The finest and most mature of the three.
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01/01/00
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
97
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:66
Fresh:64
Rotten:2
Average Rating:8.5/10
Consensus: This is argubaly the most powerful, compelling, and entertaining of the series.
Runtime: 2 hrs 10 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
US Box Office: $0
Synopsis: Considered the most morally and emotionally complex of the original Star Wars trilogy, THE EMPIRE STRIKE BACK continues creator George Lucas's epic saga where STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE left off. The... [More]
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams
Director: Irvin Kershner
Reviews for The Empire Strikes Back
Top CriticThe most imaginative and emotionally connectable "Star Wars" film and, with the exception of "Revenge of the Sith," also the darkest.
06/23/06
Scattered and less focused, the second of the Star Wars trilogy to be re-released in the Special Edition format remains a deep pleasure to behold.
01/01/00
By far the best part of the trilogy, Empire is a classic that completely transcends its genre, with a reputation that can only grow and grow.
08/01/01
It's impossible to imagine a person leaving the theatre feeling like he didn't get his money's worth.
01/01/00
A more mature instalment than its predecessor, loaded with spectacular special effects and efficiently written, this may well be the pinnacle of the saga.
03/04/08
Irvin Kershner directed the actors this time around, and without the benefit of Lucas's personal affection they seem stiffer, more clenched.
05/30/07
It is a visual extravaganza from beginning to end, one of the most visionary and inventive of all films.
01/01/00
Top CriticIt balances bloodshed with charm, spectacle with childlike glee. It's a near flawless movie of its kind.
01/01/00
Technical virtuosity and entertainment ingenuity.
01/01/00
In Empire, creator George Lucas' childlike epic ventures into complex territory that gives the story a touch of psychological heft its siblings lack.
10/15/02
Despite ... an unresolved storyline that paves the way for its dismal sequel, Empire remains in many ways the best (indeed the last good) Star Wars film.
07/13/08
The Empire Strikes Back has always been the best written and best shot of the three Star Wars films, and with the enhancements, it looks like it will have a good chance at holding the title.
01/01/00
El Episodio V es el más oscuro de la saga de Star Wars, pero también, el más seductor.
05/20/02
No review available.
12/12/02
The second act is very strong, cutting back and forth between Luke training with Yoda and Han, Leia, Chewie and C-3P0 fighting the Empire. And it's paced leisurely enough that you get to know the characters a little bit.
05/26/06
The backbone of the Star Wars saga… takes the story and themes of the first film into deeper waters.
05/16/05
Loaded with perfectly timed comic relief and full of rich characters!
01/01/00
In the glory days of science fiction, critics wrote about the 'sense of wonder.' That's what The Empire Strikes Back creates in us
01/01/00
...the deepest, darkest, most mature, and most thoughtful entry in the series.
09/09/04
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