Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

Name: Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Released: May 21, 1980
Duration: 124 min
Rating: 82
Cast: Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill

1980

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Universal acclaim based on 25 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 1694 Ratings

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9.1	User Score Universal acclaim based on 1694 Ratings

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The Empire Strikes Back

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Movie Details & Credits

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: May 21, 1980 | PG

Starring: Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill

Summary: Three years after the events of Star Wars, Imperial forces continue to pursue the Rebels. After the Rebellion?s defeat on the ice planet Hoth, Luke journeys to the planet Dagobah to train with Jedi Master Yoda, who has lived in hiding since the fall of the Republic. In an attempt to convert Luke to the dark side, Darth Vader lures youngThree years after the events of Star Wars, Imperial forces continue to pursue the Rebels. After the Rebellion?s defeat on the ice planet Hoth, Luke journeys to the planet Dagobah to train with Jedi Master Yoda, who has lived in hiding since the fall of the Republic. In an attempt to convert Luke to the dark side, Darth Vader lures young Skywalker into a trap in the Cloud City of Bespin. In the midst of a fierce lightsaber duel with the Sith Lord, Luke faces a startling revelation. [20th Century Fox]… Expand

Director: Irvin Kershner

Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Rating: PG

Runtime: 124 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Peter Stack

The balance between action and mysticism in The Empire Strikes Back provides fascinating energy. It's as if the kids are given one set of delights, the bravado of battles and elaborate warships zooming through exotic space, and adults are given another, a layered explanation of what it all means in the grand scheme of things. [Special Edition] Read full review

100

Gary Arnold

A stunning successor, a tense and pictorially dazzling science-fiction chase melodrama that sustains two hours of elaborate adventure while sneaking up on you emotionally. Read full review

100

Charles Champlin

It is expansive but more tightly time-framed in terms of plot. I wish it were a handful of minutes shorter, but this is my single caveat about another richly imaginative, engrossing and spectacular motion picture from the redoubtable George Lucas. [18 May 1980]

Arthur Knight

While Empire doesn't quite measure up to Star Wars in the freshness and originality of its script, and the plethora of space operas that has been jamming the screens ever since Star Wars has somewhat lessened the novelty of city-sized ships sailing the stratosphere, nevertheless this 20th Century-Fox release remains a rattling good entertainment, a worthy successor to the original — and far and away the best of its kind since Star Wars itself. Read full review

Bob Stephens

This is the bluest film you'll ever see. The haunting color resounds throughout Empire like a sustained, melancholy chord...Empire is essential viewing for lovers of science fiction. [Special Edition] Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

A worthy sequel to "Star Wars," equal in both technical mastery and characterization, suffering only from the familiarity with the effects generated in the original and imitated too much by others. Read full review

Dave Kehr

Mainly it's marking time: the characters take a definite backseat to the special effects, and much of the action seems gratuitous, leading nowhere. Read full review

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User Reviews

EdwardGregory

Apr 19, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's generally agreed that The Empire Strikes Back is the best film of George Lucas' initial trilogy (despite a latter-day shift toward the original's storytelling purity). Not a sequel as such, but the next part of a continuing story, Empire marks enormous progression both in terms of the mythos of the series and in the filmmaking quality itself.

At once more graceful and melancholic than its predecessor, Kershner enhances the pensive mood of impending tragedy with an array of inhospitable worlds (we travel from the icescape of Hoth to the swamp of Dagobah to a sleek, sterile city in the clouds). Bespin, the Cloud City, the most awesome of any of the Star Wars arenas, is a beautiful exterior with a dark heart. The film culminates in a whirl of emotional intensity and the infernal machine of the carbon freezing chamber. With John Williams' breathtaking score and the dark red hellish lighting (the characters have arrived in Hell — this being the "second day" of the trilogy), the whole feel is of a Wagnerian opera: dark and epic.

Then there is the devastating confrontation between Luke and Vader. Masterfully choreographed, their duel culminates on a thin gantry
protruding out over the vast depths that are the hollow core of the Cloud City. Magnificently visualised, the dizzying vertiginous terror of the moment encapsulating Luke's disorientation and horror at Vader's revelation of paternalism. Significantly, Luke chooses death over the outstretched hand of the dark side and is eventully born again as a Jedi.

But Act 2 is never consumed by darkness. There is comedy: C-3PO is still fussily camp as the Shakespearean chorus; Solo cracks wiser than ever before and new entry Yoda's knack of getting straight-to-the-point via the syntactical equivalent of Spaghetti Junction ("No! Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try.") is pure delight. And effectswise it offers unforgettable, if sometimes impractical, marvels: the awesome AT-ATs marching on the rebel base on Hoth, whose lurching gait was modelled on elephants, or Solo piloting the Milennium Falcon straight into an asteroid field.

Empire slipped the insufficient Return Of The Jedi a hospital pass. There was too much to settle (the whole damn universe to be saved before tea), and we had been so exhilarated by Empire that teddy bears at war was inevitably trite.

Nothing in the Star Wars canon betters this.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Kaokashin

Jul 25, 2011

The best Star Wars movie! It takes a movie that seemed to have perfect characters with perfect interaction face reality as the movie took a turn towards the dark side(excuse the pun). We get the most memorable faces of the franchise. Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Han Solo, and even Yoda. This isThe best Star Wars movie! It takes a movie that seemed to have perfect characters with perfect interaction face reality as the movie took a turn towards the dark side(excuse the pun). We get the most memorable faces of the franchise. Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Han Solo, and even Yoda. This is where Star Wars went from being a fantasy story and became a story to be loved by those of all ages… Expand

34 of 37 users found this helpful343

Bugger217

Sep 9, 2017

The Empire Strikes Back is quite possibly the greatest sci-fi fantasy film of all time. A step above the already wonderful Star Wars, it pleases in almost every way imaginable. Exhilarating action, fantastic character work, magnificent visuals, strong thematic depth, and an all-time greatThe Empire Strikes Back is quite possibly the greatest sci-fi fantasy film of all time. A step above the already wonderful Star Wars, it pleases in almost every way imaginable. Exhilarating action, fantastic character work, magnificent visuals, strong thematic depth, and an all-time great musical score from John Williams. Blockbuster filmmaking simply doesn't get much better than this.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

bsykes91

Jun 20, 2013

Star Wars introduces us to a universe and characters, The Empire Strikes Back takes us deeper into both. A daring and different sequel, Empire takes us on a journey. We see Luke train and grow while learning from Yoda and we see an entertaining and heartfelt, not sappy, romance betweenStar Wars introduces us to a universe and characters, The Empire Strikes Back takes us deeper into both. A daring and different sequel, Empire takes us on a journey. We see Luke train and grow while learning from Yoda and we see an entertaining and heartfelt, not sappy, romance between Leia and Han. It is a darker movie than the original, and it takes the characters to their limits. The acting is great and the movie does a great job of building a connection to the entire audience. C-3PO and R2-D2 once again bring some comic relief to the film and it is flawlessly interjected. This is the best of the franchise and one of the best movies of all time.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

fusion_13

May 25, 2014

This IS my favourite movie of ALL TIME. As a huge Star Wars fan this is the best star wars movie ever made. It made the story of the Trilogy much deeper and had the massive reveal of Darth Vader being Luke's F____r. This is an easy 10/10 for me.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

zNeverSleeping

May 24, 2020

Após terminar a primeira trilogia, eis aqui meu favorito.

Mantenho boa parte dos meus comentários feitos no primeiro filme. Sim, ainda é bem gostoso de se assistir - faz-me lembrar das minhas imaginações, quando criança. Há seus momentos marcantes, cômicos e até reflexivos, mas nada queApós terminar a primeira trilogia, eis aqui meu favorito.

Mantenho boa parte dos meus comentários feitos no primeiro filme. Sim, ainda é bem gostoso de se assistir - faz-me lembrar das minhas imaginações, quando criança. Há seus momentos marcantes, cômicos e até reflexivos, mas nada que fuja muito do proposito casual, ainda sendo uma experiencia pra alguém que procura um filme pra se assistir em família, como uma sessão da tarde.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

andreeka

Mar 6, 2015

an massively very very very very overrated movie. the empire strikes back isn't greatest movie ever made. not even close. i saw this movie 2 days ago in streaming and that's really so boring with the dull action and acted, except harrison ford

8 of 79 users found this helpful871

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