Battling an empire, an incredibly awkward family reunion, and a raging debate with onlookers over who shot first, the heroes of the galaxy faced their biggest challenge: London traffic. Oh, and not to mention that love triangle … Wow, this must have been awkward!
In 1980, actors Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher shared a cab promoting “The Empire Strikes Back” before its release. You’ve probably never seen Luke Skywalker in so much tweed.
With Luke’s triumphant return a month ago, we look back on where it all began. After “A New Hope” changed the game of cinema, Empire came to solidify itself as a classic. It doesn’t seem like a stretch to say most fans would laude Empire as the greatest film of the “Star Wars” franchise. Yet, at the time, critical reception was mixed.
Over 20 years later, the prequels came out to once again, disappoint fans. Then, over 10 years after that, the sequels came out to once again, disappoint fans. But they were so disappointing that they even made the prequels look okay. But, come on, let’s be honest, nothing can be worse than having to listen to George Lucas write a love scene.
“Star Wars” has undergone a cycle of disappointment to classic, and with Disney milking every drop out of the franchise, it’s unclear how it will be remembered. Maybe people will love “The Last Jedi” in 5 years when the next divisive one comes out? For now, we can just look fondly on three legends of cinema history. I suppose the only real question is, what is Harrison Ford reading in that newspaper?
Even in 1980, Ford was getting tired of having to wait for Indiana Jones 5.
