Monday, September 8, 2014

Movie Review Monday: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Here's the second installment of my six part series on the inner monologue of a 31 year-old watching the Star Wars films for the first time ever:


  • This opens with scrolly exposition too. I keep briefly thinking "What, did they make this in iMovie?"
  • Hoth, I have heard of you.
  • Kangaroo dinosaur ram, you don't look like you should live in cold climates.
  • Abominable snowman from Matterhorn?! Disneylaaaaand.
  • Han has already said "Chewie" more times in this film than in the entirety of the last one.
  • One...two...three...FOUR looks from Leia to Han fraught with meaning.
  • These braids are much more becoming than those ear muff buns, Princess. 
  • Ha, I thought that stalactite guy was using the Force to get a soda. It was a light saber.
  • What is with people using light sabers to cut off arms?! At least this time it's for survival.
  • Dude, you are screwed. FOG.
  • Why can C3P0 feel cold but he doesn't feel pain when his limbs get torn off? Sub-question: why doesn't C3P0 just put on a coat?
  • Aw, Chewie's sad.
  • Oh, circle fade. Classy.
  • What?! That was Luke the whole time?! Seriously thought he was a disposable extra.
  • Mark Hamill's acting abilities have remained consistent from the last film to this one.
  • Holy cow, that's a gross way to stay warm.
  • Mark Hamill's hair has remained consistent from the last film to this one.
  • "Laser brain." Classic.
  • "Laugh it up, fuzz ball." These insults are so witty. Wow.
  • "Nerf herder." What does that mean? That's the name of the band that does the Buffy theme music.
  • Wow, Leia blatantly kissing Luke to just to make Han jealous. She has the emotional maturity of a lamp.
  • IMPERIAL MARCH.
  • I'd like to think that there's an imperial soldier with the title "Lead Darth Vader helmet shiner" and he's darn good at his job.
  • I want to hug Chewie too! Did Luke just scratch his neck like he's a puppy?
  • How long after the first movie does this take place?
  • Ooo Darth's pod thingy is neat.
  • Darth can The Force those guys via Skype?!
  • My informants here tell me the best battle of the movie is about to happen.
  • I'm sorry, does C3P0 keep changing colors?
  • Are the oompa loompa soldiers cheering about going into battle? That seems unhealthy. "WOOO! We might die right now!"
  • Oh, guy in Luke's vehicle. You are doomed.
  • Imperial walkers look cool, but those long legs seem impractical.
  • Ohhhh...they have legs so Luke could provide an easy solution to destroy them.
  • Oh, guy in Luke's vehicle. Predictably, you have died.
  • They're just going to trip those giant, impenetrable machines? Yeah, okay.
  • Don't yell at Chewie, Han!
  • K, Luke. Just fight the imperial walker with your bare hands. No big deal.
  • Oh my gosh, I was kidding, Luke.
  • Sometimes Darth is intimidating, but sometimes I picture that underneath that costume is a sweaty comic book nerd with a mullet "bum-bum-bumming" the imperial march to himself.
  • Leia has clearly never been on Star Tours. Of course Han's going through the asteroids.
  • Now Han is just showing off. You're a good pilot. We get it.
  • I think Luke just landed in a scene from The Neverending Story.
  • I'm betting that R2D2 can't swim.
  • I was wrong.
  • Swamp creature'd!
  • Did R2D2 just get thrown up and then throw up?
  • Darth Vader's skin!
  • I love "this building/vehicle is shaking...whoOAa" acting.
  • Yesss...find Yoda, Luke!
  • "Did he say to find yogurt?" - Eiley
  • What! Is Yoda voiced by Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear?!
  • I'm super disappointed. Yoda isn't as cute as I thought he'd be.
  • Can one use the Force on a robot?
  • Jeff just got defensive when I told him Yoda wasn't as cute as I'd anticipated: "I think he's frickin' adorable." 
  • Ooo. Loooove music. Or just Leia music? No, love music. Whoa, she's trembling. Keep it PG, Harrison.
  • KISS.
  • C3P0 is a master moment killer.
  • Wait! Who's this creeper that Darth bows to?
  • Is Darth Vader also Annikin Skywalker?
  • I hope R2D2 doesn't rust.
  • Yoda has a cozy little Hobbit hole.
  • Is Ben's...aura...floating around haunting people?
  • I wish Yoda would wiggle his ears like Sloth from Goonies.
  • Sucky cave monster!
  • Oh, dear. They were in a sand worm from Beetlejuice.
  • Yoda backpack!
  • Is Luke supposed to be listening to Yoda monologuing?
  • There should be a Jedi training montage.
  • Now I have "Eye of the Tiger" in my head.
  • DARTH VADER.
  • LIGHT SABERS.
  • BEHEADING.
  • LUKE BEHEADING...himself? Wait, what? And why is Yoda so smug about that?
  • Lizard imperial soldier out of nowhere.
  • Yes. I am so ready for light speed.
  • Thanks for telling C3P0 to shut up, Leia.
  • Bless that guy's heart. "I'll apologize to Vader." Pro tip, dude: Defect.
  • Didn't Luke move a blaster with the Force on Hoth earlier? Oh, Yoda's trying to get him to Force his vehicle. That's heavier.
  • So Luke begs Yoda to teach him then gives up after like two lessons? "You want the impossible." Whine, sulk, pout.
  • Yoda's showing how it's done. Oh, snap.
  • Does using the Force require energy?
  • "I don't believe it." "That...is why you fail."
  • Told you to defect, dummy.
  • What's C3P0 even there for?
  • Lando Calrissian is an awesome name.
  • Does Luke have to do a handstand to use the Force? Because that's going to make using it to fight really awkward.
  • Yes, eventually Han and Leia will die, Luke. I can't see the future, but their mortality seems fairly obvious.
  • Something terrible happens every time they say everything's going to be okay.
  • Oh, phew. Exception! Lando friendship!
  • Whoa. Down, boy.
  • Is it okay that I don't really care that C3P0 just got blasted?
  • I'm confused - is Luke going to fight Vader with the Force? Or a light saber? Or both?
  • Why does Leia hate everyone?
  • Lando is a super creeper.
  • TWIST! Vader in the dining room.
  • Oh, shoot. Judging by the music, I am supposed to care about C3P0.
  • Han Solo torture!
  • Lando, don't talk back to Vader.
  • "I feel terrible." - first line I genuinely laughed at.
  • I keep thinking about Luke Danes from Gilmore Girls complaining that this all comes down to who has higher ground, and I'm curious about how that'll come into play.
  • "I love you." "I know." Ohhh...that explains my cousin's tattoo. Ha! 
  • Do people actually expect Vader to keep his word?
  • That shot of Luke meeting Darth Vader for the first time is legit chilling.
  • Light saber fight!
  • Why are we strangling the guy who just released us, Chewie?
  • I like legless C3P0 more.
  • Why doesn't Luke blaster Vader?
  • What just happened? Does Luke think a little fall killed Vader?
  • Luke is phoning this fight in.
  • It bugs me that I have no idea what the plan is here other than "run around the building shooting blasters and pressing any buttons on the walls that we find."
  • Is Vader trying to kill Luke or turn him evil?
  • Luke. Your hand fell off.
  • "I'm your father." 
  • "THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE." I found Hamill's delivery of this line brilliant...ly hilarious.
  • Cutting off someone's hand is probably not the best tactic to persuade them to join your team.
  • Luke Skywalker: Really brave or really dumb?
  • Crying out to one's hallucination for help has to be rock bottom. Oh, we switched to crying out for Leia. Much better.
  • Please let Luke just plop down into the Falcon's moonroof.
  • Hahaha...YESSSS.
  • Where is Han? Still cryogenically frozen somewhere with Vader?
  • My desire to see light speed is pretty intense, and I keep getting disappointed. They make it look so easy at Disney.
  • What! Is Vader brainwashing Luke?
  • I love the way James Earl Jones says "DEStinyyy."
  • LIGHT SPEED. FINALLY.
  • Is there a maximum distance Vader can reach with the Force? Why doesn't he just relax in a hammock and strangle all his enemies?
  • Cyber hand looks real.
  • Wait, do we know Luke and Leia are bro/sis now?
  • Seriously, where did Han go?
  • This movie has zero resolution!
  • Hey, cool, John Ratzenberger was in this.
Conclusion: This was a fun movie. It bothers me that people pronounce Han and Falcon differently. That's all.

2 comments:

  1. I'd love to see a scene with nerdy Darth, helmet off, speaking with the Lead Helmet Shiner. We'd see a new side of Darth, I'm sure.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love the Darth in a hammock suggestion! Good point.

    ReplyDelete