The Empire Strikes Back-My Favorite Star Wars Movie

What makes The Empire Strikes Back such a phenomenal movie is that, compared to most other Star Wars movies, its story feels the most character-focused. The arcs of Luke, Han, and Leia directly drive the plot. Luke has to learn the values of being a Jedi, such as patience and control, and Han and Leia learn to value and trust each other. Though things don't work out successfully for these characters, you get a sense that they've learned these values and grown by the end.

Empire also features some of the best filmmaking of the entire Star Wars franchise. There are the wonderfully crafted sets and costumes and the fantastic effects that haven't aged a day, from the use of miniatures to the use of stop-motion animation. Irvin Kirshner's direction has, at times, an incredible scope, such as in the use of wide shots during the opening Hoth section of the film. But, it also feels intimate during the character interactions, with the romantic-feeling closeups during Han and Leia's interactions or the closeups of Yoda and Luke during their teacher-student interactions, which sells Luke's internal dilemma as he struggles to learn patience and control. 

It all makes for the film I consider the best of all Star Wars movies. Its characters have well-realized arcs, there are genuine stakes throughout, and the filmmaking complements the character-based storytelling while featuring one of the most believable portrayals of a galaxy far, far away. As a kid, I never knew why, but I always got a sense that The Empire Strikes Back was something special, and with each viewing, I learned more and more about why I felt that way.

Now Streaming on Disney+ in the U.S