Skip to main content

The ‘Empire Strikes Back’ Honest Trailer is oddly adoring of the Star Wars favorite

We’ve come to expect the videos in Screen Junkies’ Honest Trailers to be full of mockery and criticism, but we got a surprise in the series’ take on Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back. The latest Honest Trailer makes a few hilarious jabs, but mostly, it is uncharacteristically complimentary.

Given that The Empire Strikes Back is most Star Wars fans’ favorite movie, it isn’t really a surprise the video series’ narrator had to admit that the film is “one of the best sequels ever made.” The parody trailer sang the film’s praises, highlighting its “excellent directing, great acting, brilliant dialogue, gorgeous music, and iconic moments that will stay with you for a lifetime.” In fact, the few criticisms launched at the film required some serious nitpicking.

Related Videos

When it came down to it, the video managed to find a few fair points of criticism. The narrator brought up the weird relationship between siblings Luke and Leia, noted how Han’s name is pronounced differently throughout the movie, and showed off some of Luke’s more ridiculous decisions. Not even The Empire Strikes Back can be perfect 100 percent of the time.

Of the relatively few digs in the trailer, perhaps the biggest is aimed right at Star Wars’ creator. After heaping praise on the film, the video notes that The Empire Strikes Back “just so happens to be the one where George Lucas was involved the least.” The implication is clearly that Lucas began to have a negative impact on the franchise, an assertion that sadly many fans wouldn’t hesitate agree with.

However you feel about Lucas, though, you’ll appreciate Honest Trailers’ take on The Empire Strikes Back — perhaps almost as much as you do the film itself.

Editors' Recommendations

Obi-Wan Kenobi’s best moments in the Star Wars franchise
Promo art of Anakin and Obi-Wan clashing lightsabers in Revenge of the Sith.

Whether it's Alec Guinness' sage portrayal in the original trilogy or Ewan McGregor's modern soulful rendition in the prequel trilogy and Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi, the titular Jedi Master is an undisputed franchise icon. The Star Wars limited series has wrapped by closing on the long-awaited "rematch of the century" longtime fans have been hoping for, but the life that Obi-Wan has led is one filled with memorable moments of triumph -- and tragedy.

The movies are understandably where the franchise gets the most attention, but the animated shows and solo series have added worthy points in Kenobi's life. From his unforgettable first duel against Darth Maul alongside Qui-Gon Jinn to his grand sacrifice against Darth Vader, fans have plenty of Obi-Wan's greatest hits to savor.
The Duel of the Fates in The Phantom Menace
Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan vs Darth Maul - Duel of the Fates | Star Wars The Phantom Menace (1999) Movie Clip

Read more
Are the Star Wars prequels actually good?
Anakin fights Obi-Wan in Revenge of the Sith.

Ten years ago, great jubilation arose among the Star Wars faithful when Disney acquired Lucasfilm and subsequently announced Star Wars sequels featuring the original trilogy characters. Finally, we could move past the sins of the prequel trilogy -- Episodes I, II, and III, all written and directed by George Lucas -- with "real" Star Wars movies that would eclipse our blighted memories of Lucas' miscalculations. Sure enough, when The Force Awakens debuted in 2015, fans and casual viewers alike proclaimed its fidelity to the holy trinity of original Star Wars movies. It might be a little derivative, but doggone it, it looked like original Star Wars. More importantly, it felt like original Star Wars.

It didn't take long for folks to change their tune. Now the sequels -- The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker -- are much maligned for their lack of cohesive vision and their reliance on tired material. Meanwhile, the prequels have undergone fresh appraisal, and the excitement among fans is off the charts for prequel-related shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi. After suffering two decades of derision, are the prequels suddenly considered good now? How did that happen?

Read more
The 10 coolest Star Wars TIE fighters, ranked
star wars squadrons release date trailer gameplay news ties

Star Wars may continue to divide fans on a number of fronts, but if everybody agrees on one thing, it's that the ships and vehicles remain awesome, even the new ones. For example, The Mandalorian introduced the instant classic "Razor Crest," which was the equivalent of an Airstream RV for Mando and 'lil Grogu to tour the galaxy's hot spots. When the Crest met an accident that severely compromised its resale value, Mando came into possession of a midlife crisis upgrade: A tricked-out chrome Naboo N1 starfighter so snazzy it achieved the almost impossible feat of making something from The Phantom Menace cool.

If one ship epitomizes Star Wars above all others, continuing to appear both in updated and classic forms in virtually every new addition (they can be seen currently in both Obi-Wan Kenobi and the trailer for Andor), it's the TIE fighter, the Twin Ion Engine starfighter used by the Empire and later the First Order. Designed for a single pilot (wearing the coolest flight suit ever designed) TIE fighters are used for combat and patrol, their speed and maneuverability making them the perfect foil for Rebel ships like the X-Wing (though never, alas, the Millennium Falcon). Here, we rank the top 10 styles of TIE fighters (yes, there are even more!), according to sheer coolness.
10. The classic TIE fighter

Read more