
Andrew Gilman
STAR WARS Writer
Favorite Star Wars Movie: The Empire Strikes Back
This seems to be the obvious choice for so many Star Wars fans, but the film is a cinematic masterpiece from start to finish. It's a darker entry into the saga that tests all of our heroes and forces them to mature, and while the Empire comes out on top, none of the characters truly win. The film is the heart of so many of the messages and themes that the saga looks to convey, one of the most important being belief. The score by John Williams is incredible and does so much of the talking for the movie when the characters don't need to. Revenge of the Sith comes in a pretty close second, but the brilliance of Empire can't be understated.
Favorite Star Wars Character: Darth Vader
Does this choice really need explanation? Darth Vader has so many layers to him, just as vulnerable and fractured as he is cold and commanding. He plays a masterful game of chess in Empire, all culminating in a perfectly calculated checkmate that leaves the heroes with no options. His presence says as much as his words, and he's accompanied by greatest theme a villain has ever been graced by on screen. There was something about his presence when he first entered the Tantive IV that was immediately captivating, and his rise, fall, and redemption in the saga is a brilliant story. And he's just cool.
Why I joined The Direct...
Simply put, I love Star Wars. We live in a time where Star Wars is more prevalent than ever, and I want to be a part of discussing it and keeping my fellow fans up to speed. I pride myself on my writing, and this is a great opportunity to refine my skills while take a deep dive into something that I love.
Andrew's Articles
Andrew's Thoughts
- I'm going with Revenge of the Sith with ease on this one. I love Return of the Jedi. It's an incredible ending to the Lucas story and just feels so good. But Episode III comes up just short to Empire as my favorite Star Wars film. These three films are the ones I grew up watching the most, and the release of III was such a special time for a young kid who loved Darth Vader. Such a powerful film.
- Regardless of my feelings about TROS, there's no way I wouldn't go with Empire. It's my favorite film of all time and, in my opinion, one of the greatest in cinematic history. Lucas and Kershner found a way to make everything so perfect with this movie. I can't quite describe the feeling that I get when I watch this film, but it just feels like home. Plus... Vader.
- This is an awesome write-up. Having Anakin take the place of Han would've been interesting. It feels criminal that Anakin didn't appear in the trilogy and his grandson's infatuation with Vader implies that he never spoke with Ben as a ghost. Having Han works as a nice bit of closure for what Kylo did in Episode VII, but Anakin should've definitely had an appearance at some point in IX.
- While I think The Last Jedi is the better made film, I personally have to go with The Phantom Menace on this one. Some of this may be informed by nostalgia, but I find Episode I's contribution to the overall story to be great, despite some of the executional flaws, and I just can't get behind the majority of the story decisions made in TLJ.
- I'm really not a fan of the execution in the film. It seems like they meant that Rey served as the "Luke" of the trilogy in that she was the main protagonist going through the heroes journey learning the Force. Having her take the Skywalker name just doesn't sit right with me for a multitude of reasons.