The best of the six Star Wars movies is The Empire Strikes Back, Episode V.

When I first saw Star War: A New Hope, I knew that I was watching a revelation, a sea change, a vital and cataclysmic earthquake that would change the face of cinema and fiction. The spaceships were real, covered with carbon scoring and dust, like my Honda Civic hatchback. The hero, Luke Skywalker, was naive and idealistic, like me. Leia, even with the cinnamon buns on the side of her head, was a princess that kicked butt, talked back to the dark cloaked bad guy, and fired her blaster with controlled enthusiasm. And The best part of the whole thing was this really cool space pirate name Han and his furry side-kick Chewbacca. Not to mention the robot Abbot and Costello following them around. This was the most fun I could have with my pants on.

But, then came The Empire Strikes Back. After months and months of waiting for a sequel, of reading the schlocky novels, after seeing countless rip-offs and lesser cousins, we were rewarded with a sequel. But we were not prepared for this. We asked for quail and instead received manna for which we had not been prepared.

Imagine you're back in 1980. The Gwangju massacre in North Korea is deadening the world. We are languishing under Jimmy Carter's inept design for an America relegated to a second-class status. We are all deadened by the disaster of Operation Eagle Claw to rescue American captives held in Iran. And then a new Star Wars film opens, and we look forward to another great, crash-bang, gee whiz space opera.

What we get, instead, is the most morally complex and ethically challenging of all the Star Wars films. A new character, Yoda, instructs Luke in the use of the Force, all the while telling him that if he abandons his training, the friends for which he fears may survive, but all will be lost. He abandons his training and goes on a rescue mission, consequences be damned. The evil Empire chases the rebels, especially Han and Leia, until they are cornered and possibly betrayed by an old friend, Lando. Han is frozen in carbonite and taken away by a bounty hunter. Leia and Chewwy are rescued at the last minute by a repentant Lando. Darth Vader, the most impressive and intense villain of all time, fights Luke in a magic-infused light saber duel that is, even without the glitzy special effects of the later (earlier) episodes, the most intense and satisfying of the series. When Luke loses his hand and is faced

• 1
• 2
• 3
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about Determining which of the six Star Wars movies is the best?
We want to hear your view. Write now!