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orangerfulSo, May 21 is the 30th Anniversary of the release of The Empire Strikes Back. This io9 article is making the rounds on my friends list and it made me think I should post a bit about ESB, being that I am a huge Star Wars fan.
Now, ESB came out the year before I was born. So by the time I saw it and understood it (I have no idea when I first watched Star Wars, but it was probably at least 5 years later) I only knew one thing: I didn't want to watch it after they left Hoth. As a kid, Luke's face during the "I am your father" scene REALLY upset me. Mark Hamill acts his ass off in that scene, and the emotion that came across was just too much for little me to handle. So for a long time ESB was ignored,while I watched the first 30 minutes of RotJ (look, when you're 5, the Rancor trumps everything) and then dragged my toys out into the living room to play with until the Ewoks showed up (shut up, I was FIVE!).
So, of all the Star Wars movies, I'd have to say it is clearly the most mature, because even mini-me knew that this was not for kids. Of course, now I can appreciate it a lot more. It's the best Star Wars movie (even Lucas can't deny it - I think it was the one least frakked up after his "Special Edition" makeovers). The dialogue is sharper, with less techno-babble. The relationships between the characters actualy grows. It is the peak of the Han/Leia romantic storyline and the "my hands are dirty" sequence is the sexiest moment in the Star Wars films. PERIOD.
It's funny but because of my age and the fact that I don't remember the first time I saw Star Wars, I don't ever remember being surprised to find out that Vader was Luke's father. I wish I could dig into the recesses of my memories and find that day, that moment when I understood the impact of that scene...but it's just always been with me. I've watched all three movies countless times, I know them by heart (well the ORIGINAL edits at least - GIVE ME BACK MY YUB-NUB LUCAS!) so I envy those of you that saw it in the theater and got to say "WOW!" when Vader confessed Luke's lineage.
Now the line is cliche, like "ROSEBUD!" - it's hard to not know the twist to Star Wars. But I do look forward to showing the movies to my nephew and seeing his reaction (plus, I want to make sure he watches them in the correct order: IV, V, VI, I, II, III).
So, what about you? Do you remember Empire Strikes Back in the theater? Do you remember what it felt like to find out the Villian and the Hero were linked forever? Or has it always been that way for you, just the way stories should be?
Now, ESB came out the year before I was born. So by the time I saw it and understood it (I have no idea when I first watched Star Wars, but it was probably at least 5 years later) I only knew one thing: I didn't want to watch it after they left Hoth. As a kid, Luke's face during the "I am your father" scene REALLY upset me. Mark Hamill acts his ass off in that scene, and the emotion that came across was just too much for little me to handle. So for a long time ESB was ignored,while I watched the first 30 minutes of RotJ (look, when you're 5, the Rancor trumps everything) and then dragged my toys out into the living room to play with until the Ewoks showed up (shut up, I was FIVE!).
So, of all the Star Wars movies, I'd have to say it is clearly the most mature, because even mini-me knew that this was not for kids. Of course, now I can appreciate it a lot more. It's the best Star Wars movie (even Lucas can't deny it - I think it was the one least frakked up after his "Special Edition" makeovers). The dialogue is sharper, with less techno-babble. The relationships between the characters actualy grows. It is the peak of the Han/Leia romantic storyline and the "my hands are dirty" sequence is the sexiest moment in the Star Wars films. PERIOD.
It's funny but because of my age and the fact that I don't remember the first time I saw Star Wars, I don't ever remember being surprised to find out that Vader was Luke's father. I wish I could dig into the recesses of my memories and find that day, that moment when I understood the impact of that scene...but it's just always been with me. I've watched all three movies countless times, I know them by heart (well the ORIGINAL edits at least - GIVE ME BACK MY YUB-NUB LUCAS!) so I envy those of you that saw it in the theater and got to say "WOW!" when Vader confessed Luke's lineage.
Now the line is cliche, like "ROSEBUD!" - it's hard to not know the twist to Star Wars. But I do look forward to showing the movies to my nephew and seeing his reaction (plus, I want to make sure he watches them in the correct order: IV, V, VI, I, II, III).
So, what about you? Do you remember Empire Strikes Back in the theater? Do you remember what it felt like to find out the Villian and the Hero were linked forever? Or has it always been that way for you, just the way stories should be?
