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| "Luke, don't jump-- there are spoilers down there!" -Darth Vader |
SCRIPT COVERAGE
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TITLE:
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
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SETTING: A galaxy far, far away
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AUTHOR:
George Lucas
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PERIOD: A long, long time ago
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PRODUCER:
Gary Kurtz
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ELEMENTS
ATTACHED:
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SUBMITTED
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SUBMITTED
TO:
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READ
BY: Darin Simokov
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GENRE: Science Fiction
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COVERAGE
DATE: 03/30/14
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SUBMISSION DATE:
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EXCELLENT
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VERY
GOOD
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GOOD
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SO-SO
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NOT
GOOD
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PLOT
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CHARACTERS
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DIALOGUE
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STRUCTURE
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COMMERCIAL APPEAL
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RECOMMEND:X
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CONSIDER:
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PASS:
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LOG
LINE: Luke Skywalker continues his struggle to subdue and eliminate the
Galactic Empire, but not without some help from his friends.
SUMMARY:
Set
three years after its predecessor, Luke receives a vision of his fallen mentor
Obi Wan telling him to train under Jedi Grand Master Yoda in the planet
Dagobah. Before he can do that, the Imperial fleet attacks the Jedi base in
Hoth. After defeating the fleet, being captured, and escaping, Luke travels to
planet Dagobah, where Yoda accepts him as his mentor. After training for a
while, Luke becomes haunted by premonitions of Leia and Han Solo in danger. So,
he cuts his training off early to save them in Cloud City. Unfortunately, Darth
Vader arrives before him. Before he freezes Han in a block of carbonite, Han
and Leia profess their love for each other. Vader intends to do the same to
Luke. Instead, once Luke arrives, they duel with their lightsabers. After some
struggle, Vader severs Luke’s right hand. Conveniently for Vader, this hand
also contained his lightsaber. Now defenseless, Luke can only look in horror as
Vader reveals the truth about his father. Before Luke can accept Vader’s offer
to rule the galaxy with him, he falls down an airshaft, escaping what may have
been certain death. After being rescued by Leia, they leave to rescue the
frozen Han Solo.
COMMENTS:
The
original Star Wars set a very high
bar for science-fiction movies, but The
Empire Strikes Back sets it even higher. It contains all of the memorable
characters from A New Hope, in new
and exciting conflicts (even Obi-Wan makes an appearance, despite his death in
the last movie—thank goodness for Force ghosts!). Although this movie build
upon many concepts and plots from A New
Hope, it stands well enough on it’s own. Each recurring character is re-established,
but has added motivation and new goals. Conveniently,the iconic title crawl at
the beginning of the movie orients viewers on what happened and what’s to come.
The plot is set far enough from the last so that new viewers don’t have to
watch the last episode to understand the fifth. Those who have watched the
fourth episode are treated to further character development, and more
high-stakes situations, captivating plots and masterful cinematography. The
special effects may not have aged well (just ask George Lucas after ruining
remaking all of them), but still contribute to the sense of immersion you feel—the
sense that you’ve been thrusted upon an enthralling science-fiction world, with
a believable and interesting cast of characters.
Anyone who watches
this movie is also treated to the best plot twist in cinema history. Nowadays,
it’s a shame that the twist is so ingrained in our culture, since it ruins the
surprise for new first-time watchers. For them, it’s likely that they learn of
the twist shortly after they hear of Star
Wars for the first time. For those who don’t know, you need to watch Empire immediately. You’d be foolish to
not recommend this.
