The finest and most mature of the three.
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
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... 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 Rebel Forces--which include young adventurer Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), rogue pilot Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and the beautiful but seemingly humorless Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher)--have been successful in destroying the Evil Empire's Death Star. However, the Empire's top commander, the terrifying Lord Darth Vader (played by David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones), is scanning the galaxy for the Rebels' secret location. After a visually stunning showdown on the ice planet Hoth, the Rebels are forced to flee, and Luke separates from Han and Leia. Masterful storytelling weaves multiple, archetypal plotlines that pit Vader against Han and Leia as he desperately attempts to capture Luke for political--and, secretly, personal--reasons. Luke, meanwhile, finds himself under the tutelage of the tiny but powerful old Jedi Master Yoda, who teaches him the ways of the Force and warns the impatient but talented student against the threat of the Dark Side. Greek tragedy meets a philosophical hero's journey in EMPIRE, a remarkable sci-fi epic in which the performances are as powerful as the spectacular special effects. In 1997 a special edition of the film was digitally remastered with enhanced visual and sound effects. Several scenes--including the one in which Luke Skywalker encounters a deadly Wampa on Hoth--were reedited with more detail while other scenes--such as the one on Cloud City--were added for the rerelease. [More]
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Frank Oz
Director: Irvin Kershner
Director: Irvin Kershner
Screenwriter: Leigh Brackett, Lawrence Kasdan
Story: George Lucas
Producer: Gary Kurtz
Composer: John Williams
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Reviews for The Empire Strikes Back
O melhor de toda a série, este episódio abraça o potencial sombrio do universo concebido por Lucas e consegue equilibrar com eficiência os aspectos infantis da narrativa com os momentos de maior densidade.
In many ways the new film is a better film than Star Wars, visually more exciting, more artful and meticulous in detail.
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.
A more mature instalment than its predecessor, loaded with spectacular special effects and efficiently written, this may well be the pinnacle of the saga.
The Empire Strikes Back is 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.
Each section of the film has a stand-out sequence that inspires hyperbole like 'best ever.'
Irvin Kershner directed the actors this time around, and without the benefit of Lucas's personal affection they seem stiffer, more clenched.
The most imaginative and emotionally connectable "Star Wars" film and, with the exception of "Revenge of the Sith," also the darkest.
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.
An extended ricochet from one incendiary set-piece battle to another which still finds time to attend to plot, pace and character.
The backbone of the Star Wars saga takes the story and themes of the first film into deeper waters.
...the deepest, darkest, most mature, and most thoughtful entry in the series.
The film spends more time on its characters and unlike the previous film they aren't as busy with all kinds of swashbuckling adventures.
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