces has all the action we loved from the first film plus a little romantic heat. It really is great to have Han and Leia stuck with each other for much of the film. Their head-butting banter from the original was brilliant and getting more of it this time around is a pleasure. It reminds me of old school Hollywood like Rhett Butler and Scarlet O’Hara’s bickering when all they really want to do is lock lips with each other.

The Empire Strikes Back is a darker, deeper, and all-around more mature film than Star Wars. The fact that it lacks a triumphant ending like its predecessor may leave some viewers feeling deflated but without the dual cliffhangers of Darth Vader’s revelation and Han Solo’s imprisonment, the good guys would just be lucky to escape. Both cliffhangers force more action and emotion from our characters immediately and it also sets up the events for the eventual sequel. Even the music of Empire shows growth over the original film’s fantastic soundtrack (which I somehow failed to even mention in my Second Helpings review for Star Wars). John Williams gives us a second signature piece for the series with Darth Vader’s theme, “The Imperial March.”

I personally may still prefer the story arc and high adventure of Star Wars over Empire but I can no longer deny that Empire is an improvement over the original in many ways. But I still cannot grant it equal status on my rating scale just yet because without Star Wars, Empire never would have even existed. Maybe that means I am giving Star Wars a little extra credit because of its impact and influence on the industry and pop culture after all. Sue me. Maybe after a few more viewings I’ll be able to determine if Empire works as a stand-alone film. If it makes sense without the context of the first film, maybe it will slide up a notch. We’ll have to see.

ORIGINAL RATING: 4.5 out of 5

NEW RATING: 4.5 out of 5

Return of the Jedi (1983)

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

I’m finally willing to admit that Return of the Jedi is inferior to the first two films of the Star Wars saga. There, I said it. Jedi has always been at least tied with the original Star Wars as my favorite of the bunch. Maybe it’s because they mark the beginning and the end of the original trilogy, or maybe I just like Princess Leia in a gold bikini.

Jedi brings the beloved story of Star Wars to a close. It’s not necessarily the ending everyone was expecting, so there is room for complaint if your hopes for the series weren’t quite met. Not everyone will be pleased with the story’s resolution. I was. I think that Jedi brings the series to a fitting end, despite recycling a little conflict. The Empire builds a second Death Star. Not exactly original, but who cares! We Star Wars geeks embrace the challenge of squaring off against another battle station. The stakes are also much higher this time, making it more than just a second round.

While returning to many familiar themes, the music of Jedi isn’t quite as memorable. Outside of Jabba’s palace band and the intro piece to the fight above the Sarlaac, there aren’t many new musical pieces that are memorable. While not really a problem, as the revisited themes are epic in and of themselves, it does take away some minor points from the film.

Visual effects are kicked up yet another notch, providing us with amazing fight scenes and one heck of a journey into the innards of the Death Star. Many claim that the Ewoks are the film’s undoing. I disagree, but I do acknowledge that they were a bit too cutesy and likely put George Lucas on the dark path to creating Jar Jar Binks. But we’re thinking happy thoughts here, so no more mentioning of the prequels.

While Return of the Jedi may be the weakest of the trilogy, it is still a great film. Lucas brought us the goods and pulled out all the stops. The pacing, story and adventure is right in line with its predecessors, and it provides an ending that very few will complain about, capping off what is quite possibly the most legendary film series in history.

RATING: 4 out of 5

Alien Intruder (1993)

When a science-fiction film appears to have a lower budget than an Ed Wood film, you know you’re asking for trouble. Although made in 1993, Alien Intruder looks like it was made in the 80s with a B-movie budget from the 50s. This would stain anybody’s resume, so it’s no wonder that Warner Brothers bought out Billy Dee Williams' contract from the original Batman film so the studio wouldn’t have to use him as Harvey Dent/Two Face in Batman Forever.

Deep in the heart of space, an alien life form/virus lures unsuspecting ships and their crews to their doom by taking the form of a seductive and desperate woman, using her sexual energy to turn the men on each other. Williams leads a crew of convicts on a salvage mission to where this evil creature lies in wait. No motive is given for the alien’s behavior and no point is given for this movie’s existence. Stay away from this one.

RATING: 0.25 out of 5

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Often times this film is lauded as superior to its predecessor, the original Star Wars. It can sometimes be hotly disputed even amongst die-hard fans. Empire has several superior elements: a better story with more well-rounded and developed characters, a deeper exploration of the mythology of The Force, and a grittier overall attitude and demeanor as opposed to the flash and camp of the original.

The only reason that Empire doesn’t rate higher than Star Wars is because Star Wars came first. Without that first chapter in a galaxy far far away, we wouldn’t be able to dig into this darker sequel. Empire is truly a triumph over the original, but respect is owed to its foundation.

The Empire Strikes Back picks up some time after the events of Star Wars. Darth Vader is actively pursuing Luke Skywalker across the galaxy, while Luke is called to learn about The Force from a mysterious Jedi master long thought to be dead. Relationships are forged and challenged at every turn, while danger lurks in the shadows and danger is imminent.

John Williams’ impressive score builds on the themes from the previous film and creates even more memorable pieces that have become part of our cultural awareness. Having trouble? “Use the Force Luke.” Want to introduce someone we’re not meant to like? Play the Darth Vader march. And who could forget “I am your father!”

Empire is much more emotionally involved and really pulls the audience in. There are also more elaborate effects and superb scenery that blur the line between location and studio filming. By the end of the film, there’s no question as to who to like and who to hate. Any potential vagueness is out the window, setting George Lucas up for his third and final installment of the original Star Wars trilogy.

RATING: 4.5 out of 5