Critical reassessment
The Empire Strikes Back remains an enduringly popular piece of cinema.[176] It is considered groundbreaking for its cliffhanger ending, influence on mainstream films, and special effects.[r] Brian Lowry of CNN wrote that without the "groundwork laid by one of the best sequels ever, [the Star Wars franchise] wouldn't be the force that it is now".[311]
Despite the film's initial mixed reception, it has since been reevaluated by critics and fans and is now often considered the best film in the Star Wars series, and one of the greatest films ever made.[s] In 2014, members of the entertainment industry ranked Empire as the 32nd-best film of all time in a poll conducted by The Hollywood Reporter (Star Wars was #11).[322] Empire magazine named it the third-best film of all time, stating that the modern cliché of sequels employing a darker tone can be traced back to Empire.[314] A 1997 retrospective review by Roger Ebert declared the film the best of the original trilogy, praising the depth of its storytelling and its ability to create a sense of wonder in the audience.[323] A vote by 250,000 Business Insider readers in 2014 listed it as the greatest film ever made; it is also included in the 2013 film reference book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.[324][325] The revelation that Vader is Luke's father continues to be seen as one of the greatest plot twists in cinema.[t] Similarly, Han saying "I know" in response to Leia's love confession is considered one of the most iconic scenes in the Star Wars films and one of the more famous lines of improvised dialogue in cinema.[u]
Empire magazine selected the film as the sixth greatest movie sequel, lauding the "bold" unresolved ending and willingness to avoid the same formula as the first film.[337] Den of Geek called it the second-best sequel—after Aliens (1986)—and hailed it as Lucas's "masterpiece".[312] Playboy named it the third-best sequel, describing the disclosure of the relationship between Luke and Vader as the "emotional core that has elevated Star Wars to the pantheon of timeless modern sagas".[313] The BBC and Collider listed it as one of the best sequels ever made,[338][339] while Time and Playboy described it as a sequel that surpasses the original.[313][340] Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes recognizes it as the 27th-best sequel, based on review scores.[341] Rolling Stone's 2014 reader-voted list of the best sequels listed Empire at third.[342]
Rotten Tomatoes offers the film a 94% approval rating from the aggregated reviews of 109 critics, with an average score of 8.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Dark, sinister, but ultimately even more involving than A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back defies viewer expectations and takes the series to heightened emotional levels."[343] Empire has a score of 82 out of 100 on Metacritic based on the reviews of 25 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[344] Characters introduced in the film, such as Yoda and Lando Calrissian, are now considered iconic.[v] The American Film Institute ranked Darth Vader as the third best villain on its 2003 list of the 100 Best Heroes & Villains, after Norman Bates and Hannibal Lecter.[350]
Cultural impact
The Empire Strikes Back was ubiquitous in American culture upon its release.[225] Freddie Mercury ended a 1980 Queen concert by riding on the shoulders of someone dressed as Darth Vader.[209][351][352] The film was referenced in political cartoons.[225] Kershner received letters from fans around the world asking for autographs, and from psychologists who had used Yoda to explain philosophical ideas to their patients.[331] Other films, television shows, and video games have extensively referenced or parodied the film,[353][354] including the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU),[355] Spaceballs, The Muppet Show, American Dad!, South Park,[353] The Simpsons,[356] Family Guy, and Robot Chicken.[357] In 2010, the United States Library of Congress selected The Empire Strikes Back for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[358][359]
Landon Palmer, Eric Diaz, and Darren Mooney argue that Empire, and not Star Wars, created the concept of the modern blockbuster film franchise, which includes sequels serving as chapters in an infinitely expanding narrative—a template which was embraced by other film properties in the decades following Empire's release. This new paradigm stood in opposition to the popular trend of exploiting a successful film by creating low-budget sequels (which resulted in diminishing returns, as happened with the Jaws franchise).[360][361][362] Instead, more money was spent on Empire to expand the fictional universe and reap greater box-office returns. The use of a cliffhanger ending to set up a future sequel is seen in many modern films, particularly those in the MCU.[360] It has also been suggested that Empire forged a narrative structure that continues to be emulated in trilogies, wherein the middle film is darker than the original and features an ending in which the protagonists fail to defeat the antagonists (which sets up a subsequent film). Emmet Asher-Perrin and Ben Sherlock cite the series Back to the Future, The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings, and Pirates of the Caribbean as examples.[363][364]
Filmmakers such as the Russo brothers, Roland Emmerich, and Kevin Feige cite Empire as an inspiration in their careers or identify as fans.[365][366][367]
