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Movies / Upcoming / The Empire Strikes Back
The Empire Strikes Back

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The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

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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

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Empire Strikes Back

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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The finest and most mature of the three.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
01/01/00
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

comment Comment
01/07/10
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Oscar Guy | comment Comment
10/18/08
Wesley Lovell
Wesley Lovell
Oscar Guy

In many ways the new film is a better film than Star Wars, visually more exciting, more artful and meticulous in detail.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
08/13/08
TIME Magazine

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.

Full Review Source: Cinefantastique | comment Comment
07/13/08
Steve Biodrowski
Steve Biodrowski
Cinefantastique

A more mature instalment than its predecessor, loaded with spectacular special effects and efficiently written, this may well be the pinnacle of the saga.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
03/04/08
Channel 4 Film

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.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/04/08
James Harwood
James Harwood
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Each section of the film has a stand-out sequence that inspires hyperbole like 'best ever.'

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
07/30/07
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

Irvin Kershner directed the actors this time around, and without the benefit of Lucas's personal affection they seem stiffer, more clenched.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment 27 Comments
05/30/07
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader

The most imaginative and emotionally connectable "Star Wars" film and, with the exception of "Revenge of the Sith," also the darkest.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
06/23/06
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

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.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

An extended ricochet from one incendiary set-piece battle to another which still finds time to attend to plot, pace and character.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out

The best of the films.

Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs | comment Comment
09/30/05
Scott Nash
Scott Nash
Three Movie Buffs

Sci-fi cinema at its best.

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
09/17/05
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

The backbone of the Star Wars saga… takes the story and themes of the first film into deeper waters.

Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
05/16/05
Steven D. Greydanus
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide

...the deepest, darkest, most mature, and most thoughtful entry in the series.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
09/09/04
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

The Empire Strikes Back is a total delight.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
01/29/04
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

The best Star Wars movie, ever!

Full Review Source: sbs.is | comment Comment
01/10/04
Stefan Birgir Stefansson
Stefan Birgir Stefansson
sbs.is

The film spends more time on its characters and unlike the previous film they aren't as busy with all kinds of swashbuckling adventures.

Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page | comment Comment
12/05/03
James O'Ehley
James O'Ehley
Sci-Fi Movie Page

A darker, richer, and more elaborate film than the original.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
07/30/03
TV Guide's Movie Guide
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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