Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

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Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

PG

1980

2h 7m

Sci-Fi

Adventure

Action

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

176 Reviews

97%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

The adventure continues in this "Star Wars" sequel. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) face attack by the Imperial forces and its AT-AT walkers on the ice planet Hoth. While Han and Leia escape in the Millennium Falcon, Luke travels to Dagobah in search of Yoda. Only with the Jedi master's help will Luke survive when the dark side of the Force beckons him into the ultimate duel with Darth Vader (David Prowse).

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Critics Consensus

Dark, sinister, but ultimately even more involving than A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back defies viewer expectations and takes the series to heightened emotional levels.

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David Denby

New York Magazine/Vulture

Apr 24, 2025

A Wagnerian pop movie -- grandiose, thrilling, imperiously generous in scale, and also a bit ponderous... The throwaway wit and the recondite references to old movies have been replaced with solemn reverence.

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Jack Mathews

Detroit Free Press

Apr 24, 2025

The Empire Strikes Back will deserve whatever it earns. Despite the inevitable loss of exhilaration moviegoers will experience from a second installment, it is an extraordinarily broad audience entertainment.

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Peter Travers

Gannett Westchester Rockland Newspapers

Apr 24, 2025

After 10 minutes into The Empire Strikes Back, I realized that I was getting more than I bargained for. This film was not a sequel at all, but a freshly conceived movie marvel.

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Lane Mills

InSession Film

Jun 9, 2025

A+

A New Hope was first but there wouldn’t be a Star Wars as it stands today without The Empire Strikes Back.

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Robert A. Masullo

Sacramento Bee

Apr 24, 2025

An audio-visual super-duper-spectacle, worth every penny of the $22 million it took to make. The continuation of the Star Wars saga is a cornucopia of treats that move along so briskly you're afraid you'll miss something if you blink.

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Khris

Sep 26, 2020

watching it in a theater proves that a movie thats 40 years old is still better than the sequel trilogy

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Suzan L

Jul 11, 2020

Nice to be back at the movies with safety measures in place. Classic films being shown, so I got to see Empire Strikes Back in the theatre for the first in years.

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Chris T

@EdDantes34 1 day ago

Masterpiece!!! 10/10

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Henry C

@henryczar 4 days ago

EVERYONE IS GLAZING THIS MOVIE FOR NO APPARENT REASON, I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE.

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Robert P

@Superbad 5 days ago

This follows Star Wars which naturally is a *5* star movie

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Bret M

@BretM-3 5 days ago

C’mon guys, we all know that this is definitively the best Star Wars movie, right? Right?! Well, it definitely is in my opinion. This movie takes everything great about A New Hope and makes it even greater. The scope alone feels enormous compared to the first movie. By no means did A New Hope feel small, but this movie still feels bigger on every level. More planets, more characters, everything. I also think this movie ups the ante for action. The opening on Hoth, the hi jinx Han and co. get into while Luke trains with Yoda, and the entire third act on Cloud City. And even though it’s a well spoiled, iconic pop culture moment, the “I am your father” reveal is still great. Mark Hamill really sells just how distraught Luke is when he finds out. It’s a great scene that is still awesome all these years later. But then again, you could say that about this movie as a whole. If you couldn’t tell, I love this movie! If you haven’t watched this movie, stop what you’re doing, and watch it!

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Irvin Kershner

Director

Mark Hamill

Luke Skywalker

Harrison Ford

Han Solo

Carrie Fisher

Princess Leia

Billy Dee Williams

Lando Calrissian

Anthony Daniels

C-3PO

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Synopsis

The adventure continues in this "Star Wars" sequel. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) face attack by the Imperial forces and its AT-AT walkers on the ice planet Hoth. While Han and Leia escape in the Millennium Falcon, Luke travels to Dagobah in search of Yoda. Only with the Jedi master's help will Luke survive when the dark side of the Force beckons him into the ultimate duel with Darth Vader (David Prowse).

Director: Irvin Kershner
Producer: Gary Kurtz
Screenwriter: Lawrence Kasdan, Leigh Brackett
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Lucasfilm Ltd.
Rating: PG (Sci-Fi Action Violence)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 21, 1980, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Nov 19, 1982
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 10, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $291.9M
Runtime: 2h 7m
Sound Mix: Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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