The Empire Strikes Back
- Special Edition
The Empire Strikes Back ...is back! But what's new? Well, I couldn't help thinking that, unlike the Star Wars special edition, nothing much has changed in this one. Having said that, new shots of the Millennium Falcon cruising through cloud city do raise the eyebrows - but only if you don't happen to blink when they're on.

That's how it goes through the film; an added shot will pop up, but before you've registered it as new, it's gone. People will say that they aren't supposed to change the film, just enhance it. Fair enough, but if I'm going to pay my money to go and see a "special" edition, when I've got the "normal" one on video, I want to see big, fat, juicy, computer generated special effects. I want to see massive starships vaporizing and huge alien beasts leaping out of the screen.

However, even without much fancy new stuff, in all its divine glory on the big screen The Empire Strikes Back triumphs over just about any other film, bar Star Wars. With the snow battle on Hoth and the tie-fighters screaming around like tortured cats no-one should resist the chance of seeing it just once more. Cinema was invented for the Star Wars trilogy - everyone should know this.

As a film The Empire Strikes Back comes over as menacingly darker than the other two in the trilogy. Although dotted with humour - mainly from the nice-but-dim droid C3PO and Han "the rogue" Solo - the film dwells on the seductive powers of the Force. Luke's struggles and failures on Dagobah, with the cheeky, all-knowing Yoda, show weaknesses that weren't evident in Star Wars. Come the climax he has done little to prove himself as a conquering hero and possible outright destroyer of the Dark Side.

Star Wars was a film in itself, but at the end of The Empire Strikes Backs it's painfully clear that the story isn't over. Where's Han? Where do Chewy and Lando go? Will they find Han alive? But most importantly, will Luke confront his father and crush the Dark Side of the Force?

Who knows the answers? Answer: Everyone does... Hurrah! Still, it's another couple of weeks before we see that all happen in The Return of the Jedi.

Reviewed by Alex Harris

FILM FACTS IN BRIEF
Directed by Gary Kurtz
Produced by Irvin Kershner
Written by George Lucas
Starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher.

Go to the official site for more information.
Or check out the Internet Movie Database.