Although Star Wars helped bring the concept of the hero's journey into the public consciousness, The Empire Strikes Back poses some unique challenges in this context. That's because the film is mer...

As with all Star Wars films, The Empire Strikes Back is defined by its settings. The three disparate vistas we encounter—the icy wastelands of Hoth, the mystical marshes of Dagobah, and the hyper...

A Semi-Serialized Narrative with a Wide ScopeThe narrative technique of The Empire Strikes Back is kind of like a cave on a meteorite—it may look sorta normal, but it's actually as bizarre as a g...

Space Opera, Fantasy, Science-FictionDespite popular belief, the term "space opera" has nothing to do with that scene in The Fifth Element when the blue lady sings. Sorry to disappoint.Instead, spa...

After their unmitigated victory in A New Hope, the Rebel Alliance is once again in dire straits.Three years after the destruction of the Death Star, this small, ragtag force has been forced into hi...

After the shocking revelation that Darth Vader is Luke's father, the ending of The Empire Strikes Back might seem a bit anti-climactic. You're right—but that's actually what the filmmakers intend...

PGThe film is certainly shocking in some ways, but not the ones that matter here. Warning: It does contain the use of the slur "nerf-herder," which we in the Nerf enthusiast community consider terr...