Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back | Full Movie | Movies Anywhere

Uncharacteristically for a Star Wars saga, [Luke and Vader's confrontation] is chilling psychologically as well as physically. For the rest, though, The Empire Strikes Back is good-natured hokum.

Compared to the recent competition, "Empire" is in a class by itself as space opera entertainment for kids of all ages. It's a handsome, slick, humorous, imaginative adventure epic.

"The Empire" really doesn't end, but instead suspends itself in time... While this may be commercially shrewd from the standpoint of future chapters, it is personally frustrating to be left dangling. In fact, it also seems like a cheap trick.

The key question about The Empire Strikes Back has been whether it is "as good as Star Wars." The answer: Technically, yes. Artistically, not quite.

The sequel is more calculated. The spontaneous energy of the original, which grew out of the arcane riskiness of the project, is missing. "Empire" is the work of people who know they're going to make money.