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

The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

Looking up a few details about this film made me aware of a few things. First, I could have sworn that this was the second Muppet film. Lo and behold I am wrong. For someone who likes watching film series in chronological order I was shocked to learn that The Great Muppet Caper was released prior to this film. Secondly, I was further dismayed to discover that, despite owning it and having seen it within the last five years, I never posted an official rating or review for The Muppet Movie. This will be corrected in time but I am lucky in that the Muppet movies aren’t really a chronologically linked saga to begin with.

The film begins with the Muppet gang graduating from college, where they created a hit musical show called Manhattan Melodies. They make their way to New York, eager to find a producer willing to back their show. The closest they get to success is nearly being swindled by a con artist. The gang runs out of cash, morale hits the floor, and they all set off on their own disparate paths.

Kermit stays behind, continuing his search for a producer while working at a diner. Just when Kermit finds a willing producer, he is hit by a car and suffers total amnesia. It’s up to Miss Piggy and the rest of the Muppet gang (who come flocking to New York with the news that their show is a go) to find Kermit and restore his memory, thereby saving their friend and the show.

I really don’t have a lot to say about this film. Any movie involving the Muppets should tell you that good-natured fun is about to be had. This is the Muppets after all. They stand for wholesome, cheeky humor and zany fantasy-like antics. The fact that they are infiltrating the ‘real world’ only adds to the wonder, beauty and magic that befalls your eyes.

The Muppet Movie was a landmark film, so it’s hard for any follow-up to match the standard it set. Still, I may be short-changing Manhattan because, from a technical standpoint, any Muppet film presents a daunting task for both cinematographers and editors. Setting up shots just right to keep the Muppeteers out of view is one things- rigging up and blocking scenes where the Muppets are actually moving presents a litany of logistical challenges for the whole crew.

Technical wizardry aside, Manhattan doesn’t quite grab you the whole way through. Highlights do include Rizzo the Rat and his friends, as well as a hilarious scene where Kermit tries to pass himself off as a big shot producer in Sardi's restaurant (betrayed only by unknowingly taking down Liza Minnelli’s portrait), but not much else will stick in your mind. Each member of the core gang gets time to shine when Kermit is reading letters about what they’re doing while he’s still trying to sell the show, but the Muppets function best as a team. Human help is nice but nothing can replace the chemistry and on-screen magic of having the gang interact and feed off each other’s energy.

Of the 10 songs listed on the film’s soundtrack, I can remember only one of them and vaguely at that. Perhaps this is why I’m not as fond of Manhattan. The Muppets are every bit as much about music as they are about their antics. To fall short in either is going to reduce the fun. It’s a tall task to ask lightning to strike twice. This being the third Muppet film makes it quite an uphill battle to keep audiences fully enamored by the Muppets' magic still.

It may not be as memorable as other Muppet films but it is by no means a substandard product. The Muppets Take Manhattan continues the technical mastery of Jim Henson and his devoted team; no question there. The creative department may have run out of gas or simply couldn’t come up with enough new ideas after two films and five seasons on TV. Despite this, Manhattan is an adorable underdog tale about Kermit the Frog taking on New York City and winning. As I said before, just about any time you’re watching the Muppets is time well spent.

RATING: 3.25 out of 5

Sesame Street presents: Follow That Bird (1985)

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

The rating for this film is more subjective than most, because this film is a piece of nostalgia for me. Granted, I was only 1 when it came out, I remember watching it when I was young and in my Sesame Street days. Follow That Bird takes me back to when Sesame Street was still good. There’s not a ridiculous amount of silly colored monsters, nor do we rap the ABC’s. Nope, this goes back to the days of Gordon and Maria and Telly and Guy Smiley (when Elmo hadn’t yet hit the big time).

Big Bird has no bird family and is sent by a social worker to live with some Dodo birds in Illinois in an attempt to give him a family of his own kind. Once there, Big Bird realizes his home is Sesame Street and his family is everyone he left behind. So, he sets off on a trek back to Sesame Street. He ends up getting lost and his friends try to come to his rescue.

It’s a very good movie for young children and has a good message without all the crude humor or jokes designed to go over kids’ heads so parents can put up with watching it. Follow That Bird goes back to the days when kids' movies were for kids and it excels at what it does. It entertains and provides a valuable lesson about friends and family.

While there are a few subtle goofs and inconsistencies, Follow That Bird is a priceless kids' classic that I plan on showing to my kids someday. While not fitting my criteria for greatness, it’s certainly the next best thing.

RATING: 3.75 out of 5