Poll: Why is "The Empire Strikes Back" more highly regarded than "Star Wars"?

[Kirov Reporting]

I like ROTJ best, because I saw the original trilogy when I was a kid, and the action in ROTJ is the best, and my childhood imressions remain.

Ditto Tom Jones, I don't know if they still hold up today (which is why I haven't rewatched them in a long time - in case my brain has built them up far beyond reality) but the speeder bike chase, Luke's green lighsaber and.. Well, the whole Endor act of the film are just the pinnacle of the series for me.

 

[Casual Shinji]

The overall direction is just way better.

Also, since practically every character and their motivation has been established in the first film, Empire can dive right into the meat and potatoes without wasting time setting anything up.

And Yoda was great in Empire because he was a muppet, and not some fuzzy looking, lightsaber wielding CG character. In the original trilogy, using the Force meant using the Force. In the prequels, using the Force meant wielding a lightsaber.

 

[Scarim Coral]

It's because it's the only film where the bad guys won overall which is quite different to the usually good guys winning and etc. I think it's quite rare for that to happens in films back then. Also the Empire Strike Back did had a darker setting especially with Vader force chocking his subordinates messed up.

 

[ImperialSunlight]

I find it funny that the ending of Empire gets so much praise and no one ever mentions Jedi's ending. Sure, there were ewoks, but you also have the redemption of Darth Vader, which, in my opinion, was done very well. Compared to Empire's ending, it is far more meaningful. Empire had a downer ending, yes, but what is the point of it? Jedi's ending was far more meaningful in comparison.

As for A New Hope/Star Wars, it's actually my favorite, as it felt like the best structured of the films. While it is very traditional, it makes good use of the traditions to create a logical, entertaining story, unlike Empire, which felt very muddy and unstructured to me. I suppose one of the major reasons it is disliked is not only that it meets general movie conventions, in terms of pacing, but that it is based on the archetypal "hero's journey", which many may see as cliche.

 

[John the Gamer]

And in case anyone cares, I picked Attack of the Clones in the poll, just for kicks.

Ha. Nice choice, given that whilst The Phantom Menace was more disapointing, I think Clones is probably the worst of the lot - Yoda fight aside.

Yeah, I'm with Plinkett on that one. Clones was crap, and I think even Twilight had a better romance plot. *barf* Sorry, saying that upset my stomach.

Spoiler

http://redlettermedia.com/plinkett/star-wars/star-wars-episode-ii-attack-of-the-clones/

I suppose I'll vote Empire, because it's got a lot of tension, and has you on the edge of your seat for most of the story.

 

[Fat Hippo]

I think it has less to do with peoples honest opinions and more to do with nerd cultures strange need to find consensus on the "important" subjects, because we all know how angry nerds get when someone holds a different opinion than their own. Through continuous indoctrination, the fans of the films have been brainwashed into believing that Empire MUST objectively be the best film, and therefore their personal favorite. This measure, initiated by the higher echelons of Star Wars Fandom, has reduced inner turmoil and bloodshed within the faction, and allows them to continue the battle against the foolish "Trekkies" and their inferior franchise.

On a less crazy and conspiratorial note: I like Return of the Jedi, and I think Ewoks are cool. I'm such a rebel.

 

[Kirov Reporting]

On a less crazy and conspiratorial note: I like Return of the Jedi, and I think Ewoks are cool. I'm such a rebel.

Get in line, me and at least one other have thrown our hat in for the majesty of Return!

As for the rest of your post, I think some people have a hard time enforcing their own opinions, so they go along with a consensus as an 'argument from authority'. If they do genuinely think it's the best one then they can back it up. If they're not bold, informed or articulate enough to have formed an actual individual opinion, then they just go with the loudest default.

 

[Hoplon]

Ep one got screwed up a bit by the whole "probably never going to get to do another of these, you can see it in a few bits and pieces such as Jabba being some random dude, the medal scene after the destruction of the death star, stuff like that, Had he not run away with him self on the later ones it probably wouldn't be as much of an issue as it is, but he is an compulsive tinkerer.

Also jedi would be better but the fucking ewoks.

 

[Nazulu]

Huh. I thought A New Hope was the most popular, so I've seen in other polls.

I reckon you answered you're own question. Reading through some of the responses though, I just realised it was a darker film. And now that I think about it, it does have many memorable dramatic moments. It's been awhile since I've seen any Star Wars. I want to watch them again now.

My last favourite was Return of the Jedi, but I can't even remember why.

 

[Lovely Mixture]

For me: Empire > Return and New Hope

I feel Empire does the best at conveying the whole "big empire, small rebels" bit, a New Hope shows you the Star Destroyer and the Death Star as examples of it (to great effect if I might add), but in Empire you really get the feeling like the Empire is winning and the Rebellion almost doesn't have hope.

Return gets a lot of flack, but I find the scenes between Luke and Vader to be just awesome.

 

[Dangit2019]

Great characterization, great pacing (it doesn't sag in the middle, it just slows down to allow some breathing room), iconic scenes one after the other, Yoda, "I am your father", cliffhanger ending, etc. I could go into detail, but really, this just all adds up to a straight up classic.

It's a rare sequel that not only lives up to, but dares to go beyond the original, and it payed off both critically and at the box office (not that that has anything to do with movie quality).

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Empire touts the best direction, the best screenwriting, the best performances, the best and most consistent tone, and the strongest thematic beats of the trilogy. It's the closest to being a "film film", and not "banal mumbo jumbo" as Sir Guinness would say. Jedi has some strong moments as well, but suffers (IMO) from being a wildly uneven film, with strong scenes one moment and cringe inducing ones the next.

New Hope is the most self-contained, but also the least substantial. Even the prequels have more meat on their bones (although all the meat is rancid). The arcs for characters like Luke and Han feel rushed and not terribly meaningful as a result (both characters are the recipients of expanded, better arcs later in the trilogy). There are some strong moments, and it's a better overall film than Jedi as it lacks that films more embarrassing indulgences, but it's a fair step below Empire.

 

[Jezzascmezza]

I don't think anyone really regards one being better than the other- most people do love both Empire and Star Wars, but it's really just personal preference which film one likes more.
I myself prefer Empire Strikes Back a little more than Star Wars- it's darker, more suspenseful and emotional, the twist would've blown my mind had I seen it back when it first came out, and I loved the character of Yoda- I think he's much more compelling and intriguing in the original trilogy than he was in the prequels.

 

[Fuzzed]

You know, for someone who's apparently been rewatching, or at least thinking about, the Star Wars movies as of late, I find it staggering that you (apparently; I honestly can't be sure) keep referring to A New Hope as Star Wars. Would you refer to The Fellowship of the Ring as The Lord of the Rings?

.

Obviously you're not that old. When Star Wars first came out, no one called it "A New Hope." Likewise when the LOTR first came out, no one called it "The Fellowship on the Ring."

Frankly, there's no problem still referring to these titles by those names.

 

[Elois]

Likewise when the LOTR first came out, no one called it "The Fellowship on the Ring."

Yes they did, it was planned as a trilogy from the start, the first movie was always called "Lord of the ring the Fellowship of the ring" as far as I can remember.

 

[Fuzzed]

Ya but who went around calling it that? When the first one was released, everyone just said "Have you seen Lord of the Rings yet?" Now that they're all released (sort of), we refer to the first one as, "Have you seen the first Lord of the Rings?"

Unless your like really into the serious or something. But the majority of the world ain't.