Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

1980
PG
2h 4m

IMDb RATING

8.7/10

1.4M

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

954

Harrison Ford, Anthony Daniels, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, and Peter Mayhew in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

After the rebels have been brutally overpowered by the Empire on their newly established base, Luke Skywalker takes advanced Jedi training with Master Yoda, while his friends are pursued by Darth Vader as part of his plan to capture Luke.

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After the Empire overpowers the Rebel Alliance, Luke Skywalker begins his Jedi training with Yoda. At the same time, Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett pursue his friends across the gal... Read allAfter the Empire overpowers the Rebel Alliance, Luke Skywalker begins his Jedi training with Yoda. At the same time, Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett pursue his friends across the galaxy.After the Empire overpowers the Rebel Alliance, Luke Skywalker begins his Jedi training with Yoda. At the same time, Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett pursue his friends across the galaxy.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.7/10

1.4M

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

954

See production info at IMDbPro

Top rated movie #15

Won 1 Oscar
- 27 wins & 20 nominations total

Trivia
In order to avoid sharing creative rights, George Lucas decided to avoid using a major studio to finance this movie. Instead, he bankrolled the $30 million production himself, using a combination of his profits from Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) and a bank loan. Although the move was risky, it paid off several times over. Lucas recovered his investment within three months of the movie's release. He then showed gratitude far beyond the Hollywood norm by sharing the profits with his employees (nearly $5 million in bonuses).

Goofs
Vader kills Captain Needa for losing the Millenium Falcon. When two Imperial soldiers pick up his body to carry away, the corpse steps itself up.

Quotes
Luke: All right, I'll give it a try.
Yoda: No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try.

Crazy credits
In the alternate DVD version, the Emperor is still credited as being voiced by Clive Revill, despite his performance being replaced by Ian McDiarmid.

Alternate versions
The 1995 THX remastered Pan and Scan VHS release of the 1980 theatrical version has one difference from all other pan and scan releases and the 1992 and 1995 widescreen releases of the same. At the end of the film, the scene simply cuts away to the end credits. All other versions use a wipe to cut away to the end credits.

Connections
Edited into SP FX: Special Effects - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

User reviews1.5K

Review

Featured review

9/10

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

An excellent sequel to Star Wars, this is easily the darkest and most serious out of all the Star Wars films, at least until Revenge of the Sith comes out. This movie benefits from the introduction of Yoda, a diminutive yet wise Jedi master who helps Luke prepare for his showdown with Darth Vader. It also introduces Lando Calrissian, Han's old gambling and smuggling buddy played very well by Billy Dee Williams. Empire is more character driven than the original and relies more on comic relief to help lighten the mood, but it doesn't go overboard with the humor. The story is more refined and the acting is better as well. Despite all of this I can't really say that I enjoyed Empire more than the original. The original Star Wars has a certain charm to it that none of the sequels (or prequels) have captured. I'd say that it is at least on par with the original though and is a fitting follow up in what is probably the greatest series of movies in the history of cinema.