Before writing this I had a discussion with my parents about the exact age and circumstances of my earliest Star Wars experience. This discussion proved my longtime cherished memory true. I was five years old when the Original Trilogy’s Special Editions were released and watching A New Hope in my living room on the couch as my parents watched me astonished at my captivation is to this day is one of my fondest memories. As memory serves I intended on having the trilogy in its entirety; however, being only five my income was nonexistent so my ability to procure anything depended on my begging and the mercy of my parents. That night, my skills must not have been up to par because we left Wal-Mart with one of the three. They allowed me to choose and wisely I chose the first of the set. I remember thinking to myself how on our next trip I would swindle them into buying the last two but that plan never came to fruition. I can remember after popping in the VHS tape my parents asking several times in interested surprise, “You like that stuff?” or my father’s comment “I prefer Star Trek” as I sat enthralled by every second of Luke Skywalker’s adventure. A New Hope was my only access into the Star Wars universe that I personally owned for the longest time. The only way I was able to watch The Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi was at friends or other family members houses, to which I would take advantage of shamelessly.
It was in this manner that I viewed the last two movies of the Original Trilogy for many years, until I was a teenager in fact. Once I owned a PlayStation 2 and could watch DVDs everything changed. As the Prequel Trilogy came out I began amassing a collection and by 2004 I owned the Original Trilogy on DVD, still one of my coveted possessions for its sentimentality even though Disney Plus has basically everything a fan would want to watch. Since then The Empire Strikes Back has been one of the most replayed movies I have every owned. Even to this day, no matter how busy, I make sure to watch it on every May 4th, AKA Star Wars Day, and if possible submit my family to the torture of viewing an amazing film. As a kid, Return of the Jedi was my favorite with Luke stepping into his own with his green lightsaber, still my favorite saber choice, and the fun victory the heroes had over the Empire. However, The Empire Strikes Back had an affect on me nonetheless. It had a menacing appeal reflected in the title and as a young kid seeing the brutality of the Empire made it one of those intense movies you loved to watch even though it stressed you out.
As a man, I could not let the opportunity go by to see this movie in a theater setting when my local small-town theater had it showing for a brief time. So, last Monday night I talked my dad into going with me to see it. As a kid we had a tradition of just me and him going on Monday or Tuesdays to watch superhero movies when the crowds were basically nonexistent. Luckily, like in the past, not a single person showed up besides the two of us. My excitement would have been embarrassing to some but I have moved beyond such considerations when it comes to things I am passionate about and Star Wars is one of those things. Say what you will about the Sequel Trilogy but I viewed The Force Awakens five times while it was in theaters and would have gone more if it weren’t for job and extracurricular requirements I had in college. Sitting in the empty theater with just my dad instantly took me back to a tradition we had kept until I let college and social life take over my priorities. Being the introverted overthinker I am I began thinking back on many movies I allowed us to miss out on together, experiences that should have been cataloged away in the Father-Son category of my life’s memories. Guilt and regret faded away when the lights dimmed and the Lucasfilm logo appeared on the screen. Once the crawl appeared I was a kid again and all the guilt and regret was far away with the rest of life’s troubles. Star Wars has always had a way of doing that for me. It takes me to a galaxy far, far away from the realities of life here, for a time anyway. The experience was everything I had hoped for, I felt like I was watching it anew even though I knew almost every outcome and piece of dialogue. Vader’s menace was terrifying, Yoda’s wisdom instructive, and Han’s swagger still both impressive and hilarious. Leaving the theater I felt refreshed, like the simple experience of watching a Star Wars film had given me the boost my soul needed. My exact words to my dad were, “That’s one thing checked off my bucket list!” I had always wanted to catch the Original Trilogy movies in theater and now that I have seen one, I want to watch the rest in this manner at least once even more so than before. I’ve heard of theaters doing it on May 4th so I may start there.
This year has brought many undesirable things, this was not among them. The Empire Strikes Back is just as phenomenal on it’s fortieth anniversary as it was on its release. Luke’s frustration and further steps through the Hero’s Journey just as profound, Han’s further transformation as effective, Yoda’s character and teachings as inspiring, Leia’s will and determination admirable, and Vader’s tenacity as menacing as ever. The expansion of the story’s universe with Yoda, Bounty Hunters, Lando, and the appearance of the insidious Emperor were amazing additions. Scenes with Yoda before his revelation of his identity make me laugh, scenes afterward still give me chills. The Bounty Hunters and one named Boba Fett continue to give off the underworld cool-factor. Lando and Han’s past and relationship was also a great addition, one I was glad to have seen in Solo: A Star Wars Story which I consider a fun movie experience. The Emperor’s appearance, being an old man, raises so many questions for first time viewing consider the well understood power of Darth Vader. Even as a boy I knew there had to me more to that story, after watching The Phantom Menace at eight years old I had the crazy idea the Palpatine would save Anakin from a crashed podracer or something after manipulating him somehow. The years leading up to Revenge of the Sith and its answers to the question of Vader’s rise were full of crazy fan theories for me. Most of those theories came from repetitive viewing of The Empire Strikes Back. Questions of other Jedi survivors of the “Dark Times” Ben Kenobi told Luke about on Tatooine while passing on the father’s legacy to the son was a major one for me. Now in 2020, even with all the movies and television shows available The Empire Strikes Back still holds one of the top spots for my viewing preference. Revenge of the Sith is my personal favorite for a good lightsaber duel but if I want to sit down and enjoy every second of what I watch I put in The Empire Strikes Back. On occasion I’ll read discussions online and to this day the drama over this movie is going on strong. As someone who basically grew up for the most part in the Prequel era, I enjoy them as a big part of my child hood; however, the Original Trilogy and The Empire Strikes Back specifically are key and import elements in the Star Wars mythos. Without this movie, the saga may not have had the same impact on me and many others. Without this movie, there may not have been a Return of the Jedi. Without this movie, there may not have been anymore Star Wars for any of us period.
