‘Empire’ Strikes Some as Better

Frank Hernandez and his dad, Robert, helped make the reissue of “The Empire Strikes Back” the biggest box-office opener in February.

They’d seen “Star Wars” a few weeks before and had been waiting, waiting, waiting for the second part of the series to reach theaters.

Frank, a 12-year-old from Brea, loved “Star Wars,” easily director George Lucas’ most famous movie, and thought “The Empire Strikes Back” was just as good, maybe better. Although he’d seen it several times on videotape, the large-screen experience captivated the boy.

“Everything [especially the spaceships] seemed to be coming right at you,” Frank said. “The sound was awesome, [and the actors] really seemed to get into it.”

Although many fans prefer the first flick, they usually agree that the second had more complete characters. Frank and his father said it was cool that Harrison Ford’s Han becomes a kindler, gentler guy, especially with Carrie Fisher’s Leia.

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Then there’s the transformation of Luke, played by Mark Hamill, who becomes more confident under the teachings of Yoda, the smallest Jedi master around. The increasingly complex relationship between Luke and Darth Vader also had impact.

“I think [Frank] really got into how they all became more human, maybe more real to him,” Hernandez said. “He gets into [the video] at home, but nothing like this. It really went over.

“But, y’know, it’s really all the action that he loves.”

And what about Hernandez? “That’s fun, but I think it’s more a nostalgia thing. It’s a movie I’ve known [for years] and I share with my son.”

That same connection was felt between Jackson Leeds and his 10-year-old daughter, Jas. They also enjoyed the video at home and saw the big-screen reissue as a good opportunity to spend the afternoon together.

“Every parent knows how it can be a hassle finding movies” to take your kids to, said Leeds, who lives in Fullerton. “You can’t go wrong with the ‘Star Wars’ stuff because it’s so familiar. You know what to expect.”

His daughter, who lives in Yorba Linda with her mother, did complain about the noise (the reissue is very loud). But she was emphatic about Han; she thinks he’s cute.

“I liked how he was with [Leia],” Jas said, impressed by the growing romance.

Most boys didn’t think one way or another about that, accepting that romance is to be expected in any major movie. They did get animated about the action scenes, which, however, are probably less dramatic than what is being created by big studios today.

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The fact that the “Star Wars” movies are so familiar seemed to enhance their pleasure. The kids knew when a favorite action passage was coming, which allowed them to get into it even more.

Gary Herman, 14, of Yorba Linda, was looking forward to the big confrontation between Vader and Luke, near the movie’s end. The flashing light-saber and other fireworks that marked the extended scene had Gary juiced up.

“When [Vader] cuts off [Luke’s] hand, it was something,” Gary said.

Evan Holtz, 13, of Yorba Linda, liked that scene too, especially when Luke ends up hanging from a girder outside the huge space station where the fight takes place.

But his favorite moments came when the heroes’ spacecraft finally hits hyper-speed to evade the pursuing Empire forces. At the last moment, R2-D2 makes the right repair and away they go.

“I know what’s going to happen,” Evan said. “It’s still cool when the sky lights up and they fly away so fast.”