I can't thank you all enough for rerecording this episode so we could hear you talk about ESB! Very well made film. Can't wait to hear next weeks discussion. Cheers Kristian/Steph!
Watching and listening to Kristian talk about this film is a joy - this one is clearly on another level for him and the childlike giddiness he has here is contagious!
This is my all-time favorite movie. Period. It’s beautifully shot, the score is perfect, and the rest is just pure magic. I saw it the 3rd day it was out. I was 10. I will never forget that night. I loved all of the Han and Leia stuff. Carrie and Harrison always had great chemistry. Even as I kid, I always thought there was something between them off screen. I was right. I agree the movie was pretty close to flawless. Two things that always bothered me are pretty trivial but I’m going to mention them anyway. The first, why is Leia in a different outfit when she gets thrown into the cell? It’s not quite her Hoth attire - different boots. It never made sense so it’s always bothered me. Second, how long did it take them to get to Bespin at sub-light. It had to be more than a day. Time for Luke on Dagobah could have been weeks or months since time probably passes differently on each planet. Loved hearing all of your guys’ thoughts about and love for this movie!
A worthy choice for favorite movie of all time.beautiful cinematography, music, and story. Memorable dialogue, iconic moments. The battle between Luke and Vader in a room with that orange and blue contrast is so perfect visually.
When I was younger I was with Steph, ROTJ was my fav because of Vaders redemption. As I got older I appreciated Empire way more and its easily the best and my fav. It still baffles my mind when this film isnt on the top of anyone's Star Wars list. Generational or not, no movie comes close to what this film gave us.
I like this channel a lot. I don’t catch a lot of SEN to be honest because of all the interruptions. But this seems to have a more relaxed chill vibe and in here for it.
Omg I just fell asleep watching this for a minute, (probably more like a half hour,) and had a brief, (weird,) dream about a family I was overhearing having your guys' conversation! 🤣 Strange ....
Been waiting for this. I agree a What if series would be great for Star Wars. What if Quigon didn't land on Tatooine, Luke and Leia swapped roles as babies, Anakin didn't turn, Anakin didn't burn and killed the emperor - this was briefly done at the end of ROTS video game. So much potential. The Luke scream was just in the 1997 version I believe. I think Hayden will be in the suit but you will have some scenes in the meditation chamber in Obi Wan. Hopefully he somehow has the mask off when he has his rematch with Obi Wan. Be cool if Vader shows up in Book of Bob's Fett.
Lucas actually wrote the script for Empire, which Kasdan polished. Brackett was given credit despite her draft being discarded. He also designed and storyboarded the film. Contrary to what folks try to say, Lucas did quite a bit on Empire. Much of which can be proven in the Rinzler books.
This was the first Star War I saw in the theater...I was 4, but distinctly remember the audience reaction of "WHAAAA?" with the I am your father reveal. Not until a couple of years later did I actually get why it was a big deal (I hadn't seen New Hope yet). This is still my fav, and The Asteroid Field is probably one of my favorite chase scenes of all time. Also I'm convinced that Lando was trying to save them from the beginning when the Cloud City guards weren't allowing them to land.
14:06 Very good point. It really is pretty interesting how viewing 4-6 first then 1-3, vs the PT then OT, has such different ramifications and emotions. I’m part of the generation that started with the OT ‘97 specials but grew up with the Prequels, so I consider myself more of a Prequelist. On a fresh start, and watching the PT first, I can’t imagine the jaw-dropping reaction I’d have seeing Anakin transition to Darth Vader.
Another awesome show, loving these rewatches! Fan from the UK. Luke’s scream was put on the 2011 blu ray release and then removed on following releases and Disney+. Keep up the great work!
What sounds better for force ghost Obi Wan to say? "there you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi who instructed me" OR "there you will learn from Yoda, the guy who instructed me while i was a kid and then i had another master but yeah"
One of my all time favorite scenes is when Luke calls out to Leia for the first time with the score playing always gives me chills. By far the best Star Wars film. Whenever I introduce star wars for someone for the first time I always start it out 4,5,1,2,3,6, etc... I will watch them in order when revisiting them.
Hey Christian 😊. Great show, I sent a Twitt to you, Mark, Ken, and Reilly. It was a cool TH-cam tribute for the Star Wars Saga. I don’t know if you saw it. Hell, I don’t know if you have 30 mins to spend watching it 😊lol. But it was really cool. A great blend of everything.
A great episode I always enjoy your insights from both Steph and you I read that Boba had a hell of a time getting Han to Tattooine I’d like to see some of that in the book of Boba Then there is the Thrawn book series that Thrawn had dealings with both Anakin and Vader that could show his transition from A to Z.
That scream was in the SE, but only the theatrical and VHS release I think. Might still be on the DVD, but I think they already removed it by then. I think it was the Emperor's death scream from Jedi as well, so weird!
In one of the vader/doctor alphra comics or the retelling audio drama(which is really good) It explains that Vader finds out about Luke Skywalker form boba
I absolutely love the Tauntauns and snow-speeders in TESB. Concerning droids especially R2D2 when Obi Wan says "I don't ever recall owning a droid". Well he may have never owned a droid but that's R2 man he went through a lot of crap with him.
Like most, ESB, is my favorite. The film just flows and does everything it needs to do as the middle chapter beautifully. Yoda's Intro to test Luke is the funniest thing in star wars to me, yet its ability to transition into some of the most serious stuff was a masterclass. Credit to Mark Hamill Frank Oz and the whole crew behind the scenes who pulled those scenes off. Then you got the Duel on Bespin which is my fav of the saga. Shades of a horror movie with that one.
Something to consider about yoda and r2, Luke doesn't actually understand r2 without the translation in his ship, so r2 wouldn't be able to tell him anyway. And he'd know yoda well enough to play along with the test. I personally think r2 has to keep his memories so that one day he can show Luke and Leia what their parents were like, it happened in the old eu, I don't know if the new has done anything similar though
@Kristian, I actually do think the title of Darth was a pre-existing thing. I can't remember where I read or heard about it but it's meant to be an abbreviation of "Dark Lord of The Sith" where they mix the words Dark & Sith to make Darth.
Another deep dive, another childhood memory. Perhaps I mentioned it before in one of the earlier episodes: Back in the eighties our neighbours were the ones who had all the fun stuff first, including a VCR. I remember we went backwards from ROTJ to ESB and quite some time later to ANH. As for ESB, I didn't enjoy it the same way I adored ROTJ. The dark open ending and the ambiguity of some characters (including Lando) left me slightly confused as a kid, unable to grasp the deeper layers of the movie. On the other hand there were all those great space sequences, the Imperial March, the iconic probe droid scenes and (of course) the unbelieveable battle of Hoth. Star Wars has mostly been great on vehicle designs and those AT-ATs were no exception. As a kid those walkers blew me away! Since I didn't have a VCR available at home myself, I went over to my sandbox buddy and we recorded the audio off the tv, so I could take it home and listen to the audio track on my tape recorder (yeah, those were the days). One day we had a tiler in our house who was hired to finished our new bathroom. I remember Empire not being the most tape-friendly movie, with all the wookie screams, droid beeping and battle noises going on, but I was so proud of that tape, I couldn't resist to play it for the tiler, while he was working. I must have been so annoying to him! :D Anyway, flash forward! Empire still stands as one of the greats in the Star Wars series and to many it is the GOAT. Personally I still wouldn't go that far for the mere fact that Empire doesn't work to its fullest extent without the other two movies around it, but overall its undeniably still cinema magic of the finest and highly influential. Even a modern hit show like Squid Game is being caught riffing on a certain story beat, Empire is quite known for. I wasn't all that big on the Yoda/Dagobah stuff as a kid - to me it dragged a bit as I was in it for the action. Today I see the significance of that part for the saga and I also love it for the context and the lore that comes with it or has been built around it by the prequels and the Clone Wars series. Also that Yoda puppet still works great after all these years. I bought Yoda being a living person in the eighties and to an extent I still allow myself to be tricked today. Even in the prequels, with all the dated CGI, Yoda is one of the few exceptions that work for me, although I wouldn't trade in that original puppet any day. Opposite to the Yoda situation, I'm still a bit torn on Lando. Perhaps it has to do with him popping up rather late in the movie. So there isn't all that much time to bond with him and his hands are tied for the most part, due to his deal with Vader. So he doesn't actually come across as the helping "ally" he will end up to be from the get-go. There's something shady about his entrance in the movie I couldn't fully shake off before the end of Empire. Perhaps that's just me, but I think they could have fleshed out Lando just a little bit better! There's often the discussion about the special edition enhancements. Like Kristian mentioned, one of the parts that benefitted the most was the Bespin segment. It looks gorgeous in the special edition and I actually even prefer the more saturated/reddish BluRay version over the color-corrected Disney+ version. I somehow liked that romantic sundown feel. Another important tie-in was the inclusion of Ian McDiarmid as the emperor. It's just so much more consistent in the overall scheme of things than the original scene. I think it was important to exchange that scene. Well, I could go on and on about this movie, how it showcased the menacing nature of the empire, the badassery of Vader (Anakin), being basically the superior field general for the dark side of the equation (a coin flip almost, when you compare it to how Anakin/the Jedi operated in the Clone Wars series). Also the movie gives us a pretty good idea of how dangerous passing through an asteroid field can get without the force at hand and how to create a huge cult following for a small side character (Boba Fett) with just a few one liners and a fancy costume. So much for today. See you around soon!
“There’s another.” line was done because George Lucas wanted to give the audience an emotion sense that Luke could actually die in the film. But I think it didn’t work because fans just wondered who the other was?
Best sequels ever: 'The Godfather, part 2', 'The Dark Knight' and 'The Empire Strikes Back'. Also, it's the best Star Wars movie. It really elevated the lore and expanded on the universe in the most perfect way. A masterpiece (and I will give a lot of the credit for this to Kershner).
Y’all need to watch ESB:Revisited HD by Adywan. Thats the ultimate version of ESB. The numerous touchups and SFX enhancements over the SE is just unreal.
So I was 6 or 7 when we saw this in the theater. My dad took my sister and I to the see this one after our mom took us to see Star Wars when I was 3 and she was 5. Anyway, we can't remember what movie theater we saw this one in. I am convinced it's because we were traumatized by Vader's confession he was Luke's father, since we can remember which theater we saw Star Wars in and which one we saw ROTJ in. I pretty much thought that Darth Vader was lying, since he was an evil character. It was such a huge deal to hear that firsthand without being spoiled, etc. ESB is always one of my favorite movies to fall asleep to for some reason; I've seen it, so it's okay if I fall asleep, and if I can't sleep, I know I'm watching something good.
It's true. It's ok to be wrong, Steph. Also, I think Jedi could have been my favorite if the technology was available to use Wookiees instead of Ewoks. The sense of danger and menace going on between the Emperor, Vader and Luke on the Death Star felt completely undercut by the goofiness that happens on Endor.
Such a beautiful film, especially the scenes in the carbonite room. Do we know who the "other hope" Yoda was referring to before Lucas decided to make it Leia? Edit - Nevermind, y'all answered my question.
Also, for me, R2 (and 3CPO) not warning Luke and the rest about Vader and the history from the prequels is something I'm just willing to forgive and let go considering the OT was made far before the PT and predicting/projecting 20-30 years into the future was just not in the cards at that time. For them to fix it, they'd have to go back and (I think) add considerable expository dialogue in the OT somewhere or throw in a throw away line somewhere that their memories got wiped which probably would have had landed like the 'The emperor is alive... somehow' line. I know it doesn't make sense, but all things considered, I'm ok with it.
Kristian, have you ever seen a little illustrated book called Vader and Son? I think you'd get a kick out of it. I gave it to my Dad for his birthday a couple of years ago. You telling the story of reenacting Empire scenes with your father reminded me of similar experiences that I had with mine.
In regards to Anakin in kenobi. I was thinking yes flashback. Also for Vader. They could do damaged Anakin behind the mask like the way they do Tony stark in avengers
This is my absolute favorite Star Wars movie. I love everything about it. I was thinking.. regarding R2D2 He is a droid. Maybe he cannot say anything unless prompted. He knows he has to get the message to Ben because Leia told him to. Luke never asked R2 Did you know my parents? He (R2) was also damaged in the escape at the beginning of A New Hope. Luke had to fix him to get the message out. I also think maybe ObiWan told R2 through the Force not to say anything. I have to go back but I thought there was some exchange between them like a look. Maybe R2 and C3P0 will be in the ObiWan series too. Maybe it will explain why R2 doesn't spill the bleeps. Also I kind of thought that R2 and 3P0 are us the audience. They are our first guides in this world. If it came out in the original Trilogy that they knew the whole story it would be offputting. Even though I love this series, the prequels and sequels are not plotted and planned well. The beauty of starting a story in the middle is that there are so many possibilities. Lucas didn't have to have all the answers. When he went back to give us the answers in the Prequels he got tripped up in the technology and just how big the Star Wars Universe has grown. When Disney came in, they didn't close the story, they opened a whole new one. They tried to tie it back to our characters but failed. They also wiped so much from the canon that beloved characters like Mara Jade and the rest of Han and Leia's kids were off the table.
Irvin Kershner asked Lucas, "Of all the younger guys around, all the hot-shots, why me?" Lucas replied, "Well, because you know everything a Hollywood director is supposed to know, but you're not Hollywood."
Great review guys! Hands down, best Star Wars ever made, best sequel ever made, best movie ever made! Nothing I can fault about this movie. Love the special edition version but only thing I didn't really like was when they changed Vader's line from "Bring my shuttle" (where he sounded so pissed off after Luke got away) to "Alert my Star Destroyer to prepare for my arrival" (which didn't have the same impact). I also wasn't a big fan of changing Boba's voice to match Jango's. I get why they did it but I think sometimes these things are too on the nose. I think it's perfectly fine for characters to develop different accents over time and I preferred Boba's original voice. These are severe nitpicks I know but the only things I wasn't a fan of with the Special Edition version. But the original was flawless!
It seems like I'm in the minority here. ESB is probably in the middle of the pack for Star Wars movies for me. I grew up with the VHS copies of the OT and watched the Prequels in theaters, so that's my fandom. To me, Episode III is my favorite Star wars movie by far, then A New Hope because it's a complete story and so low budget feeling and pure I love it, then Force Awakens because it's just such an enjoyable movie to watch minus everything that happened after it of course, then Rogue One for the very reasons, Kristian, you pointed out in your review, then it's Empire. Empire has the same pros as you mentioned for me especially when it comes to Vader. The cons are it's not a complete movie, like ANH and ROTJ, the Bespin stuff, and being chased by the Empire is kind of boring. I only care for Hoth, Luke and Yoda, then the ending fight scene that's it. Also I LOVE how the one time Vader actually TRIES against Luke is when Vader is pushing Luke down the hallway and onto the platform. He's going at him because he refuses to turn. Then Luke lands a hit on Vader and he just takes his hand after that 😂 Vader was always toying with Luke, even in ROTJ, we only see him try in this one scene right before "I am your father"
@@TheKristianHarloff I have been wanting to tell you I love that you take the time to really respond to your comment section. You're an awesome dude and one of the best out there. Long time fan and I will continue to support you!
@@nightmareparanormal Thank you Nightmare! Well it was what Schmoes was built off and I think TH-cam lost that along the way. I am making sure I respond to as many as I can! Love hearing from you all!
Best film of all time. And the only Star Wars movie that was better off with the special edition changes instead of outright ruined....apart from Luke's weird scream they took out for the 2004 DVD releases. Dunno what year Steph is living in thinking it was still there haha
Came out theater when 6yr old back in 1980 & I said to my dad Vaders lying, he can't be Lukes dad, he's not even human, he's a space monster. Spoiling big WTF moment for those queuing up to see movie..
I would love to see flashbacks of obi wan training anakin , I don't think we ever seen them actually training together. maybe a 13 year old anakin, to see more of obi wan raising him
I think one of the reasons Empire is the best is George Lucas wrote the story knowing he wouldn't have to direct it! If he thought he would be the director there's no way he would start the movie on an ice planet and have scenes in a snow storm!
I love all the films, but I'm one of the weirdos that doesn't put Empire at the top. I'm 47 and saw Empire in the theater 1980 and the 1982 re-release.... and its great. Hell, I love all 11 of them. But I enjoy 3 and 6 more. But, at the end of the day I've seen them all so many times 'ranking' is kinda pointless. LOL
@@TheKristianHarloff I've actually watched it a couple of times to study it and find out why its considered the best by many... but its tuff when you love all of it. That said my cousin puts Ep 4 the best and several friends and myself like 3 the most. I even saw it 10 times in the theater in one month.... I was just pulled in over and over. Spent $100 back in 2005!!! - Anyway can't wait for Boba
Obi wan thinking his name is Darth only makes sense if Obi doesn't know what the title means or never heard it before, but that is incredibly unlikely.
"No, there is another." Could that now possibly be Grogu (baby yoda)? I think the time frame works cuz Grogu is 50 years old when the Mandolorian rescues him. This would be a cool retcon, like Yoda knew cuz he had to have a child with Yaddle cuz they knew their species was dying out and they had to propagate their species.
Look there seems to be a common consensus that the Godfather Part II is the greatest sequel off all time. I get that. But for me what qualifies as a great sequel is if the second chapter is far and away the superior to the first in every department when it comes to story -- production design, etc. GFII is great, but it doesn't blow away the Godfather out the water, it's not a movie where it makes the first one almost obsolete, they're both equally great in their own ways, you might enjoy GFII for its complexity, but GF is not far behind in that department. Empire in relation to Star Wars...that's a different story. Star Wars is great, but it has nothing on ESB'S storyline. The vfx are infinitely better. Production design. Costumes. Each frame of a shot can be a painting in of itself. John Williams tops himself from the first movie with the Imperial march and the asteroid field sequence. The acting, the characterizations are leaps and bounds better than the first movie. Overall it's a completely better movie than the first in every department which to me makes the Empire Strikes Back not only the best sequel ever produced, but the most important in all of pop culture. Without this movie Star Wars doesn't have the lasting legacy it enjoys today. To me that's just an objective fact. Time has proven that to be the case.
A couple of rewatch ideas I have for you: Age of ultron just to see you crap all over it 😋 and Godzilla 2014. I was like kristian the first time I saw it: good first act, bad middle, good 3rd act. Since then I've rewatched the film quite a few times and got emotionally invested in the situation. I found the situation easy to empathize with because of how real everything was. From what the humans were doing to the monsters. Kinda like dunkirk that way
Godzilla 2014 is amazing! Yeah, the main character is a bit bland and they cut away from the action one time too many, but overall it's great. The monsters feel massive and real, the build up to the final fight is great. Still the best of the monsterverse because they kept it more grounded.
The score when yoda raises the xwing is GLORIOUS. Pure emotion. What a scene!
Great scene.
I can't thank you all enough for rerecording this episode so we could hear you talk about ESB! Very well made film. Can't wait to hear next weeks discussion. Cheers Kristian/Steph!
Our pleasure!
I would love to see Ken do one of these with you guys. Great job as always!! Keep them coming.
Maybe one day!
Watching and listening to Kristian talk about this film is a joy - this one is clearly on another level for him and the childlike giddiness he has here is contagious!
TSC-You guys are wonderful and appreciate the candor and intelligent discussion! "May The Force Be With Us All"
Thinking about some moments in this movie give me chills. Thanks for this retrospective lookback on this amazing film. Can't wait for next week.
Thanks for tuning in!
This is my all-time favorite movie. Period. It’s beautifully shot, the score is perfect, and the rest is just pure magic. I saw it the 3rd day it was out. I was 10. I will never forget that night. I loved all of the Han and Leia stuff. Carrie and Harrison always had great chemistry. Even as I kid, I always thought there was something between them off screen. I was right. I agree the movie was pretty close to flawless. Two things that always bothered me are pretty trivial but I’m going to mention them anyway. The first, why is Leia in a different outfit when she gets thrown into the cell? It’s not quite her Hoth attire - different boots. It never made sense so it’s always bothered me. Second, how long did it take them to get to Bespin at sub-light. It had to be more than a day. Time for Luke on Dagobah could have been weeks or months since time probably passes differently on each planet. Loved hearing all of your guys’ thoughts about and love for this movie!
It is a damn classic!
A worthy choice for favorite movie of all time.beautiful cinematography, music, and story. Memorable dialogue, iconic moments. The battle between Luke and Vader in a room with that orange and blue contrast is so perfect visually.
Great show! You were right, Lando is wearing Han's clothes at the very end when he and Chewie are in the cockpit of the Falcon. Totally weird.
Right?!
Oh God, I've seen this movie a billion times, and never noticed this. There is always something new to learn!
When I was younger I was with Steph, ROTJ was my fav because of Vaders redemption. As I got older I appreciated Empire way more and its easily the best and my fav. It still baffles my mind when this film isnt on the top of anyone's Star Wars list. Generational or not, no movie comes close to what this film gave us.
I agree with you.
Every time Bespin is mentioned I just think of Rocha 🤣
Classic moment.
The Big Thing - Wonderful Deep Dive on ESB appreciate both of your insight on this great film. "May The Force Be With Us All"
Thank you!
I like this channel a lot. I don’t catch a lot of SEN to be honest because of all the interruptions. But this seems to have a more relaxed chill vibe and in here for it.
Thank you! Check out The Big Thing for sure on this channel.
Ah hell yeah, you're back. I was having abandonment issues. Love the show as always
Haha yup back and ready!
Omg I just fell asleep watching this for a minute, (probably more like a half hour,) and had a brief, (weird,) dream about a family I was overhearing having your guys' conversation! 🤣
Strange ....
Been waiting for this. I agree a What if series would be great for Star Wars. What if Quigon didn't land on Tatooine, Luke and Leia swapped roles as babies, Anakin didn't turn, Anakin didn't burn and killed the emperor - this was briefly done at the end of ROTS video game. So much potential.
The Luke scream was just in the 1997 version I believe.
I think Hayden will be in the suit but you will have some scenes in the meditation chamber in Obi Wan. Hopefully he somehow has the mask off when he has his rematch with Obi Wan. Be cool if Vader shows up in Book of Bob's Fett.
That will be fun!
Lucas actually wrote the script for Empire, which Kasdan polished. Brackett was given credit despite her draft being discarded. He also designed and storyboarded the film. Contrary to what folks try to say, Lucas did quite a bit on Empire. Much of which can be proven in the Rinzler books.
This was the first Star War I saw in the theater...I was 4, but distinctly remember the audience reaction of "WHAAAA?" with the I am your father reveal. Not until a couple of years later did I actually get why it was a big deal (I hadn't seen New Hope yet). This is still my fav, and The Asteroid Field is probably one of my favorite chase scenes of all time. Also I'm convinced that Lando was trying to save them from the beginning when the Cloud City guards weren't allowing them to land.
And what an experience it was!
14:06 Very good point. It really is pretty interesting how viewing 4-6 first then 1-3, vs the PT then OT, has such different ramifications and emotions. I’m part of the generation that started with the OT ‘97 specials but grew up with the Prequels, so I consider myself more of a Prequelist. On a fresh start, and watching the PT first, I can’t imagine the jaw-dropping reaction I’d have seeing Anakin transition to Darth Vader.
Right?!
Another awesome show, loving these rewatches! Fan from the UK.
Luke’s scream was put on the 2011 blu ray release and then removed on following releases and Disney+.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you very much!
What sounds better for force ghost Obi Wan to say?
"there you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi who instructed me"
OR
"there you will learn from Yoda, the guy who instructed me while i was a kid and then i had another master but yeah"
Haha true
One of my all time favorite scenes is when Luke calls out to Leia for the first time with the score playing always gives me chills. By far the best Star Wars film.
Whenever I introduce star wars for someone for the first time I always start it out 4,5,1,2,3,6, etc...
I will watch them in order when revisiting them.
This is the crown jewel.
Hey Christian 😊. Great show, I sent a Twitt to you, Mark, Ken, and Reilly. It was a cool TH-cam tribute for the Star Wars Saga. I don’t know if you saw it. Hell, I don’t know if you have 30 mins to spend watching it 😊lol. But it was really cool. A great blend of everything.
I didn't have a chance to see but that sounds pretty awesome.
A great episode I always enjoy your insights from both Steph and you
I read that Boba had a hell of a time getting Han to Tattooine I’d like to see some of that in the book of Boba
Then there is the Thrawn book series that Thrawn had dealings with both Anakin and Vader that could show his transition from A to Z.
Man that would be fun to see!
That scream was in the SE, but only the theatrical and VHS release I think. Might still be on the DVD, but I think they already removed it by then. I think it was the Emperor's death scream from Jedi as well, so weird!
Yeah true
In one of the vader/doctor alphra comics or the retelling audio drama(which is really good) It explains that Vader finds out about Luke Skywalker form boba
Yep!
26:55 your George sounded alot more like Mitzi today lol
HAHA
I absolutely love the Tauntauns and snow-speeders in TESB.
Concerning droids especially R2D2 when Obi Wan says "I don't ever recall owning a droid". Well he may have never owned a droid but that's R2 man he went through a lot of crap with him.
Ha yeah I guess!
Like most, ESB, is my favorite. The film just flows and does everything it needs to do as the middle chapter beautifully.
Yoda's Intro to test Luke is the funniest thing in star wars to me, yet its ability to transition into some of the most serious stuff was a masterclass. Credit to Mark Hamill Frank Oz and the whole crew behind the scenes who pulled those scenes off.
Then you got the Duel on Bespin which is my fav of the saga. Shades of a horror movie with that one.
It is just perfection!
Something to consider about yoda and r2, Luke doesn't actually understand r2 without the translation in his ship, so r2 wouldn't be able to tell him anyway. And he'd know yoda well enough to play along with the test. I personally think r2 has to keep his memories so that one day he can show Luke and Leia what their parents were like, it happened in the old eu, I don't know if the new has done anything similar though
He understood him in TLJ without the ship
@Kristian, I actually do think the title of Darth was a pre-existing thing. I can't remember where I read or heard about it but it's meant to be an abbreviation of "Dark Lord of The Sith" where they mix the words Dark & Sith to make Darth.
I don't think it was as clear as you thought when they shot it though.
Another deep dive, another childhood memory. Perhaps I mentioned it before in one of the earlier episodes:
Back in the eighties our neighbours were the ones who had all the fun stuff first, including a VCR. I remember we went backwards from ROTJ to ESB and quite some time later to ANH. As for ESB, I didn't enjoy it the same way I adored ROTJ. The dark open ending and the ambiguity of some characters (including Lando) left me slightly confused as a kid, unable to grasp the deeper layers of the movie.
On the other hand there were all those great space sequences, the Imperial March, the iconic probe droid scenes and (of course) the unbelieveable battle of Hoth. Star Wars has mostly been great on vehicle designs and those AT-ATs were no exception. As a kid those walkers blew me away!
Since I didn't have a VCR available at home myself, I went over to my sandbox buddy and we recorded the audio off the tv, so I could take it home and listen to the audio track on my tape recorder (yeah, those were the days). One day we had a tiler in our house who was hired to finished our new bathroom. I remember Empire not being the most tape-friendly movie, with all the wookie screams, droid beeping and battle noises going on, but I was so proud of that tape, I couldn't resist to play it for the tiler, while he was working. I must have been so annoying to him! :D
Anyway, flash forward! Empire still stands as one of the greats in the Star Wars series and to many it is the GOAT. Personally I still wouldn't go that far for the mere fact that Empire doesn't work to its fullest extent without the other two movies around it, but overall its undeniably still cinema magic of the finest and highly influential. Even a modern hit show like Squid Game is being caught riffing on a certain story beat, Empire is quite known for.
I wasn't all that big on the Yoda/Dagobah stuff as a kid - to me it dragged a bit as I was in it for the action. Today I see the significance of that part for the saga and I also love it for the context and the lore that comes with it or has been built around it by the prequels and the Clone Wars series. Also that Yoda puppet still works great after all these years. I bought Yoda being a living person in the eighties and to an extent I still allow myself to be tricked today. Even in the prequels, with all the dated CGI, Yoda is one of the few exceptions that work for me, although I wouldn't trade in that original puppet any day.
Opposite to the Yoda situation, I'm still a bit torn on Lando. Perhaps it has to do with him popping up rather late in the movie. So there isn't all that much time to bond with him and his hands are tied for the most part, due to his deal with Vader. So he doesn't actually come across as the helping "ally" he will end up to be from the get-go. There's something shady about his entrance in the movie I couldn't fully shake off before the end of Empire. Perhaps that's just me, but I think they could have fleshed out Lando just a little bit better!
There's often the discussion about the special edition enhancements. Like Kristian mentioned, one of the parts that benefitted the most was the Bespin segment. It looks gorgeous in the special edition and I actually even prefer the more saturated/reddish BluRay version over the color-corrected Disney+ version. I somehow liked that romantic sundown feel. Another important tie-in was the inclusion of Ian McDiarmid as the emperor. It's just so much more consistent in the overall scheme of things than the original scene. I think it was important to exchange that scene.
Well, I could go on and on about this movie, how it showcased the menacing nature of the empire, the badassery of Vader (Anakin), being basically the superior field general for the dark side of the equation (a coin flip almost, when you compare it to how Anakin/the Jedi operated in the Clone Wars series). Also the movie gives us a pretty good idea of how dangerous passing through an asteroid field can get without the force at hand and how to create a huge cult following for a small side character (Boba Fett) with just a few one liners and a fancy costume.
So much for today. See you around soon!
Man I love these deep comments, so much time, passion and effort. Thank you so much!
“There’s another.” line was done because George Lucas wanted to give the audience an emotion sense that Luke could actually die in the film. But I think it didn’t work because fans just wondered who the other was?
Exactly.
Best sequels ever: 'The Godfather, part 2', 'The Dark Knight' and 'The Empire Strikes Back'. Also, it's the best Star Wars movie. It really elevated the lore and expanded on the universe in the most perfect way. A masterpiece (and I will give a lot of the credit for this to Kershner).
Agreed
Y’all need to watch ESB:Revisited HD by Adywan.
Thats the ultimate version of ESB. The numerous touchups and SFX enhancements over the SE is just unreal.
Awesome
So I was 6 or 7 when we saw this in the theater. My dad took my sister and I to the see this one after our mom took us to see Star Wars when I was 3 and she was 5. Anyway, we can't remember what movie theater we saw this one in. I am convinced it's because we were traumatized by Vader's confession he was Luke's father, since we can remember which theater we saw Star Wars in and which one we saw ROTJ in. I pretty much thought that Darth Vader was lying, since he was an evil character. It was such a huge deal to hear that firsthand without being spoiled, etc. ESB is always one of my favorite movies to fall asleep to for some reason; I've seen it, so it's okay if I fall asleep, and if I can't sleep, I know I'm watching something good.
I love how these movies can connect us to so much great stuff from our lives.
I agree with Sam Witwer Return of the Jedi is my favorite. It's a masterpiece. The emotion in the final battle is amazing.
All that is true for sure!
ROTJ is right there with ESB. The Luke, Vader, Palpatine stuff is too good.
It's true. It's ok to be wrong, Steph. Also, I think Jedi could have been my favorite if the technology was available to use Wookiees instead of Ewoks. The sense of danger and menace going on between the Emperor, Vader and Luke on the Death Star felt completely undercut by the goofiness that happens on Endor.
Yea
Such a beautiful film, especially the scenes in the carbonite room. Do we know who the "other hope" Yoda was referring to before Lucas decided to make it Leia?
Edit - Nevermind, y'all answered my question.
Ha good!
Also, for me, R2 (and 3CPO) not warning Luke and the rest about Vader and the history from the prequels is something I'm just willing to forgive and let go considering the OT was made far before the PT and predicting/projecting 20-30 years into the future was just not in the cards at that time. For them to fix it, they'd have to go back and (I think) add considerable expository dialogue in the OT somewhere or throw in a throw away line somewhere that their memories got wiped which probably would have had landed like the 'The emperor is alive... somehow' line.
I know it doesn't make sense, but all things considered, I'm ok with it.
Fair!
In 6 Yodas blanket he pulls over himself b4 he dies is Qui Gon’s robe
Where does that fact come from?
@@TheKristianHarloff certain point of view new hope
@@TheKristianHarloff I guess its not a new hope version it’s just a certain POV but it’s the there is another story
John Mollo's Rebel Hoth costumes are great.
Yes
Not just my favourite Star Wars movie but also my favourite movie..
Same boat.
Kristian, have you ever seen a little illustrated book called Vader and Son? I think you'd get a kick out of it. I gave it to my Dad for his birthday a couple of years ago. You telling the story of reenacting Empire scenes with your father reminded me of similar experiences that I had with mine.
I feel like I did!
40:18
'97 Special Edition: Yes Luke Screams
2004 DVD: Luke doesn't scream (thank goodness)
Good
Another excellent discussion.
Thank you!
In regards to Anakin in kenobi. I was thinking yes flashback. Also for Vader. They could do damaged Anakin behind the mask like the way they do Tony stark in avengers
I hope to see it!
Great review. So many quotable lines in this movie that actually work today.
Thank you Hitp!
YOU use headspace??? But your always in a good mood.........I KNOW!
Kristian do you think we will see Agent Kallus in the Andor series in his live action debut??
Yes
My favourite movie of all time,this was great guys.
Thank you!
45:35 well that ended up happening in the show! Lol
True!
Do, or do not, there is no try... Is probably top 5 greatest lines of dialogue in the history of movies
Agreed.
The Mandela effect, the line isn’t “Luke, I am your father,” it’s, “No, I am your father.”
Yup
How long do you think we'll live in this time frame of SW? Do you think and/or hope we OFFICIALLY go back and/or forward from Eps1 and/or Eps 9?
Hope that makes sense lol
The shows will allow us to explore so many different time periods!
This is my absolute favorite Star Wars movie. I love everything about it.
I was thinking.. regarding R2D2
He is a droid. Maybe he cannot say anything unless prompted. He knows he has to get the message to Ben because Leia told him to.
Luke never asked R2 Did you know my parents?
He (R2) was also damaged in the escape at the beginning of A New Hope. Luke had to fix him to get the message out.
I also think maybe ObiWan told R2 through the Force not to say anything. I have to go back but I thought there was some exchange between them like a look. Maybe R2 and C3P0 will be in the ObiWan series too. Maybe it will explain why R2 doesn't spill the bleeps.
Also I kind of thought that R2 and 3P0 are us the audience. They are our first guides in this world. If it came out in the original Trilogy that they knew the whole story it would be offputting.
Even though I love this series, the prequels and sequels are not plotted and planned well.
The beauty of starting a story in the middle is that there are so many possibilities. Lucas didn't have to have all the answers. When he went back to give us the answers in the Prequels he got tripped up in the technology and just how big the Star Wars Universe has grown. When Disney came in, they didn't close the story, they opened a whole new one. They tried to tie it back to our characters but failed. They also wiped so much from the canon that beloved characters like Mara Jade and the rest of Han and Leia's kids were off the table.
It is the best!
Irvin Kershner asked Lucas, "Of all the younger guys around, all the hot-shots, why me?" Lucas replied, "Well, because you know everything a Hollywood director is supposed to know, but you're not Hollywood."
Haha nice
Great review guys!
Hands down, best Star Wars ever made, best sequel ever made, best movie ever made! Nothing I can fault about this movie. Love the special edition version but only thing I didn't really like was when they changed Vader's line from "Bring my shuttle" (where he sounded so pissed off after Luke got away) to "Alert my Star Destroyer to prepare for my arrival" (which didn't have the same impact). I also wasn't a big fan of changing Boba's voice to match Jango's. I get why they did it but I think sometimes these things are too on the nose. I think it's perfectly fine for characters to develop different accents over time and I preferred Boba's original voice.
These are severe nitpicks I know but the only things I wasn't a fan of with the Special Edition version. But the original was flawless!
This is the best ever made!
which job is worse? imperial admiral or sith apprentice?
Haha imperial
my top ten did change over the years with new SW movies coming out exempt this one that still my fav starwars movie
I love this series so damn much
So happy you think so, thank you!
@@TheKristianHarloff You should have just replied: "I know" ;)
The best Star Wars movie. This and ANH r so far ahead of all the rest in terms of objective quality
Yeah agreed
If you're talking about objective quality, then Rogue One is too. It's definitely not far behind A New Hope, that's for sure.
@@nikkieg158 ah rogue ones first two acts are chopped up
It seems like I'm in the minority here. ESB is probably in the middle of the pack for Star Wars movies for me. I grew up with the VHS copies of the OT and watched the Prequels in theaters, so that's my fandom. To me, Episode III is my favorite Star wars movie by far, then A New Hope because it's a complete story and so low budget feeling and pure I love it, then Force Awakens because it's just such an enjoyable movie to watch minus everything that happened after it of course, then Rogue One for the very reasons, Kristian, you pointed out in your review, then it's Empire.
Empire has the same pros as you mentioned for me especially when it comes to Vader. The cons are it's not a complete movie, like ANH and ROTJ, the Bespin stuff, and being chased by the Empire is kind of boring. I only care for Hoth, Luke and Yoda, then the ending fight scene that's it.
Also I LOVE how the one time Vader actually TRIES against Luke is when Vader is pushing Luke down the hallway and onto the platform. He's going at him because he refuses to turn. Then Luke lands a hit on Vader and he just takes his hand after that 😂 Vader was always toying with Luke, even in ROTJ, we only see him try in this one scene right before "I am your father"
Yeah def # 1 for me, with New Hope a FAR second.
@@TheKristianHarloff I have been wanting to tell you I love that you take the time to really respond to your comment section. You're an awesome dude and one of the best out there. Long time fan and I will continue to support you!
@@nightmareparanormal Thank you Nightmare! Well it was what Schmoes was built off and I think TH-cam lost that along the way. I am making sure I respond to as many as I can! Love hearing from you all!
Best film of all time. And the only Star Wars movie that was better off with the special edition changes instead of outright ruined....apart from Luke's weird scream they took out for the 2004 DVD releases. Dunno what year Steph is living in thinking it was still there haha
Yeah it has been gone for a while.
The only “flaw” in this movie is that extra going “Two fighters against a Star Destroyer” in the most monotone voice ever lol
Haha
There is always one rebel pilot that questions the strategy lol
"That's impossible even for a computer."
That's not an extra, that's Hobbie!
Star Wars revolves around Anakin/ Vader, Yin/ Yang, Light and Dark.
Yes indeed
how do we know they werent landos clothes in the first place? maybe its just a common Captains outfit
I guess
Came out theater when 6yr old back in 1980 & I said to my dad Vaders lying, he can't be Lukes dad, he's not even human, he's a space monster.
Spoiling big WTF moment for those queuing up to see movie..
Haha nice
Seems like I heard Lucas wanted Luke to have a secret brother and then someone convinced him to make it Leia.
Is that true? Could be!
I wanna say it was in the Empire of Dreams documentary
I’ve been looking forward to this
Thank you!
I would love to see flashbacks of obi wan training anakin , I don't think we ever seen them actually training together. maybe a 13 year old anakin, to see more of obi wan raising him
Sure hope that happens!
This movie is a masterpiece. No other way to put it.
hey kristian, your doing a good job
Thank you Nico!
55:10 The score is better (not discounting IV)
Which is your favorite Star Wars score ?
This one
Now for the best Star Wars movie!
We love it!
If they were to do a what if series for star wars, they would have to try to get Georges input wouldn't they?
I mean they wouldn't HAVE to but why not ask.
Yes yes .this my number one favourite film of all time
Same here.
I think one of the reasons Empire is the best is George Lucas wrote the story knowing he wouldn't have to direct it! If he thought he would be the director there's no way he would start the movie on an ice planet and have scenes in a snow storm!
Haha good point!
I love all the films, but I'm one of the weirdos that doesn't put Empire at the top. I'm 47 and saw Empire in the theater 1980 and the 1982 re-release.... and its great. Hell, I love all 11 of them. But I enjoy 3 and 6 more. But, at the end of the day I've seen them all so many times 'ranking' is kinda pointless. LOL
Totally get this point of view!
@@TheKristianHarloff I've actually watched it a couple of times to study it and find out why its considered the best by many... but its tuff when you love all of it. That said my cousin puts Ep 4 the best and several friends and myself like 3 the most. I even saw it 10 times in the theater in one month.... I was just pulled in over and over. Spent $100 back in 2005!!! - Anyway can't wait for Boba
Can we trade another character like Yoda acts when Luke meets him for jar jar in the prequels just asking
Ha yeah I think that was goal.
Obi wan thinking his name is Darth only makes sense if Obi doesn't know what the title means or never heard it before, but that is incredibly unlikely.
Yea. Dooku told Obiwan about the sith lord called Darth Sidious
He knows the title, they talk about Darth Sidious in prequels
"No, there is another." Could that now possibly be Grogu (baby yoda)? I think the time frame works cuz Grogu is 50 years old when the Mandolorian rescues him. This would be a cool retcon, like Yoda knew cuz he had to have a child with Yaddle cuz they knew their species was dying out and they had to propagate their species.
Who knows now but at time, def intended to be Leia as a non Skywalker IMO
I knew I was missing something in my life
We are back!
have you fellas watched the "Anti-Cheese" edits of the Star Wars prequel trilogy?
Yes a long time ago!
@@TheKristianHarloff have you also watched Adywan's ANH and ESB?
@@TheKristianHarloff in a galaxy far, far away?
Day made!
Thank you!
The "Dark Knight" of Star Wars
Good call!
Look there seems to be a common consensus that the Godfather Part II is the greatest sequel off all time. I get that. But for me what qualifies as a great sequel is if the second chapter is far and away the superior to the first in every department when it comes to story -- production design, etc. GFII is great, but it doesn't blow away the Godfather out the water, it's not a movie where it makes the first one almost obsolete, they're both equally great in their own ways, you might enjoy GFII for its complexity, but GF is not far behind in that department.
Empire in relation to Star Wars...that's a different story. Star Wars is great, but it has nothing on ESB'S storyline. The vfx are infinitely better. Production design. Costumes. Each frame of a shot can be a painting in of itself. John Williams tops himself from the first movie with the Imperial march and the asteroid field sequence. The acting, the characterizations are leaps and bounds better than the first movie. Overall it's a completely better movie than the first in every department which to me makes the Empire Strikes Back not only the best sequel ever produced, but the most important in all of pop culture. Without this movie Star Wars doesn't have the lasting legacy it enjoys today. To me that's just an objective fact. Time has proven that to be the case.
Great points and well put!
Have you guys ever seen the Bad Lip Reading Star Wars videos?
Yes, they are classics.
@@TheKristianHarloff :)
@@TheKristianHarloff :)
I find it slow but best made and best script, great conversation
Empire slow? Interesting, never heard that before!
48:45 :)
:)
On my god
Uh oh! What?!
A couple of rewatch ideas I have for you:
Age of ultron just to see you crap all over it 😋 and Godzilla 2014. I was like kristian the first time I saw it: good first act, bad middle, good 3rd act. Since then I've rewatched the film quite a few times and got emotionally invested in the situation. I found the situation easy to empathize with because of how real everything was. From what the humans were doing to the monsters. Kinda like dunkirk that way
You know what is funny? I watched Ultron recently. Although not great, I didn't mind watching it and didn't hate it.
@@TheKristianHarloff I can't stand it. I think it gets worse everytime I watch it and think about it. It's a bloody mess.
Godzilla 2014 is amazing! Yeah, the main character is a bit bland and they cut away from the action one time too many, but overall it's great. The monsters feel massive and real, the build up to the final fight is great. Still the best of the monsterverse because they kept it more grounded.
Return of the jedi is a whole level below Episodes 4 and 5
Agreed
Empire rocks but ROTJ is shite, lads.
Last third (space battle and throne room) is peak Star Wars for me.
Hey fair enough!