star wars empire strikes back movie review

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Star wars: episode v: the empire strikes back.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 51 Reviews
Kids Say 184 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

The best of the original series, but the most intense, too.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 8+?

The violence is primarily centered around sci-fi battles in space and characters

As the second film released in a series, this film's development was driven at l

There's banter/name-calling and the word "hell" is used once.

Two of the main leads in the film engage in a love-hate flirtatious relationship

Any Positive Content?

The film provides strong positive messages around the ideas of always trying you

Characters demonstrate such positive traits as loyalty, bravery, self-control, p

Although this film is meant to entertain, not educate, a large section of the fi

Violence & Scariness

The violence is primarily centered around sci-fi battles in space and characters using blasters and laser swords. However, this film amps up the psychological violence, especially centered around the lead character and his interactions with the dark forces that have overtaken the universe. Sequences such as an encounter with the villain in a cave, a character being placed into a deep-freeze chamber, and the final sword battle are all dark, scary, and packed with emotional weight. The film ends with a well-known moment of extreme violence, emotional turmoil, and parental abandonment that will have a powerful impact on young viewers.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

As the second film released in a series, this film's development was driven at least in part by merchandising opportunities, primarily toys and other products for children. Even decades after the film's release, these products remain widely available.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Two of the main leads in the film engage in a love-hate flirtatious relationship over the course of the film, culminating in a few relatively chaste kisses. A few moments of veiled sexual innuendo, but not anything that would be apparent to children.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

The film provides strong positive messages around the ideas of always trying your best (or rather, "Do. Or do not. There is no try."), avoiding the temptations of evil, and remaining loyal to friends. Major themes include perseverance and courage.

Positive Role Models

Characters demonstrate such positive traits as loyalty, bravery, self-control, problem solving under extreme duress, and sacrificing one's own needs and wants for the sake of others. This is the first time a character of color is introduced.

Educational Value

Although this film is meant to entertain, not educate, a large section of the film depicts a training session in which the lead character is educated on the ways of the series' "religion," which is really a kind of moral code and way of parsing the difference between good and evil.

Parents need to know that The Empire Strikes Back is an atmospheric sci-fi classic that features some intense moments of dark emotional content, along with a few very jarring scenes that are not so much violent as they are psychologically jarring. Sequences such as an encounter with the villain in a cave, a character being placed into a deep-freeze chamber, and the final sword battle are all dark, scary, and packed with emotional weight. The film ends with a well-known moment of extreme violence, emotional turmoil, and parental abandonment that will have a powerful impact on young viewers. The romantic content is significantly increased from the first movie in the series, although it still remains at a flirtatious level with just a few moments of relatively tame kissing. This is the movie where the series gains most of its emotional and thematic depth, and while it's a rousing adventure told superbly, it's among the darkest and most intense of the films. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (51)
Kids say (184)

Based on 51 parent reviews

Well made for the 80s

Star wars not disney star wars, what's the story.

The focus of EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is on the pursuit of Luke Skywalker ( Mark Hamill ) and the other rebel heroes by the cyborg villain Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones ). The story gets moving with an outburst of violence, as Luke is mauled by a Yeti-like monster on the ice planet where the rebels are hiding. Luke, looking to sharpen his powers of the Force, seeks out a long-lost master named Yoda for some serious training in the Eastern-religion style mysticism required to be a fabled Jedi knight. Meanwhile, Vader and his fleet of marauding starships hunt Luke's friends, all fleeing aboard the ramshackle ship of galactic fortune-hunter Han Solo ( Harrison Ford ), who maintains a bickering romance in this one with Princess Leia ( Carrie Fisher ). Of course the real payoff of this plot is when Luke confronts Darth Vader in single combat, and learns the dreadful secret of his family tree.

Is It Any Good?

By many opinions, this is the very best in the Star Wars series . To 1980 audiences (who did not have the benefit of The Phantom Menace and its follow-ups) it was a breathtaking surprise, a hugely entertaining mix of sci-fi spectacle, fantasy, and funny robots.

George Lucas did not direct, but handed the reins to a time-proven but relatively unsung director named Irvin Kershner, who delivered a space spectacle that is true to the Joseph Campbell mythology and fairy-tale wonder of the first Star Wars Episode IV . But The Empire Strikes Back stands apart from the rest in terms of mature, straight-ahead storytelling. It's significant as the only Star Wars feature that doesn't have a big "cantina" scene in which the filmmakers overindulge in cramming the frame with all the wacky aliens they can.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how they've been impacted by the heavy merchandising for Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and the others in the series. Do you think movies are over-merchandised? Are there too many products on sale to promote movies? Can you think of some movies that seem created primarily to sell toys and other products?

How is the tone of this movie different from the first one? Do you think this is a better film than the first? Why are sequels usually worse than the original?

Why is this movie considered a classic?

How do the characters in Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back demonstrate self-control , perseverance , and courage ? Why are these important character strengths ?

Movie Details

In theaters : May 21, 1980
On DVD or streaming : September 12, 2006
Cast : Carrie Fisher , Harrison Ford , Mark Hamill
Director : Irvin Kershner
Studio : Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Genre : Science Fiction
Topics : Adventures , Robots , Space and Aliens
Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Self-control
Run time : 124 minutes
MPAA rating : PG
MPAA explanation : sci-fi action violence
Last updated : July 6, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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Star Wars: Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi

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Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Reviews

The second half is where the middle chapter of the original trilogy gets good.

Full Review | May 31, 2024

This is one of the best climaxes that movies can offer and receives all of the respect it deserves.

Full Review | Sep 26, 2023

Whereas A New Hope's greatest triumphs are in its storytelling, its groundbreaking special FX, and its remarkable legacy, Empire has all that and one extra key ingredient - emotion.

Full Review | Sep 23, 2023

“Empire” launched Star Wars to heights that neither George Lucas or the world could have expected. And for many kids in the early 80s (like me), “Empire” etched Star Wars so deeply into from our childhoods that it left a permanent mark.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Aug 16, 2022

Oh boy! Producers Gary Kurtz and George Lucas and director Irvin Kershner spent 20 trillion dollars to make me feel like a toy for two hours and I loved it.

Full Review | Jul 13, 2022

Though it deviates from Star Wars and the subsequent films don't quite live up to what it anticipates, The Empire Strikes Back remains the franchise's most character-centric and emotionally involving entry.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Apr 23, 2022

The Empire Strikes Back is the best Star Wars film because it took a cultural moment and redefined what it could mean.

Full Review | Feb 11, 2022

...unsatisfying by design...

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 8, 2021

The look of The Empire Strikes Back is so strong. The way certain scenes are framed are not only good for story telling but are incredibly beautiful.

Full Review | Mar 24, 2021

A rare example, maybe the finest example, of a sequel greater than its predecessor. The Force is the strongest here.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Feb 16, 2021

Promotions in the Galactic Empire are instigated by execution; torture is more vivid; villains are more numerous; loss is more agonizing; and happy endings are more elusive.

Full Review | Original Score: 10/10 | Sep 8, 2020

Kirshner's direction gives the film an extra flare that Star Wars did not have. He got to make things bigger, both physically and in terms of the ideas at play.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Dec 28, 2019

If A New Hope is the body of Star Wars, Empire can lay pretty good claim to being its soul.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Dec 20, 2019

That story counts for less than gimmicks, and characters less than both, might be judged from the lack of resonance in the one narrative revelation, concerning Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker.

Full Review | Dec 16, 2019

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is arguably one of the three greatest Star Wars films heading into The Rise of Skywalker.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Dec 16, 2019

Empire was certainly no dud - it was entertaining, often exciting and visually dazzling.

Full Review | Sep 25, 2019

An indubitable classic, not only of its genre but of the seventh art in general. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Aug 30, 2019

The Empire Strikes Back Displays the same soaring imagination that made Star Wars a filmmaking classic; most other space movies seem clunky and earthbound in comparison.

Full Review | Jul 17, 2019

Seeing the arc of Luke's daddy issues culminate at the end of The Empire Strikes Back blew everyone's mind.

Full Review | Jun 20, 2019

The special effects are great and the writing is poignant, funny, emotional, everything you could want in a movie.

Full Review | Original Score: A+ | Apr 18, 2019

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Review

01 Jan 1980

124 minutes

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

It's generally agreed that The Empire Strikes Back is the best film of George Lucas' initial trilogy (despite a latter-day shift toward the original's storytelling purity). Not a sequel as such, but the next part of a continuing story, Empire marks enormous progression both in terms of the mythos of the series and in the filmmaking quality itself.

No longer tethered by the need to establish this fabulous universe wrapped in the arcane mysticism of the Force, this is a film far more sophisticated, awe-inspiring and daring (what do you mean Han Solo stays frozen in carbonite?). The actors too, reassured this was not some tinpot sci-fi quickie, have settled comfortably into their characters. Which is a good thing given the nightmare wrought for them by writers Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett. At once more graceful and melancholic than its predecessor, Kershner enhances the pensive mood of impending tragedy with an array of inhospitable worlds (we travel from the icescape of Hoth to the swamp of Dagobah to a sleek, sterile city in the clouds). Bespin, the Cloud City, the most awesome of any of the Star Wars arenas, is a beautiful exterior with a dark heart. The film culminates in a whirl of emotional intensity and the infernal machine of the carbon freezing chamber. With John Williams' breathtaking score and the dark red hellish lighting (the characters have arrived in Hell — this being the "second day" of the trilogy), the whole feel is of a Wagnerian opera: dark and epic.

Then there is the devastating confrontation between Luke and Vader. Masterfully choreographed, their duel culminates on a thin gantry

protruding out over the vast depths that are the hollow core of the Cloud City. Magnificently visualised, the dizzying vertiginous terror of the moment encapsulating Luke's disorientation and horror at Vader's revelation of paternalism. Significantly, Luke chooses death over the outstretched hand of the dark side and is eventully born again as a Jedi.

But Act 2 is never consumed by darkness. There is comedy: C-3PO is still fussily camp as the Shakespearean chorus; Solo cracks wiser than ever before and new entry Yoda's knack of getting straight-to-the-point via the syntactical equivalent of Spaghetti Junction ("No! Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try.") is pure delight. And effectswise it offers unforgettable, if sometimes impractical, marvels: the awesome AT-ATs marching on the rebel base on Hoth, whose lurching gait was modelled on elephants, or Solo piloting the Milennium Falcon straight into an asteroid field.

It is on a psychological level, though, where Empire really reaches beyond its brethren. On Dagobah, where Luke is tutored in Jedi philosophy by the rubbery icon-to-be Yoda, the notion of the Force turns from the simple good/bad divide of Star Wars into a sea of moral ambiguity. Luke must fight the urges of anger and emotion to find the true path (a factor which left much of The Phantom Menace so limp — the Jedi characters were by definition unexciting). In the film's (and probably the series') most complex sequence Luke descends into a metaphorical dream womb, a representation of his unacknowledged fears. Here, prophetically, he confronts Darth Vader and discovers his own face beneath the mask. This is dark stuff, way beyond funny robots and knights in space.

Empire slipped the insufficient Return Of The Jedi a hospital pass. There was too much to settle (the whole damn universe to be saved before tea), and we had been so exhilarated by Empire that teddy bears at war was inevitably trite.

Buy now on Amazon.

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Cast & crew
User reviews

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

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 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 all 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. 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.

Irvin Kershner
Leigh Brackett
Lawrence Kasdan
George Lucas
Mark Hamill
Harrison Ford
Carrie Fisher
1.4K User reviews
257 Critic reviews
82 Metascore
27 wins & 20 nominations total

Top cast 99+

Luke Skywalker

Princess Leia

Lando Calrissian

Darth Vader

Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi

Lobot, Lando's Aide

Chief Ugnaught
Snow Creature

Admiral Piett

General Veers

Admiral Ozzel
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

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.

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 reviews 1.4K

Sleepin_Dragon
Sep 17, 2023

Women in Science Fiction

How long is Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back? Powered by Alexa
How were the Rebels able to destroy one of the AT-ATs with a single shot after Luke discovered that their armor was "too strong for blasters"?
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June 18, 1980 (United States)
United States
United Kingdom
Lucasfilm Ltd. (United States)
Official site
Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back
Hardangerjøkulen Glacier, Finse, Norway (exterior Hoth scenes)
Twentieth Century Fox
See more company credits at IMDbPro
$18,000,000 (estimated)
$292,753,960
May 25, 1980
$550,016,086

Technical specs

Runtime 2 hours 4 minutes

More to explore

Film Review: ‘The Empire Strikes Back’

By James Harwood

James Harwood

Film Review: ‘Out of Africa’ 39 years ago
Terms of Endearment 41 years ago
Film Review: ‘Return of the Jedi’ 41 years ago

“ 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. Only boxoffice question is how many earthly trucks it will take to carry the cash to the bank.

From the first burst of John Williams’ powerful score and the receding opening title crawl, we are back in pleasant surroundings and anxious for a good time–like walking through the front gate of Disneyland, where good and evil are never confused and the righteous will always win.

This is exec producer George Lucas’ world. Though he has turned the director’s chair over to the capable Irvin Kershner and his typewriter to Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, there are no recognizable deviations from the path marked by Lucas and producer Gary Kurtz.

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Having already introduced their principal players, the filmmakers now have a chance to round them out, assisted again by good performances from Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher . And even the ominous Darth Vader (David Prowse [voiced by James Earl Jones]) is fleshed with new – and surprising – motivations. Killed in the original, Alec Guiness is limited to ghostly cameo.

Popular on Variety

Responding, too, to the audience’s obvious affection for the non-human sidekicks, “Empire” makes full use of Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), C3PO (Anthony Daniels) and R2D2 (Kenny Baker). Among the new characters, Billy Dee Williams gets a good turn as a duplicitous but likeable villain-ally and Frank Oz is fascinating as sort of a guru for the Force. How this dwarfish character was created and made to seem so real is a wonder, but it’s only one of many visual marvels.

There are new creatures like the Tautaun on the ice planet Hoth and dreadful new mechanical menaces such as giant four-legged, walking juggernauts, plus the usual array of motherships and fighter craft, odd space stations and asteroids.

But it’s all believable given the premise, made the more enjoyable by Lucas’ heavy borrowing — with a splashing new coat of sci-fi paint — from many basic film frameworks. The juggernaut attack on infantry in the trenches with fighter planes counterattacking overhead is straight out of every war film ever made.

Even more than before, Lucas and Kershner seem to be making the comparisons obvious. Vader’s admirals now look even more dressed like Japanese admirals of the fleet intercut with Hamill’s scrambling fighter pilots who wouldn’t look too out of place on any Marine base today.

Oz’s eerie jungle home would not confuse Tarzan and the carbon-freezing chamber that threatens Ford could be substituted for any alligator pit in a Lost Temple. Naturally, too, the laser saber battles of the first are back again even more, along with the wild-west shootouts and aerial dogfights.

At 124 minutes, “Empire” is only three minutes longer than its predecessor, but seems to be longer than that, probably because of the overfamiliarity with some of the space sequences and excessive saber duels between Vader and Hamill.

Reaching its finish, “Empire” blatantly sets up the third in the “Star Wars” trilogy, presuming the marketplace will signify its interest. It’s a pretty safe presumption.

Related reviews: “Star Wars” “Return of the Jedi” “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” “Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones” “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith”

1980: Best Sound, Special Achievement Award (visual effects).

Nominations: Best Art Direction, Original Score

Production: 20th Century-Fox/Lucasfilm. Director Irvin Kershner; Producer Gary Kurtz; Screenplay Leigh Brackett, Lawrence Kasdan; Camera Peter Suschitzky; Editor Paul Hirsch; Music John Williams; Art Director Norman Reynolds. Reviewed at 20th Century Fox, May 7, 1980. MPAA rating: PG.
Crew: (Color) Widescreen. Available on VHS, DVD. Original review text from 1980. Running time: 124 MIN.
With: Luke Skywalker - Mark Hamill Han Solo - Harrison Ford Princess Leia - Carrie Fisher Darth Vader - David Prowse C3P0 - Anthony Daniels Chewbacca - Peter Mayhew R2-D2 - Kenny Baker Yoda - Frank Oz Lando Calrissian - Billy Dee Williams Ben Kenobi - Alec Guiness

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Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

Review by brian eggert december 5, 2015.

Forgive the generalization, but Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back is one of the most beloved films of all time and certainly the most well-crafted of the Star Wars films. Any Star Wars aficionado, as well as most critics and film historians, will no doubt proclaim it to be the best in the series, often with wildly enthusiastic aplomb. It belongs on a list next to The Godfather, Part II and Aliens for being a sequel which fans commonly argue betters its original. Often noted for its thematic darkness and the touch of gray it brings to the otherwise black-and-white comic-book world of the original, The Empire Strikes Back also happens to be the finest Star Wars film in its formal accomplishments, dramatic expansion, and deepening of the galaxy created by George Lucas in 1977. And yet, the film marks the beginning of a series of incongruities that continue through the remaining Star Wars sequels and prequels, each diminishing the singularity of the original film. Examining the creative process of this first sequel demonstrates how Lucas’ regular story revisions diverge from the established mythology—that his Star Wars saga was an ever-evolving and occasionally clumsy evolutionary process, as opposed to later claims that he sketched out or even wrote entire stories for each Star Wars film long before production began. Regardless of how it was created, The Empire Strikes Back rises above its inconsistencies to enhance the overall legacy and provide fans with the most dramatically involving entry in the series.

After the release (and several re-releases) of Star Wars , the film incited a popular phenomenon. Perhaps craze is a better word. What else but a “craze” could result in Kellog’s C-3PO’s cereal, complete with a mail-in offer for a C-3PO mask? Kenner’s ground-breaking toy line offered an action figure of every character, no matter how obscure. Along with comic books, novelizations, a notorious Christmas special, and countless other promotional tie-ins, Star Wars would not soon be forgotten by audiences. It also rejuvenated the otherwise dead fantasy and adventure genres, justifying titles like Superman (1978), Conan the Barbarian (1982), and television shows such as Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981). Though Lucas intended little more than an escapist B-movie adventure made in a high-quality style, audiences received Star Wars as a type of religion, going far beyond its pop-culture implications. Even critics returned to the film and found all manner of hidden meanings, largely scholarly projections not intended by the filmmaker. Lucas’ use of familiar, heroic archetypes could not help but feel familiar and important to audiences, yet actually empty enough to allow viewers to project onto it any meaning of their choosing. And so, when Lucas resolved to develop a Star Wars sequel, he, too, had built Star Wars up into something far more grandiose than he intended. Lucas designed his franchise to resemble Flash Gordon matinee serials, each of which ended with a cliffhanger to ensure the audience returned for next week’s episode. That structure, along with the desire to embrace the aggrandized Star Wars phenomenon, resulted in an incomplete, episodic nature for his sequel.

Such a defense would allow him to make changes to the original films, to create no end of future episodes, secure him limitless commercial prospects, and in the meantime make him look like a genius for continuing the process of bringing his preordained vision to the screen. Indeed, The Empire Strikes Back became the first film to signal Lucas’ wealth of ideas concerning his saga of characters and stories only hinted at in Star Wars , which in turn allowed his franchise expansive growth opportunities. He could make films about the civil war, Darth Vader’s origin story, the Clone Wars, or the adventures of young Obi Wan Kenobi and young Anakin Skywalker. All of these ideas required new casting and reimagined special FX, but they were stories Lucas wanted to tell. In keeping with the momentum of the now-retitled A New Hope , Lucas resolved the easiest solution would be to deliver a direct sequel Star Wars , while also allowing for those other stories to be told at some later time. “That’s where the [eventual idea of] starting in episode four came,” said Lucas in a 1997 interview. “Because I said, ‘Well, maybe I could make three out of this back story.’ That evolved right around the time [ Star Wars ] was released, after I knew it was a success.” With so much story, it meant Lucas had endless episodes, and thus endless commercial potential. In fact, Lucas had initially planned on eleven additional films after Star Wars , as reported in Time magazine in 1978, with constant filming and 2001 as the expected debut of the final episode—not unlike a twelve-part serial series. Eventually, he shortened that ambitious plan down to nine films in all.

Star Wars was still a relatively recent phenomenon, but its mythology was already cemented into pop-culture. Notions of Darth Vader, the Force, and Luke Skywalker’s eventual emergence as a Jedi Knight could be explored by other talent in the sequel. Lucas thought about who could write the script and remembered reading pulp science-fiction from writer Leigh Brackett years earlier. He decided to contact her and called, asking if she had written any scripts before. Brackett replied with her credits, including The Big Sleep (1946) and more recently The Long Goodbye (1973). Lucas was shocked to discover the Leigh Brackett who wrote far-out sci-fi yarns for Amazing Stories and Planet Stories magazines was the very same writer who collaborated with Howard Hawks on Rio Bravo (1958) and other pictures. Lucas and Brackett fleshed-out the first outline in 1977, while Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan would complete the script. Once again, Lucas drew inspiration for the story structure from Japanese master Akira Kurosawa, referencing Dersu Uzala (1975), particularly for the ice planet Hoth and bog planet Dagobah sequences. The titular character of Kurosawa’s film, an Asiatic recluse who serves as a guide for Russian explorers, even has the same naive charm as Yoda; but like Yoda, the character proves to be very wise.

To be sure, the first draft of The Empire Strikes Back contained no reference to the pivotal moment when Darth Vader reveals he’s Luke’s father, but it contained other ideas that were dropped and used later in Lucas’ prequels. Boba Fett’s connection to the Clone Wars was originally developed as a plot element for The Empire Strikes Back ; specifically, that he served as the source for a clone army that eventually became the Empire’s stormtroopers—which contradicts the implication from A New Hope that suggests the stormtroopers were recruited from an Imperial Academy. In J.W. Rinzler’s book The Making of Star Wars , Lucas remarked on the lack of women working for the Empire: “Some of the stormtroopers are women, but there weren’t that many women assigned to the Death Star.” This would seem to contradict the later assertion that stormtroopers are clones. But moreover, it demonstrates that Lucas’ mythology was ever-changing during the creative process. As ideas continued to develop, they shifted away from the singular mythology of A New Hope . In fact, when Brackett turned in her first screenplay draft of Lucas’ treatment in February 1977, there was no mention of Vader being Luke’s father, and The Empire Strikes Back was still considered “Chapter II” in the series. Sadly, Brackett died of cancer the following month.

To direct The Empire Strikes Back Lucas entrusted Irvin Kershner, a former USC classmate-turned-instructor, whom Lucas promised creative freedom. To polish the final drafts, Lucas called upon Kasdan, who had just turned in his script for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Lucas’ serial-inspired adventure directed by Steven Spielberg. According to Dave Pollack’s biography Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas , “Kasdan’s main criticism [of Lucas’ The Empire Strikes Back script] was that Lucas glossed over the emotional content of a scene in his hurry to get to the next one.” Indeed, this would become evident in Lucas’ prequel films, which he authored without contribution from other writers. “Well, if we have enough action,” Lucas reasoned in an interview, “no one will notice.” Kasdan soon discovered the essence of a George Lucas-penned scene, that he cares less about characters, their connections to one another, and their distinctive qualities—Lucas writes to drive the plot forward. Kasdan has always been more interested in the relationships between people, as his later directorial efforts The Big Chill (1983) and Silverado (1985) demonstrate. As Kershner oversaw early pre-production and storyboarding, Kasdan finished the final shooting draft in November 1979.

Due to offscreen and scripting issues, several aspects about The Empire Strikes Back remain odd or ungainly. Harrison Ford told Lucas during production that he wasn’t interested in participating in another Star Wars film after The Empire Strikes Back . This led to Han’s encasement in carbonite becoming an uncertain end, and the possibility of Lando taking over the “scoundrel” role for Han. In the final shots of The Empire Strikes Back , the audience even sees Lando wearing Han’s signature outfit—an odd moment, without a doubt. There is also the dramatically ham-fisted moment when Luke confronts himself dressed as Darth Vader in a Dagobah cave. Or consider the ineffective reveal of “another hope” for the Rebellion besides Luke. Yoda and Obi Wan’s spirit talk about Luke on Dagobah. Obi-Wan says, “He is our only hope.” Yoda replies, “No… there is another.” This implies Luke is not as significant to the overall story as we believe him to be, or as the story has established thus far. None of these criticisms are meant to discredit the overall effect of The Empire Strikes Back ; rather, they suggest that Lucas’ grand design had yet to be written and would remain in flux until each film hit theaters. The reason being, quite simply, is that he kept changing the mythology as he went. Lines of dialogue here offer a contradiction there. Nevertheless, Lucas insisted “This is what I always intended” and, at the time, believed he had another ten films to work out any plot holes. It didn’t work out that way. Today, only in its broadstrokes does the Star Wars saga flow together as a consistent, cohesive melodrama.

Bailey, T. J. Devising a Dream: A Book of Star Wars Facts and Production Timeline . Louisville, KY: Wasteland Press, 2005.

Baxter, John. Mythmaker: The Life and Work of George Lucas (1st ed.). New York: William Morrow, 1999.

Bouzereau, Laurent. Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays . New York: Del Rey, 1997.

Hearn, Marcus. The Cinema of George Lucas . New York: ABRAMS Books, 2005.

Kaminski, Michael. The Secret History of Star Wars: The Art of Storytelling and the Making of a Modern Epic . Kingston, Ont.: Legacy Books Press, 2008.

Rinzler, J.W. The Making of Star Wars . LucasBooks, 2007.

Sansweet, Stephen (1992 ). Star Wars: From Concept to Screen to Collectible . San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

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Critical opinion: the empire strikes back 's original reviews.

Look back at what critics said in 1980 about the sequel to Star Wars , now considered a classic. It wasn't pretty.

But why did the film get such short shrift from the reviewers of the time? What was it about Empire that they missed? One of movie history's most respected critics, Pauline Kael, who wrote for The New Yorker , had this to say about the film:

"There is no sense that this ebullient, youthful saga is running thin in imagination or that it has begun to depend excessively in its marvelous special effects -- that it is in any danger, in short, of stiffening into mannerism or mere billion-dollar style." The arctic version of the Desert Chase from Raiders .

“By far the most imaginative part of the Star Wars trilogy. This middle, bridging film is chained to an unresolved plot and doesn’t have the leaping, comic-book hedonism of the 1977 Star Wars , but you can feel the love of movie magic that went into its cascading imagery.” Star Wars is back

"I'm not sure I'm up for seven more Star Wars adventures, but I can hardly wait for the next one."

“ The Empire Strikes Back is not a truly terrible movie. It's a nice movie. It's not, by any means, as nice as Star Wars . It's not as fresh and funny and surprising and witty, but it is nice and inoffensive and, in a way that no one associated with it need be ashamed of, it's also silly. Attending to it is a lot like reading the middle of a comic book. It is amusing in fitful patches but you're likely to find more beauty, suspense, discipline, craft and art when watching a New York harbor pilot bring the Queen Elizabeth 2 into her Hudson River berth, which is what The Empire Strikes Back most reminds me of. It's a big, expensive, time-consuming, essentially mechanical operation. The Empire Strikes Back is about as personal as a Christmas card from a bank.”

“It is technically even more proficient, has virtually the same ingredients and bursts forth into a world that still seems ripe for its special blend of nostalgically simple story-telling and complicated technology. If George Lucas wants to go on and on...there seems no good reason yet why anything should stop him.” Prophetic words indeed. on the cover of Rolling Stone .

"One of George's real strengths is not giving you all the information you need, yet at the same time not denying you anything essential. You have a feeling that you want to know more at all times. "I have heard frequently that there is a certain kind of disappointment with the ending of the second film. I've heard people say, 'There's no end to this film' or 'I can't wait to find out what happens.' But they will, and that's exactly the effect intended by the ending." Empire at The Odeon, 1980.

"Director Irvin Kershner's imaginative supervision of George Lucas's brainchild gives this second part of the first Star Wars trilogy a truly epic dimension, adding a mature, philosophical aspect to the nonstop barrage of brilliant special effects. Events take place all over the universe -- Darth Vader sends Imperial troops to crush the rebels on the ice planet Hoth, while Luke Skywalker searches out Jedi master Yoda for further instruction in the mysterious ways of "the Force" -- and the much-loved characters are developed in intriguing ways. Kershner darkens the imagery of Lucas's vibrant, futuristic fairy tale and deepens its narrative with provocative plot strands, giving this sequel a cynical, harder edge that lifts it above the serial roots of its predecessor."

Returning to Kael, it's interesting -- almost quaint -- to see how people described our now familiar heroes back in the early '80s. Characters that any modern reviewer would be very familiar with still seemed alien back then, as Kael's descriptions show:

"Scenes linger in the mind: the light playing on Darth Vader's gleaming surfaces as this metal man, who's like a giant armored insect, fills the screen; Han Solo saving Luke's life on the ice planet Hoth by slashing open a snow camel and warming him inside; Luke's hand being lopped off, and his seemingly endless fall through space; Chewbacca, the Wookiee, yowling in grief or in comic fear, his sounds so hyper-human you couldn't help laughing at them; the big-eared green elf Yoda, with shining ancient eyes, who pontifically instructs Luke in how to grow up wise -- Yoda looks like a wonton and talks like a fortune cookie." Irvin Kershner and Darth Vader: Full Throttle

In the The Daily Telegraph , Eric Shorter wrote the following on May 23, 1980:

"(T)hey assure us that their latest offering is only episode five in a nine-part saga and that although we haven’t yet had the first three parts they will all reach us in good time. There is talk of trilogies and myths and legends as if the enterprise had classical aspirations. Meanwhile what we get on the screen is the usual emphatic pride in machinery and paucity of characterisation that marks so much space fiction. Who are these people? What are they up to? Why is it so hard to care what happens to them? If you ever saw and committed to memory Star Wars such questions may seem naively exacting, since this episode reintroduces many of the figures and fantasies from the earlier film." Lando is nobody's mug...

" (H)aving somewhat advertently missed the famous predecessor I had to take for granted the motives and the cues for passion in a fable of such fantasy that one quickly understands what the advocates of it mean by its appeal to children of all ages. It is violent. It is conventional. It is not without humour of the cosy Enid Blyton kind. And it is devoid of blood ."

"To call The Empire Strikes Back a good junk movie is no insult: There is enough bad junk around. And surely we're getting over the snobbery of pretending that it is undemocratic to recognize any hierarchy of culture, as if both low and high can't be appreciated, often be the same people. But when light entertainment is done well, someone is bound to make extravagant and unsupportable claims for its being great art. You will hear that this sequel to Star Wars is part of a vast new mythology, as if it were the Oresteia. Its originator, George Lucas, has revealed that the two pictures are actually parts four and five of a nine-part sage, as if audiences will some day receive the total the way devotees now go to Seattle for a week of immersion in Wagner's complete Ring Cycle . Nonsense. This is no monumental artistic work, but a science-fiction movie done more snappily than most, including its own predecessor. A chocolate bar is a marvelous sweet that does not need to pretend to be a chocolate soufflé; musical comedies are wonderful entertainment without trying to compete with opera; blue jeans are a perfect garment that shouldn't be compared with haute couture. There are times when you would much rather have a really good hot dog than any steak, but you can still recognize that one is junk food and the other isn't." Princess Leia, full of pl-attitude...

"A new puppet, representing a great guru but looking like an elderly, Eastern rodent, is a success; an invented beast of burden that looks like the rear half of a cheap camel costume is not. The monkish character played by Alec Guinness is back with sparkling lights on his shoulders and a transparent body to indicate that he was killed off in Star Wars ."

"Familiarity breeds content; from the corny 'droids to the tired and emotional Wookie, the events, recognitions and revelations of the sequel have the rhythm of Soap in 70 mm -- and we love it, it makes us better people. As it appears that the plot is now infinitely extendable, a li'l oedipal confidence works in; there's more passion, more pain and more riddles in this family plot. With a goddam muppet as its spiritual guide, Star Wars : Episode V is an impressive indulgence in Hollywood style for the TV generation."

So you can see that The Empire Strikes Back covered the spectrum of critical opinion back in the early '80s, from deep disdain to casual indifference, from mild appreciation to high praise. Reviews from 1997's Special Edition era would be kinder, the intervening years cementing the original trilogy into the foundations of popular culture, and today the film regularly tops popular movie polls worldwide and is lauded as one of the great movie sequels.

Which goes to show, it's all about a certain point of view.

Mark Newbold is the daily content manager of Jedi News and has been involved in websites since 1995. He has been contributing to Star Wars Insider since 2006 and is the co-host of the UK-focused podcast Radio 1138.

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The Empire Strikes Back archive review: return of the gimmicks

In our original 1980 review of George Lucas’s first Star Wars sequel, Richard Combs found even the “genuinely ‘fun’ elements of the first film” now “pedantically filled out and institutionalised”.

☜ Star Wars review: a monumentally empty blockbuster ☞ The Return of the Jedi review: George Lucas quits on top

Updated: 18 December 2019

from the Monthly Film Bulletin January 1980

Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader cross sabres in The Empire Strikes Back

The most dazzling trick in the Star Wars armoury remains its opening caption, announcing that what we are about to see takes place “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away”. The trick neatly confiates past and future, fairy tale and science fiction; but it also neatly evades the responsibility of science fiction (to imagine the future we deserve) and the challenge of fairy tale (to create a world in which we might have lived and can therefore believe). The Star Wars series, now in unpromising infancy, basically asks us to imagine and believe nothing – its technological sophistication does away with the need for the former, and its camp melding of myths in storyline and characters acknowledges the impossibility of the latter.

USA 1980 Certificate U 124m 15s

Director Irvin Kershner

Cast Luke Skywalker Mark Hamill Han Solo Harrison Ford Princess Leia Organa Carrie Fisher Lando Calrissian Billy Dee Williams C-3PO See-Threepio Anthony Daniels Lord Darth Vader David Prowse voice of Lord Darth Vader James Earl Jones Chewbacca Peter Mayhew R2-D2 Artoo-Detoo Kenny Baker Yoda Frank Oz Ben [Obi-Wan] Kenobi Alec Guinness Boba Fett Jeremy Bulloch

Original UK release date 21 May 1980 Distributor Twentieth Century Fox (now Disney) starwars.com/films/star-wars-episode-v-the-empire-strikes-back ► Trailers

With the revelation that Lucas has such a series in mind, even the genuinely ‘fun’ elements of the first film – its comic-strip eclecticism, its movie-serial dash and narrative tropes – are pedantically filled out and institutionalised, much as the galactic landscape is by effects technology. Star Wars will actually become an episode in a movie serial – to be subtitled ‘Episode IV – A New Hope’, with episodes 1-III and VI to IX still to come – though to judge by Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back , its continuing logic will simply be more of the same.

Empire begins, in fact, as if Star Wars had never been, with the Republicans still in flight from the Empire’s totalitarian forces. That story counts for less than gimmicks, and characters less than both, might be judged from the lack of resonance in the one narrative revelation, concerning Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. The choice of Irvin Kershner as director, presumably to help bring out the human elements over the comic-strip streamlining of Lucas’s own direction, proves in the event ill-advised: the human elements are cutely second-hand (Han Solo and Princess Leia’s romantic sparring out of 1930s comedy) and soon overplayed at the expense of comic-strip drive (Solo’s malfunctioning hyperdrive system might churlishly be taken as a metaphor here).

The defence that this is all good clean fantasy, closer to sword and sorcery than science fiction, is also scuttled by the imaginative shortcomings of the Yoda episode, where Muppetry meets The Lord of the Rings. What the series so far appeals to is audience naivety rather than innocence (the perfunctory conflict of good and evil is less the driving force than the steady escalation of special effects), and cynicism rather than wonder (this is Buck Rogers on a super-colossal budget, inviting us to lose ourselves in the gloss not the story). That Steven Spielberg , who communicated a more ‘creative’ wonder in Close Encounters of the Third Kind , is to direct Lucas’s next fantasy production, Raiders of the Lost Ark , might be a greater force for good than all the Force collected here.

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Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (United States, 1980)

For three years, we waited. As bits of news filtered through the Hollywood grapevine into the trade papers and Starlog , we gobbled them up. Still, by early 1980, not much was known about Star Wars 2 (officially retitled The Empire Strikes Back by the time of its release). Speculation was rampant about the direction it would take but no one expected what the film delivered. Not only did it advance the storylines of the three principal characters but it interjected one of the greatest shocks in movie history. Unless you had it spoiled, there was no way to predict what Darth Vader would say at the climax of his lightsaber duel with Luke.

This a dark movie - as dark in its own way as Revenge of the Sith , although perhaps ultimately not quite as bleak. If A New Hope was about optimism and the victory of good over evil, The Empire Strikes Back is about the triumph of darkness. If this was a fight, the Empire would have won by a TKO. Okay, so Vader (David Prowse) doesn’t “convert” Luke (Mark Hamill) but he accomplishes pretty much everything else. He finds the Rebel’s new hidden base and destroys it. He captures Han (Harrison Ford) and Leia (Carrie Fisher), tortures them, then gives Han to the bounty hunter Boba Fett. He defeats Luke in a lightsaber duel (the one we had been anticipating since Vader and Obi-Wan crossed blades in 1977), takes his hand, and leaves him with an impossible truth. In the end, we’re left with our heroes looking toward the future because the immediate past offers no solace.

The Empire Strikes Back introduces three new significant characters. The most notable is Yoda, the first muppet to show up in the Star Wars universe. As a way of attracting children, Yoda was infinitely more successful than either the Ewoks or Jar-Jar Binks. Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) gives people of color their own hero in a galaxy that had, to that point, been mostly white. We also get a glimpse of the Emperor. In the original theatrical release, this spectral being was played by Elaine Baker using the voice of Clive Revill. However, for the Special Edition, Lucas understandably shot new footage using Ian McDiarmid (complete with new dialogue). From a continuity standpoint, this is probably the most important change made to any of the three movies for the re-releases.

The special effects have taken a quantum leap from what they were in A New Hope , which were far and above the industry norm of the late 1970s. There’s nothing in The Empire Strikes Back that doesn’t stand up well 35 years later, whether it’s the AT-ATs attacking the base on Hoth, the Star Destroyers flying around the galaxy, the asteroid field where the Millennium Falcon plays hide-and-seek with the TIE fighters, the swamps of Dagobah, or the Cloud City of Bespin. Even Yoda, a puppet , is believable. For each of the Star Wars films, Lucas always sought enhancements and improvements in the visual effects department. Without CGI at his disposal, it’s amazing that he was able to accomplish the dazzling battles and planetscapes.

The film’s dialogue is stronger than that of any of the other five Lucas-produced films. This may be because the screenplay was written (at least officially) by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan. Kasdan in particular is known for his ability to generate strong interpersonal relationships. This was the writer/director’s first credit but within five years, he would assemble an impressive resume: Raiders of the Lost Ark , Body Heat , The Big Chill , and Silverado . Dialogue, which one could argue is a weakness of A New Hope , is a strength here.

The Empire Strikes Back is a true classic. It has scope and grandeur. It has heroics and tragedy. It can make us laugh and cry. It can make us get up and cheer. It can shock us to the very core of our beings. The characters are larger than life and the space battles thrilling all these years later. This is space opera at the highest level. A New Hope was the purest kind of fun. The Empire Strikes Back is a richer, more fulfilling experience - not as heady, perhaps, but with deeper roots. It’s said that middle chapters of movie trilogies are often weak links but The Empire Strikes Back defies that “rule.” This is cinematic greatness.

For the original review, click here .

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Here's Why The Empire Strikes Back Is Still the Best Star Wars Movie

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Beyond the Spider-Verse's Exciting Release Update Is a Great Thing for the Movie

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1977 introduced the world to the beginning of the most lucrative sci-fi franchise in the world, Star Wars . Audiences were moved by its story, characters, and being transported to a "Galaxy Far, Far Away." When its sequel released in 1980, fans swarmed to theaters to see what awaited Luke, Han, and Leia in their adventures throughout space. The Empire Strikes Back did not disappoint, standing the test of time four decades later. Here's why The Empire Strikes Back is still the best Star Wars Movie .

Best Lightsaber Duel

Hamill Vader Star Wars Empire Strikes Back 1980 Lucasfilm

Aside from the CGI effects, courtesy of this day and age's technological advances, one of the alluring aspects of the Star Wars franchise is its lightsaber duels. In the prequel trilogy, the lightsaber duels focus on the physical intensity between the Jedi. Even Revenge of the Sith , which is the most emotionally-driven fight in the franchise, allows special effects to take precedent over the turmoil between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Empire Strikes Back manages to find the perfect balance . It's the first, extended lightsaber fight in the franchise, and definitely lives up to the glory of Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi's fight in Star Wars: A New Hope, but with a deeper significance. This lightsaber fight is the culmination of Luke Skywalker's training thus far, and his shortcomings through it. Every lesson Luke failed in Dagobah is reflected; he is impulsive, angry, and somewhat haughty in his fighting technique. This ultimately results in him losing the duel, and his hand, in the process.

Related: The Good (and Not-So-Good) of Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones

Budding Romance

star-wars-empire-strikes-back-leia-nerf-herder

Star Wars: A New Hope introduces what many audiences thought would be a love triangle between Luke, Han, and Leia; but George Lucas takes the story in a new direction in The Empire Strikes Back . While Luke is invested in his training on Dagobah, Leia and Han are invested in more amorous affairs. Their "love-hate" dynamic centers more on the love aspect and they become closer as they flee from the Empire's army and during their time on Cloud City. But unlike other Star Wars romances focused on the cliché romantic troupes or tiresome indecisiveness ( Kylo Ren and Rey , for example), Leia and Han have no qualms stating their emotional and sexual tension. They fight, reconcile, have moments of subtle embracing, and notably, risk their own lives to protect the other. In perhaps one of the most realistic love confessions in cinema, Leia finally says "I love you," to Han, with him responding with "I know," in an expected Han reaction.

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Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back

The Empire Strikes Back is praised for its plot more than any other Star Wars installment. It's an accurate depiction of politics, a dictatorship, romance, and how it all comes together to support a hero's journey. Luke Skywalker isn't an invincible hero ; if anything, he has considerable growth to do at the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back. When he arrives at Dagobah, Luke is eager to meet Yoda, thinking he's going to meet a wise-looking Jedi like Obi-Wan Kenobi, as opposed to the small, green creature that is Yoda. Luke takes a dismissive attitude towards Yoda before realizing his true identity, and even during their training sessions, Luke often questions the purpose of the courses and Yoda's overall validity as a Jedi Master. This is a universally applicable message: people can relate to Luke's naive, arrogance towards Yoda, the old as time mentality of "Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover" being conveyed.

Character Development

Yoda lifting the X-wing in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Every character in The Empire Strikes Back develops realistically. Leia goes from a woman who puts her duty above sentimentality, to allowing herself to embrace her romantic and sexual desire towards Han Solo. Han Solo evolves from being a self-centered, morally ambiguous, smuggler to a hero willing to sacrifice himself for his friends, and the person he loves. Luke Skywalker's development is thoroughly nuanced; Luke's heart is always in the right place, but his execution is faulty on several occasions.

From heading to meet Yoda amidst the onslaught of the Empire against the Rebel Alliance, abandoning his training on Dagobah midway to face Vader, to hastily facing Vader over trying to reunite with his friends and facing the Vader together, Luke learns through trial and error that he is not undefeatable, and far from being an equipped Jedi, even when driven by his best intentions. The franchise's titular villain, Darth Vader, is humanized; he isn't solely a tyrannical dictator unafraid to murder to achieve his goal; he is driven by something deeper: convincing his son to change his allegiance; beneath the mechanical scapegoat of his suit, Darth Vader is still a man longing to reconnect with his son, and in turn, his humanity.

Best Plot Twist in Film History

Tauntaun survival scene with Luke in The Empire Strikes Back

The highlighting element of The Empire Strikes Back is its plot twist. In Star Wars: A New Hope , one of the driving motivations for Luke Skywalker is claiming revenge against Darth Vader for killing his father. This remains a constant motivator in The Empire Strikes Back , with the added layer of Luke witnessing Vader striking down Obi-Wan Kenobi during their last encounter; to Luke's understanding, Vader has cost him every paternal figure in his life. No one, not even actor Mark Hamill himself, anticipated the biggest plot twist in history when Darth Vader says his iconic line "Luke, I am Your Father."

It Stands Alone As Excellent Cinema

Star Wars- The Empire Strikes Back (Episode V)

Whether as part of the Star Wars franchise or a standalone film , The Empire Strikes Back is an excellent piece of cinema. It has fully fledged characters, a cohesive plot, life and death stakes, and considering its sci-fi genre, manages to captivate audiences even with the limited technology of its time. That's its strongest suit; The Empire Strikes Back relies on its story and performers to tell a captivating story, not technological advancements to compensate for an otherwise underwhelming plot or average at best performances. The Empire Strikes Back is, simply put, one of a kind.

empire strikes back (1980)

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Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back parents guide

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Parent Guide

Some secrets can shake your universe..

When the Empire attacks the Rebel base and scatters their forces, Han and Leia flee, while Luke seeks further Jedi training. But Darth Vader will stop at nothing to find them (especially young Skywalker) in this sci-fi action/adventure film that acts as a story bridge between the first Star Wars film, Episode IV: A New Hope, and Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi.

Release date May 20, 1980

Run Time: 124 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by donna gustafson.

If your family is looking for “out of this world” video entertainment, then try the “good versus evil” franchise that translated smoking guns and dueling swords into a universe of laser-blasters and lightsabers.

The successful 1977 Star Wars left the public anxiously waiting for the Empire to Strike Back . George Lucas obliged, crafting a sequel by carefully combing out vague strands found in the original story, weaving them into an intricate plot, and planning a third installment to tie them up. With past financial success pointing to future prosperity, a “bridge” movie was born.

Even after a three-year intermission, audiences were not disappointed. Sitting on the edge of their seats they rode the plot twist roller-coaster, dodged asteroids with the Falcon’s intrepid crew, and felt Luke’s pain when he came up short-handed in his fight against the Force’s dark side. With plenty of spacecraft dogfights, weapons, explosions, and a brush with a Yeti-like creature, the movie presented more violence than its predecessor. Yet fans’ biggest complaint was—not unlike one of the main characters—they were left hanging another 36 months for the concluding episode.

Viewers can now consume the entire trilogy in one three-course marathon—proving some people can’t get enough of a good thing. Speaking of which, there’s a certain déjà vu about the next generation of Star Wars.

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Donna Gustafson

Star wars: episode v - the empire strikes back rating & content info.

Why is Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back rated PG? Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back is rated PG by the MPAA

Overall: B+

Violence: C

Throughout the film gunfire is exchanged between characters, machines, and spacecrafts, resulting result in chases, explosions, property damage, injuries, and death (violence is not graphic). Large beast attacks an animal and a man: beast devours animal, man’s face scratched, and beast’s arm is dismembered (some blood shown). Characters exposed to extreme elements with risk of dying from cold. Carcass of dead animal is cut open; intestines are shown. Two characters are choked to death, and another character is threatened with choking. Spaceships narrowly miss or collide with asteroids. Spaceship crash-lands. Robot is swallowed and spit out by swamp creature. Brief glimpse of disfigured head. Flying creature is shot. Several scenes portray lightsaber (like sword) fighting; a decapitation and a dismembered arm result. Implied torture of two characters; screams heard. Man punches another man. A risky procedure is used to freeze a character. Desperate character attempts suicide. Character hangs precariously.

Sexual Content: A-

Man shown wearing only a bathing suit-like covering. Several kisses are exchanged between male and female characters; some affectionate, some passionate. Man and woman exchange mild banter about attraction to one another.

Language: A-

At least: One mild profanity, and some name-calling.

Alcohol / Drug Use: A

Miscellaneous Concerns:

Those with reptile phobias may not appreciate the several snakes and lizards that are shown.

Page last updated July 17, 2017

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Parents' Guide

When Luke offers to try to accomplish a task, the Jedi Master Yoda corrects his apprentice by saying:“Do, or do not…. there is no try.” What do you think this counsel meant? Could you apply these words of wisdom in your life?

Talk about the movie with your family…

When Luke offers to try to accomplish a task, the Jedi Master Yoda corrects his apprentice by saying: “Do, or do not…. there is no try.” What do you think this counsel meant? Could you apply these words of wisdom in your life?

The most recent home video release of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back movie is September 11, 2006. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Star Wars: Episodes IV - VI

Release Date: 8 October 2013

20th Century Fox is releasing Star Wars: Episodes IV - VI to home video (Blu-ray and DVD). This 6 Disc Combo Set (3 Blu-ray +3 DVD) includes:

Interviews with George Lucas, Cast and Crew.

Note: Star Wars: Episodes I - III are also being released on the same date as a separate package.

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Tv/streaming, collections, chaz's journal, great movies, contributors, the empire strikes back.

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"The Empire Strikes Back'' is the best of three Star Wars films, and the most thought-provoking. After the space opera cheerfulness of the original film, this one plunges into darkness and even despair, and surrenders more completely to the underlying mystery of the story. It is because of the emotions stirred in "Empire'' that the entire series takes on a mythic quality that resonates back to the first and ahead to the third. This is the heart.

The film was made in 1980 with full knowledge that "Star Wars'' had become the most successful movie of all time. If corners were cut in the first film's budget, no cost was spared in this one: It is a visual extravaganza from beginning to end, one of the most visionary and inventive of all films.

Entirely apart from the story and the plot, the film is worth seeing simply for its sights. Not for the scenes of space battle, which are more or less standard (there's nothing here to match the hurtling chase through the high walls of the Death Star). But for such sights as the lumbering, elephantlike Imperial Walkers (was ever a weapon more impractical?). Or for the Cloud City, on its spire high in the sky. Or for the face of a creature named Yoda, whose expressions are as convincing as a human's, and as subtle. Or for the vertiginous heights that Luke Skywalker dangles over, after nearly plunging to his death.

There is a generosity in the production design of "The Empire Strikes Back.'' There are not only the amazing sights there before us, but plenty more in the corners of the screen, or everywhere the camera turns. The whole world of this story has been devised and constructed in such a way that we're not particularly aware of sets or effects--there's so *much* of this world that it all seems seamless. Consider, for example, an early scene where an Empire "probe droid'' is fired upon on the ice planet Hoth. It explodes. We've seen that lots of time. But then hot pieces of it shower down on the snow in the foreground, in soft, wet plops. That's the kind of detail George Lucas and his team live for.

There is another moment. Yoda has just sent Luke Skywalker into a dark part of the forest to confront his destiny. Luke says a brave farewell. There is a cut to R2-D2 whirling and beeping. And then a cut back to Yoda, whose face reflects a series of emotions: Concern, sadness, a hint of pride. You know intellectually that Yoda is a creature made by Frank Oz in a Muppet shop. But Oz and Lucas were not content to make Yoda realistic. They wanted to make him a good actor, too. And they did; in his range of wisdom and emotion, Yoda may actually give the best performance in the movie.

The worst, I'm afraid, is Chewbacca's. This character was thrown into the first film as window dressing, was never thought through, and as a result has been saddled with one facial expression and one mournful yelp. Much more could have been done. How can you be a space pilot and not be able to communicate in any meaningful way? Does Han Solo really understand Chew's monotonous noises? Do they have long chats sometimes?

Never mind. The second movie's story continues the saga set up in the first film. The Death Star has been destroyed, but Vader, of course, escaped, and now commands the Empire forces in their ascendancy against the Rebels. Our heroes have a secret base on Hoth, but flee it after the Empire attack, and then the key characters split up for parallel stories. Luke and R2-D2 crash-land on the planet Dagobah and Luke is tutored there by Yoda in the ways of the Jedi and the power of the Force. Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca and C-3PO evade Empire capture by hiding their ship in plain sight and then flee to the Cloud City, ruled by Lando ( Billy Dee Williams ), an old pal of Han's and (we learn) the original owner of the Millennium Falcon, before an unlucky card game.

There are a couple of amusing subplots, one involving Han's easily wounded male ego, another about Vader's knack of issuing sudden and fatal demotions. Then comes the defining moment of the series. Can there be a person alive who does not know (read no further if you are that person) that Luke discovers Darth Vader is his father? But that is not the moment. It comes after their protracted (and somewhat disorganized) laser-sword fight, when Luke chooses to fall to his death rather than live to be the son of Vader.

He doesn't die, of course (there is a third movie to be made); he's saved by some sort of chute I still don't understand, only to dangle beneath the Cloud City until his rescue, and a conclusion that only by sheer effort of will doesn't have the words "To be continued'' superimposed over it.

Perhaps because so much more time and money was spent on "The Empire Strikes Back'' in the first place, not much has been changed in this restored and spruced-up rerelease. I do not recall the first film in exact detail, but learn from the "Star Wars'' Web pages that the look of the Cloud City has been extended and enhanced, and there is more of the Wampa ice creature than before. I have no doubt there are many improvements on the soundtrack, but I would have to be a dog to hear them.

In the glory days of science fiction, critics wrote about the "sense of wonder.'' That's what "The Empire Strikes Back'' creates in us. Like a lot of traditional science fiction, it isn't psychologically complex or even very interested in personalities (aside from some obvious character traits). That's because the characters are not themselves--they are us. We are looking out through their eyes, instead of into them, as we would in more serious drama. We are on a quest, on a journey, on a mythological expedition. The story elements in the "Star Wars'' trilogy are as deep and universal as storytelling itself. Watching these movies, we're in a receptive state like that of a child--our eyes and ears are open, we're paying attention, and we are amazed.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

The Empire Strikes Back (1997)

127 minutes

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker

Harrison Ford as Han Solo

Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia

Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian

Anthony Daniels as C-3po

Frank Oz as Yoda

David Prowse as Darth Vader

James Earl Jones as Vader's Voice

Anthony Daniels as C-3PO

Directed by

Irvin Kershner
Leigh Brackett
Lawrence Kasdan

Based On A Story by

George Lucas

Based on a story by

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Star Wars Outlaws is the Scoundrel Fantasy You're Looking For - Game Rant Advance

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Star Wars Outlaws Players Can Get Special Item If They're Signed Up for Disney Plus

All star wars outlaws platforms, star wars outlaws: burning questions answered.

Star Wars is easily one of the most recognizable IPs on the planet, with the franchise spread across movies, TV shows, books, comics, video games, and practically any entertainment medium imaginable. Its fan base is just as vast and varied as the planets across the Star Wars universe, with each fan having their own unique stories and memories within the franchise. Whether someone was there for the first Star Wars movie's premiere in 1977 , whether they stumbled across the movies airing on TV, or they somehow got their start with the books, TV shows, or video games, the common element of Star Wars fandom is a love and passion unlike any other. For many, Star Wars isn't just an IP - it's a dream. And developers at Massive Entertainment are living that dream with the upcoming release of Star Wars Outlaws .

Any dream worth chasing is one that's not built overnight. Massive Entertainment pitched Lucasfilm on a "scoundrel fantasy" game focused on seamless open-world gameplay back in 2020, and now some four-odd years later, that dream is becoming a reality with Star Wars Outlaws . Game Rant recently spoke with several developers at Massive Entertainment, including creative director Julian Gerighty, art & world director Benedikt Podlesnigg, associate art director Marthe Jonkers, narrative director Navid Khavari, game director Mathias Karlson, and composer Wilbert Roget II, about realizing the dream that is Star Wars Outlaws .

star wars outlaws disney subscription reward nix tail wrapping

Star Wars fans who are subscribed to Disney+ can claim an exclusive item for Star Wars Outlaws ahead of the game's launch later this month.

Outlaws is Made For Star Wars Fans, By Star Wars Fans

star-wars-outlaws-game-rant-advance-kay-vess-nix-sunset-speeder

If you take a group of Star Wars fans and put them in a room together, the result is unpredictable. Debates are very common among the fandom, and there's no doubt fans would debate which of the Star Wars movies is the best, the importance of the Chosen One prophecy, the role of Midi-chlorians in the franchise, who the strongest character is, and even more. It would probably be neatly divided as well—and at least one of them is probably swearing up and down that Jar Jar Binks is a Sith Lord . There's some beauty to this, and that's the impact that Star Wars as a whole has on any specific individual, including the developers of Star Wars Outlaws .

When asked about their favorite moments in the franchise, their answers were as myriad as expected:

Gerighty was quick to point to the nostalgia he has from watching the Original Trilogy growing up.
Podlesnigg praised The Empire Strikes Back and everything it visually added to the Galaxy Far, Far Away...
Jonkers recalled making sketches of X-wings, spaceships, aliens, and lightsaber battles after watching The Empire Strikes Back for the first time.
Khavari called The Empire Strikes Back the gold standard for Star Wars Outlaws and then recalled all the Star Wars games and comics he loved.
Karlson also recalled being mesmerized by the world, characters, and technology of the original Star Wars trilogy, which he grew up watching.

Interestingly, Gerighty, Podlesnigg, and Karlson all cited Max Rebo as their favorite Star Wars character . Jonkers teetered back and forth between Darth Vader and Princess Leia, two classic picks. Khavari explained that it was Luke Skywalker when he was younger, how it was Han Solo in high school because he wished he could be that cool, and stated that his current favorite character is Lando Calrissian.

Recalling these memories of games, movies, characters, and decades upon decades of experience with Star Wars , Khavari said something that stuck - that feels like it encapsulates everything that Star Wars Outlaws seeks to accomplish:

"To me, all these pieces are part of the fabric of Star Wars, and in a lot of ways I think Star Wars Outlaws is a love letter to this galaxy that has given so much."

It is a game made by fans, for fans, who all love Star Wars and everything it has given them over the years and all the dreams it has fueled.

Star Wars Outlaws Has Been a Scoundrel Fantasy Since Day One

star-wars-outlaws-game-rant-advance-combat-kay-vess-shooting

Star Wars Outlaws was pitched as a Scoundrel Fantasy from day one, and every day since has been spent bringing that fantasy to life. Every time I think of Star Wars Outlaws , I think of a conversation I had with a friend years ago where he insisted that any Star Wars media couldn't exist or succeed without Jedi or The Force . In his words, it was the only thing that made Star Wars special, which made no sense to me.

This was years ago, but even then, we've seen characters and releases like Lando, Boba Fett, Beckett, Cad Bane, Dash Rendar, Andor, The Mandalorian , and The Book of Boba Fett . Yes, some of these have little hints of The Force or Jedi, but they all excel without them because the world is richer than lightsabers and space magic. The beating heart of the Star Wars galaxy is the dream promised in the stars. Scoundrels are woven into the DNA of Star Wars just as much as any other individual element because, at the heart of every scoundrel, is that dream of being free. Indeed, that richness is what Star Wars Outlaws taps into.

Star Wars Outlaws is the first-ever open-world Star Wars game , set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi . Players follow protagonist Kay Vess (and her adorable Merqaal companion Nix) as she seeks to pay off a debt and earn her freedom. She must assemble a crew, outwit the crime syndicates and ever-present Empire, and pull off a massive heist. In true heist fashion, fans can expect things to go awry and loyalties to be tested. But that's part of that rich DNA too. Even though Star Wars Outlaws is a Scoundrel Fantasy, we had to ask if there would be any inkling of The Force or The Jedi. As Khavari explained,

"It was really important to us to tell a story that is really focused on characters who not only aren’t part of this epic galactic unrest, but who especially would have no experience with the Force or the Jedi. It’s important to remember the time period as well, where the Jedi and Force users are all but eradicated in the galaxy, so it’s not really our story to tell. For us, the journey of Kay, Nix, and ND-5 navigating the criminal underworld through cities bustling with scoundrels, an open world filled with exotic wildlife, or jumping into dogfights with the Trailblazer brings an immersion into the Star Wars galaxy that we feel players will have never experienced before."

While some fans will no doubt be hopeful until (and probably even after) Star Wars Outlaws ' release , this is not bad news. Star Wars is not just The Force or the Jedi, and Star Wars Outlaws is tapping into those best bits, found only in wretched hives of scum and villainy.

Star Wars Outlaws - Meet The Crew

star-wars-outlaws-game-rant-advance-kay-vess-nix-flying-ship

Kay Vess and Nix

Players will control protagonist Kay Vess (and by extension Nix) as the main stars of Star Wars Outlaws , but joining their side is also ND-5, a BX-series droid commando in a trenchcoat. Vess was raised in the casino city of Canto Bight (as seen in The Last Jedi ), specifically within its worker's district. The poverty and isolation away from the glitz and glam of the casino meant Vess struggled to survive, picking up her skills as a thief in Canto Bight's streets. Envious, perhaps, of the rich, Vess dreams of leaving Cantonica behind and landing a major score that would set her and Nix up for life - setting the stage for Star Wars Outlaws .

She's not alone, of course, as she's joined by Nix. Merqaals are a new species to the Galaxy Far, Far Away, with the developers getting to add this adorable creature to the canon of Star Wars . As Jonkers would explain, Merqaals originate from a jungle planet. This harsh environment led to the evolution of scales on their back, to protect from rain and predators, and they also have dexterous paws, big claws, and sharp teeth. A unique element to Merqaals are "feelers," with Jonkers explaining that,

"With those, they can sense the environment for danger. Nix also uses them to communicate with Kay, putting them up when he is excited or has found something, curling them down when he is cautious."

Vess and Nix are an iconic duo - not unlike Han and Chewie, C-3PO and R2-D2, Din Djarin and Grogu , or Cal Kestis and BD-1. When asked what Vess and Nix add to that dynamic, Khavari explained their unique role when standing on the shoulders of these giants:

"I do think there’s something particularly unique between Kay and Nix, in that they grew up together from when Kay was young. As Kay is someone who really doesn’t trust too easily, Nix represents a crack in the armor – her heart, her vulnerability. We infused so much of our own pets into Nix’ character – I know whenever we were writing scripts or talking to Humberly (Gonzalez, who plays Kay) and our fantastic puppeteer Camille (Loiselle-D'Aragon) that we wanted to show Kay seeing Nix not just as a pet, but family. And I think players are really responding to that, as it’s so relatable."

When Gerighty described working with the history of Star Wars , he explained the team was able to "add in little references to eras such as the Clone Wars through ND-5 and some other details that players will discover." It's been explained that ND-5 fought heavily during the Clone Wars, eventually ending up in deep storage. Come Star Wars Outlaws ' timeline, though, he has been working as a personal enforcer and becomes entangled with Vess for this heist, but it's unclear how much ND-5 can be trusted.

The Galaxy's Most Wanted

There are criminal syndicates, bad guys, evil henchmen, and the Empire lurking around every corner, and it seems they all want a piece of Vess.

Jaylen Vrax - A powerful scoundrel in his own right, he suggests Kay Vess rob the Zerek Besh crime syndicate of their fortune, earning her a ton of credits and her freedom in the process. However, he can be trusted as far as someone can throw ND-5.
Sliro - The leader of the Zerek Besh and someone with a deep-rooted dislike for Kay Vess. Why? No one knows yet, but in true Star Wars fashion, some theories suggest Kay Vess stole The Trailblazer from Sliro and the Zerek Besh.
The Zerek Besh - Sliro's Crime Syndicate, based in Canto Bight . Their activities are largely unknown, but because of their history with Kay Vess, players will not be able to build up any reputation with the Zerek Besh .
Vail - A Bounty hunter, hired by Sliro, to capture Kay Vess.
Lady Qi'ra and The Crimson Dawn - The Crimson Dawn are led by Solo 's Lady Qi'ra , and while they are quite mysterious, they focus on intelligence, manipulation, and using a wide network of criminal organizations for their own purposes. They are the ones who sold Han in Carbonite to Jabba the Hutt. Players will be able to build a reputation with the Crimson Dawn.
The Ashiga Clan - A brand new crime syndicate for Star Wars Outlaws. They are based on Kijimi. They have a strict hierarchical structure and code of conduct. Players will be able to build a reputation with The Ashiga Clan.
The Hutt Cartel - Composed of powerful crime lords and based on Tatooine, The Hutt Cartel is involved in smuggling and various illegal business practices. Players will be able to build a reputation with The Hutt Cartel.
The Pyke Syndicate - A crime syndicate largely focused on Spice production and illegal trading, they value credits above all others. Although based on the planet Oba Diah (not in Star Wars Outlaws ), they are involved with a mining operation on Toshara (a Star Wars Outlaws moon) . Players will be able to build a reputation with The Pyke Syndicate .

When it comes to how crime syndicates are represented in Star Wars Outlaws , Jonkers explained that,

"Each syndicate is unique. Not only in the types of units they deploy, but also the materials and colors they use, the equipment they have, their behavior, their activities. Some are completely entwined with their base location like the Ashiga on Kijimi, some are very organized and operating from the shadows like Crimson Dawn. That makes your choices in who to trust very meaningful. And as Kay dives into the underworld, she of course inevitably runs into some familiar faces like Lady Qira or Jabba the Hutt! We had tons of fantastic reference materials provided to us by Lucasfilm to really dive into the details of his design, whether it was tweaking the slime around his nostrils and mouth, to adding the design of his arm tattoo and the wound he has on his tail. The underworld is filled with a rich variety of characters, new and familiar, and I’m looking forward to players meeting them all."

Exploring the Galaxy Far, Far Away

Star Wars fans will have to wait and see how these characters and factions come together for Star Wars Outlaws ' story , but that is still just scratching the surface of what the game offers. Being the first-ever open-world Star Wars game sets high expectations not just for the story, but also for the planets players will visit, for its on-planet gameplay, and for taking to the stars. Luckily, everything the Star Wars Outlaws devs have told us checks all the right boxes.

Star Wars Outlaws Planets

The planets of Star Wars Outlaws include Tatooine, Toshara, Akiva, Kijimi, and Cantonica , and while there could still be a surprise location or two reserved for the final game, that's already a solid line-up. Tatooine hardly needs any introduction as the desert planet home of Anakin and Luke Skywalker, having appeared in the franchise many times over.

Toshara, on the other hand, is a brand-new moon created by Massive Entertainment. It is a moon of the Toshaal system, with an environment akin to an African savanna with windswept plains and amber canyons. Its structure allowed pirates and bandits to make the moon their home, with it being known as the Gem of the Underworld. The Pyke Syndicate is performing some form of mining operation here, working with the corrupt Imperial governors of Toshara.

Akiva is an Outer Rim planet most often mentioned in Star Wars books. Star Wars Outlaws is its first appearance in a major game, but what fans should know is that Akiva is a hotbed for wars across the galaxy. Despite being an Outer Rim planet, it has somehow found itself involved in them frequently, and that's likely influenced its design in Star Wars Outlaws in some way. It is a hot jungle planet in contrast with Kijimi, a frigid mountainous planet. Kijimi is seen in The Rise of Skywalker , where Rey and the others attempt to modify C-3PO so he can translate the ancient Sith dagger. Of course, things go awry. The First Order arrives, and eventually Kijimi is destroyed.

Lastly, Cantonica is most known for its role in The Last Jedi and Canto Bight. It is also the home of Kay Vess, which kicks off her entire adventure. What's interesting when looking at these planets as a whole is how different they are in origin. Tatooine is a popular planet seen across the entire franchise, while Toshara is a brand-new, never-before-seen moon. Akiva is only seen in written works, while both Kijimi and Cantonica appear in the Star Wars sequel trilogy . Ubisoft and Massive didn't pull from one inspiration, even with the game's focus on the 70s/80s vibe, and instead pulled from the entire history of Star Wars . As a result, we had a lot of questions about these planets.

Podlesnigg on Creative Freedom with Planets

"Lucasfilm Games gave us a lot of freedom and worked very closely with us to ensure the authenticity of iconic locations. The team is full of Star Wars fans who really pushed at every corner to ensure we respect the source material, especially when it comes to Tatooine. Being able to really enter the Mos Eisley cantina, walk around in it and experience it within an open world is amazing."

Podlesnigg on Recreating Tatooine

"We spent a lot of time looking at reference material. We tried to look at the things that would have inspired the people who worked on the movies at that time in addition to looking at Star Wars media. For Tatooine specifically, we looked at references that were used for the movies like the filming locations in Death Valley / Tunisia. We also tried to stay true to depictions of some of the locales shown in the books where you see cutaway images of them."

Podlesnigg on Designing Toshara

"When creating Toshara we came to Lucasfilm Games with the idea of what we wanted to do and then worked with them closely to make sure everything fits together. We had a lot of freedom when creating this special moon so we could really go very deep into the world building to create a location that fits within Star Wars but also feels real."

Podlesnigg on Taking Akiva From the Pages to the Screen

"For Akiva, we dove into the books… really digging deep into the descriptions of the world and creating a visual language that would fit that description. For example, the book described the buildings having a thick stucco material, so when you look in the game you can see a rough, thick layer of painted stucco on buildings. But also, the idea of Monkey lizards as invasive species being the city's pests was a great way to bring those creatures into the game."

Podlesnigg on Making a Pre-Last Jedi Version of Cantonica

"For Cantonica, we tried to imagine what it would be 30 years before we see it in the movie. Imagine a location that is not fully developed, where there is a big workers district that contrasts with the rich Casinos. This gave us a chance to really show a contrast in locations."

Podlesnigg on Taking Kijimi and Cantonica from Movie Screen to Game Screen

"For both Kijimi and Canto Bight, we had resources available to us from Lucasfilm that were used when crafting the locations within their respective movies, which helped us to stay very authentic to the established layouts of the locations."

Star Wars Outlaws Space Exploration

Planets are just one part of the formula, as Star Wars is just as much defined by its starships and space battles/exploration as any planet. Every numbered Star Wars mainline film begins in space and transitions down to a planet when necessary, and that moment is reflected in the games. It could not truly be called an "open-world game" if leaving a planet meant hitting a loading screen, so the transition from planet to orbit to outer space is seamless. It was one of the first goals of Star Wars Outlaws and that makes it truly remarkable. In fact, Stormtroopers on a planet's surface can pursue players into space, which is mind-blowing and bound to lead to some memorable encounters.

As Karlson explained, the design of Star Wars Outlaws ' exploration and space combat began with the fundamental Scoundrel Fantasy of having a starship to call home. It needed to be something nimble and armed enough for dogfights but also defensive enough for dangerous trench runs and dealings with the various crime syndicates. Enter The Trailblazer . When asked about how they designed The Trailblazer , Gerighty explained,

"Starships in Star Wars are iconic and all immediately recognizable due to their striking silhouettes, and it really was very exciting to create not only a new ship design but also a backstory for this ship too – it really has had quite a journey of its own before Kay permanently borrows it. The other thing that stood out is that the shapes used are often based on real-world items, and in our case, we took a lot of inspiration from toys of the 70s/80s as well as turtles and armored trucks with their shell plating which worked well for what we envisioned for The Trailblazer."

With The Trailblazer established, then came realizing part of Star Wars Outlaws ' initial pitch: seamless open-world gameplay. As Karlson explained, "It was really important to us that space was seamlessly part of the open world experience. You decide when to go there and what to do. The different space regions are also distinctly different from each other. For example, the dense debris fields around Toshara are in stark contrast to the less busy space around Tatooine ." Since orbital space around these planets differ, that'll help the identity of each planet players visit. However, that doesn't necessarily mean something like Tatooine is less dangerous than Toshara. Karlson explained players should be prepared for "everything from Imperial Patrols to Syndicate ships and the occasional pirate."

When it comes to taking on these orbital encounters and exploring the stars, Karlson says "risk and reward is a central theme in space overall." Operating The Trailblazer is more arcade than simulation , and space can consist of one-on-one dog fights, significantly bigger battles, becoming Wanted and being chased by the Empire, helping out a Syndicate for Reputation, getting ambushed by pirates in an asteroid field, and more. Indeed, it sounds like Star Wars Outlaws truly runs the gamut for bonafide space encounters. Of course, no Star Wars space exploration is incomplete without hyperspace travel, with Podlesnigg briefly discussing what it was like recreating it in-game:

"The first time I pushed the sticks forward to enter hyperspace I had a smile of pure joy on my face. Whenever I play the game, I actively avoid fast travel just to experience this moment. We did look at a lot of footage of hyperspace travel in Star Wars to really nail down the dynamic of every step. The light on the ship, the movement going into and out of it. There is a lot of nuance to it that is hard to imagine before you have to recreate it yourself."

Channeling the Star Wars Score

The work of John Williams and Star Wars ' overall musical orchestration is as iconic as any other element of the franchise. For fans, that's good news because composer Roget II began with the "classic John Williams sound" as the first point of reference. He believed its focus on melody and nuanced yet direct orchestration works well with Outlaws ' focus on a character-driven story. However, he added to that by focusing on the underbelly of Star Wars more so than the original orchestration:

"I also sought to create a new, modern, and unique sound for Outlaws that underscores the grungy and diverse world of Star Wars’ criminal underbelly. This involved using analog synthesizers, found percussion, instruments played in non-traditional ways, processed sounds, and world instruments to add color and depth to the scoundrel adventure. Every character, faction, and planet has its own set of instruments, signature sounds, and musical themes, and every piece in the score has a blend of both the traditional Star Wars sound as well as the new Outlaws sound; as we go deeper into the criminal underground, processed and synthesizer-based sounds become more prominent."

Living The Scoundrel Fantasy

star-wars-outlaws-game-rant-advance-kay-vess-nix-storm-troopers-lando-calrissian

Just as important is how Star Wars Outlaws feels when boots are on the ground. As an open-world game, there is a certain freedom to how players approach gameplay. Kay Vess can go in guns blazing (and Khavari insists Vess is the "shoot first" type in a situation like Han and Greedo), or she can approach things stealthily. She can rely on her blasters as equally as she can rely on Nix, who she can give commands to. Nix can interact with key environment elements, attack enemies, distract them, or fetch supplies, among other possible options.

She can also activate various different modes on her blasters, such as Stun, Focused, or Blaster. In a pinch, Vess also has an ability called Adrenaline Rush that's a lot like Red Dead Redemption 's Dead Eye Targeting , as it slows down time and lets Kay make quick shots. It perfectly adds to that Scoundrel Fantasy. Over time, players will be able to invest in Vess and Nix's abilities, making them even more deadly in combat.

Star Wars Outlaws also offers a lot of mechanics for exploring each planet. There is a grappling hook, and grappling hooks always make games better . There is a hacking device for locked doors and the like, which includes terminals and splicing mini-games, while there is a speeder bike that Vess can hop on at a moment's notice. Just like it is with The Trailblazer , enemies can pursue Vess when she is on the speeder bike in true Star Wars fashion. Notably, however, some Scoundrel Fantasies aren't about stealth and being quick with a blaster; sometimes it's about having a silver tongue.

Star Wars Outlaws features a dialogue tree that will allow Vess to talk her way out of certain scenarios, such as choosing to bribe a corrupted Imperial official (or not). Sometimes these choices will impact Vess' reputation with a criminal syndicate. It's not yet certain how deep this system goes, but having some control over Kay's reputation should go a long way in defining her character.

More than anything, though, open-world games need something special to them. Open-world games are perhaps one of the most popular and busiest genres in gaming, so while hitting all the high points of the genre is important, nailing that special factor is even more so. For Star Wars Outlaws , that special factor is how every mechanic bleeds into one another, with three important features feeding further into that: Experts, Reputation, and Wanted .

Star Wars Outlaws' Expert NPCs

While there will be some core upgrades to Kay Vess, another form of progression in the game is based around her interactions with Star Wars Outlaws ' Expert NPCs . When Kay meets these NPCs, players can accomplish tasks that unlock unique upgrades, improving their overall character. For example, one trailer showed the Bartender upgrade and a perk called Fast-Talk, which allows players to stall alerted enemies. To unlock it, players need to defeat five enemies with melee and take down three distracted guards. This gives players plenty of reasons to invest in Expert NPCs, while engaging in the world around them. When asked how the Expert system came to be, Karlson explained that,

"We wanted the unlocking of new equipment and abilities in Star Wars Outlaws to be very tangible and closely connected to both the world and interesting characters, for each unlock to be a little adventure in itself and a compelling reason to explore. That’s how the idea of 'Experts' took shape. Each expert is a gateway to a number of unlocks, but first, you have to reach them...Once you do, you don’t know exactly what to expect. What are they like and what will they want from you? It will however always be an adventure, from which you are awarded one of their most precious unlocks."

Every Expert NPC will have a unique set of requirements for each of their unlocks, which give players "different goals and ways to engage with the game and the world." Karlson also provided another example of an unlock that "asks you to jump your speeder 60 meters without crashing – and suddenly you find yourself looking at the world around you like a motocross park, in search of the biggest jumps." These unlocks can drastically change every aspect of Vess and allow players to invest in the world around them and their character in unique ways. It's an exciting system, especially knowing that these Experts represent several different facets of Star Wars , like the gunslinger.

Star Wars Outlaws' Reputation System

Both Star Wars Outlaws ' Reputation and Wanted systems were essential pieces to realize that Scoundrel Fantasy. This reputation system represents the transactional nature of the underworld, specifically with the four core criminal syndicates. Throughout the game, players will make key decisions or tackle certain missions that impact these criminal syndicates. Attacking the Hutts, for example, will reduce Vess' reputation with them, while completing missions for them will increase it.

Not only does this system impact how missions are completed (a poor reputation with the Pykes will see increased defenses against Vess, while a good reputation could let her walk around their bases without a sweat), but it also have its own rewards such as armor sets when maxed out. This system works well with the Scoundrel Fantasy of Star Wars Outlaws , but also it's enough to imagine how Han Solo's reputation with the Hutt Cartel or the Guavian Death Gang went.

There is also an A/B dynamic when it comes to these criminal syndicates. They don't like each other, and doing something to gain a reputation with one will possibly result in losing reputation with another. As Karlson explained,

"A very important aspect of its design is that you are never stuck, and you don’t have to stick with one specific syndicate. You will definitely be able to gain an excellent reputation with each syndicate at some point in your journey through the game – just not with all of them at the same time. They don’t like each other… So, what is appreciated by one is often frowned upon by another, presenting you as a player with lots of fun A/B choice moments."

Star Wars Outlaws' Wanted System

A Scoundrel is an outlaw, and an outlaw is always, always anti-authority. Vess deals with Imperials and Stormtroopers throughout the game, and she can get their unwanted attention. Whether by directly attacking them, doing something obviously illegal, or so on, Vess can trigger a Wanted status. The highest level is Wanted 6, and players will be swarmed with more and more Stormtroopers as that Wanted level increases.

At Level 6, Death Troopers are deployed. These incredibly tough enemies set up camp, and players can infiltrate these camps to erase their Wanted status. Of course, Death Troopers are not taken down as easily as Stormtroopers. This Wanted status can still follow players into space where, at Level 6, massive enemy ships can attack The Trailblazer. There is a way to end the Wanted status while in space too (and other options in general), but the way all of this weaves in and out of each other is remarkable. While discussing Star Wars Outlaws ' Wanted system , Karlson explained how the sheer premise of the game "begs" for a Wanted system:

"An open-world Star Wars game about an outlaw – a scoundrel – set between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, when the Empire is at the peak of its power and reach. It begs for a Wanted System. It adds not just immersion and fantasy fulfillment, but also dynamic fun to the entire game world – from city streets to space. A world that reacts to your actions in an intuitive way…and…lets you try to fight as many Stormtroopers as you can."

Ancient Weapons Are No Match for a Good Blaster

star-wars-outlaws-game-rant-advance-combat-kay-vess-1

There's no Jedi to save the day, no presence of The Force guiding Kay Vess and Nix, and no Skywalker to unceremoniously lose a hand. There's just Vess, her companion Nix, her trustworthy Trailblazer, and the blaster at her side. It's a different type of Star Wars story, one just as important as the Jedi, and that's the kid forced to grow up on the streets of an unforgiving galaxy. Despite her hardships, Vess has a dream - just as Star Wars Outlaws is a dream game for its developers. When talking about Star Wars Outlaws ' Scoundrel Fantasy and how the developers worked to realize it, Gerighty explained:

"We looked at a lot of Star Wars media and of course iconic scoundrels of the series such as Han Solo and Lando Calrissian, but for Kay Vess, we wanted to create a modern, new scoundrel. She’s someone we wanted to be really grounded and relatable. She grew up in the Worker’s District of Canto Bight with no one but Nix by her side, seeing the rich get richer and having nothing. That’s really her drive: to create a life where her and Nix can travel the galaxy without answering to anyone."

Her dream of freedom and a good life is relatable and speaks to the heart of Star Wars . Every Star Wars story is a tale of oppression and freedom in some form, and Star Wars Outlaws focuses on that escape that every child from the streets dreams of. More than its Jedi vs. Sith conflict, more than its Chosen One prophecy, more than The Force, the heart of Star Wars is a dream. And, as part of their dream to make Star Wars Outlaws , the developers at Massive Entertainment have woven the dream to be free into every element of this Scoundrel Fantasy.

Star Wars Outlaws

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LEGO Star Wars at-at Walker 75313 Buildable Model - Collectible Set for Adults, Ultimate Build and Display Set, 9 Minifigures Including General Veers, Luke Skywalker, Snowtroopers and at-at Drivers

Collectible Model - This big Star Wars LEGO set for adults features the first-ever LEGO Star Wars UCS buildable model of an AT-AT walker, Star Wars LEGO figures, and collectible minifigures
Realistic Walker Features - LEGO AT-AT walker with posable legs and head, opening hatches, rotating cannons, and realistic recoil action for an immersive Star Wars experience
Detailed Buildable Model - Star Wars buildable AT-AT model with removable panels, bomb-drop hatch, and hook for attaching to Luke Skywalker's line for added playability
Spacious Main Body - The main body has space for up to 40 LEGO minifigures, 4 speeder bikes (2 included), and the included E-Web heavy repeating blaster, perfect for recreating epic battles
9 Star Wars Minifigures - Includes 9 LEGO Star Wars minifigures: General Veers, Luke Skywalker, Snowtrooper Commander, 4 Snowtroopers, and 2 AT-AT Drivers for a complete set of characters
Fans who love Star Wars can now find a new LEGO Star Wars experience in LEGO Fortnite! Now you can extend your play to the game

Product information

Product Dimensions	19.65 x 19.65 x 14.92 inches
Item Weight	24.3 pounds
ASIN	B09JKZ62H7
Item model number	6333003
Manufacturer recommended age	18 years and up
Customer Reviews	4.6 out of 5 stars
Release date	March 1, 2022
Manufacturer	LEGO

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Every LEGO Star Wars fan has waited for this AT-AT (75313) big LEGO Star Wars UCS set for adults. This epic Ultimate Collector Series Star Wars buildable model features posable legs and head, cannons with a realistic recoil action, rotating cannons, bomb-drop hatch and a hook to attach to Luke Skywalker’s line - just like in the Battle of Hoth. An information plaque and Star Wars LEGO figures complete this magnificent LEGO Star Wars display piece. The LEGO AT AT walker measures over 24.5"/62 cm high and is easily opened to view the detailed interior. The main body has space for 40 LEGO minifigures (General Veers and Luke Skywalker are among 9 in this set), 4 speeder bikes (2 included), and the E-Web heavy repeating blaster. The head/cockpit seats 2 LEGO minifigures and has space for 1 more. This collectible LEGO Star Wars set for adults makes a special gift for yourself, Star Wars fans and any advanced LEGO builder. It comes with clear instructions so you can enjoy every step of the immersive and challenging build. Measures over 24.5 in. (62 cm) high, 27 in. (69 cm) long and 9.5 in. (24 cm) wide. Contains 6785 pieces.

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Here by popular demand – the awesome AT-AT!

Build a huge and highly detailed Ultimate Collector Series version of the AT-AT from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

Measures over 24.5 in. (62 cm) high

The main body of the AT-AT has space for up to 40 LEGO minifigures (9 included) and 4 speeder bikes (2 included).

LEGO Star Wars AT-AT


The blasters under the head have a realistic recoil action.	Use the handle to move the head from side to side.	A tool is included to adjust the legs of the AT-AT.

Delight for Star Wars connoisseurs

This faithful replica of an AT-AT is packed with authentic details to inspire memories of the thrilling Battle of Hoth.

A complex and rewarding build

This 6,785-piece set includes immersive instructions and makes the best gift for advanced LEGO builders and Star Wars fans.

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"...Excellent craftsmanship, sooooo many tiny detailed pieces . We both love it! Great addition to his star wars collection" Read more

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Screen Rant

The acolyte failed because star wars forgot george lucas' most important lesson.

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Star Wars Movies In Order: How To Watch Release Order, Chronologically & With The TV Shows

After 25 years, i finally understand the real reason darth maul lost in the phantom menace, the acolyte showrunner speaks out on the star wars show's review bombing.

The cancelation of The Acolyte isn't just about viewership - it's about costs and ROI.
George Lucas prioritized efficiency to maximize creative and financial success with modest budgets.
Streaming services' bloated budgets and focus on quantity lead to production costs issues and cancelations.

The Acolyte has officially been canceled by Lucasfilm, and one major reason lies in the fact Star Wars has forgotten George Lucas' most important lesson. Star Wars ' Disney+ TV shows have hardly been an unabashed success; there have been some classics, but there have also been massive stumbles. The Acolyte is Disney+'s first official Star Wars cancelation ; although the studio hasn't made any public statements on the cancelation, it's believed to be due to low viewership.

In truth, The Acolyte 's cancelation is symptomatic of something even bigger; a problem that leads to so many cancelations by streaming services, ranging from Disney+ to Netflix. Nowadays, almost all streaming services are marketed as prestige television, with budgets that would have seemed unimaginable just a few years ago. That's certainly the case with Leslye Headland's The Acolyte , which commanded a $180 million budget . This points to the fact Lucasfilm has forgotten one of George Lucas' most important lessons.

Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn from Star Wars The Phantom Menace, Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker from Star Wars A New Hope, Daisy Ridley as Rey from Star Wars The Force Awakens

What's the best way to watch Star Wars? Here's everything you need to know to watch in release or timeline order, and how to include the TV shows.

George Lucas' True Genius Lay In Keeping The Costs Under Control

Lucas prioritized efficiency, maximizing return on investment.

George Lucas and Star Wars Poster Custom Image

George Lucas wasn’t just a visionary storyteller; he was also a master of financial efficiency . By keeping production costs in check, Lucas ensured that his films succeeded both creatively and financially. For instance, 1977's Star Wars was produced on a budget of just $11 million yet grossed over $775 million worldwide. This ability to maximize return on investment was a hallmark of Lucas’ approach, one that modern streaming models often overlook.

Lucas understood that high costs could be a double-edged sword.

Lucas understood that high costs could be a double-edged sword. By keeping expenses low, he reduced the financial pressure on his films, allowing them to succeed without requiring astronomical box office returns. This efficiency is evident in the production of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi , which, like their predecessor, were made on modest budgets relative to their massive box office returns.

Year of Release	Budget (adjusted for inflation)	Box office (adjusted for inflation)
1977	$74 million	Almost $2 billion
1980	$85 million	$944 million
1983	$104 million	$886 million
1999	$209 million	$842 million
2002	$193 million	$521 million
2005	$175 million	$589 million

Lucas understood that efficiency was the key to maximizing return of investment, ensuring Star Wars ' box office performance involved as much profit as possible. Although costs did increase over time, they were kept under control as much as possible, allowing Lucas to take creative risks - such as groundbreaking VFX - without jeopardizing the financial stability of his projects. This approach stands in stark contrast to the current trend of bloated budgets in the streaming era , where the pressure to deliver blockbuster hits with every release has led to a cycle of unsustainable spending and inevitable cancelations.

Lucas’ ability to innovate within a budget is perhaps best exemplified by his use of practical effects in the Star Wars original trilogy . These techniques, while not as flashy as the CGI-heavy productions of today, allowed Lucas to create a visually stunning universe without breaking the bank. The success of these films proved that you don’t need a massive budget to create a blockbuster — a lesson that seems increasingly lost in today’s streaming landscape.

The Streaming Model Is Broken... & All These Cancelations Prove It

High costs and unrealistic expectations lead to frequent cancelations.

The modern streaming model has deviated significantly from Lucas’ playbook. Today, streaming giants like Netflix, Amazon, and even Lucasfilm under Disney invest enormous sums into their productions. While this has resulted in some visually stunning content, it has also led to an unsustainable business model. When a project doesn’t meet sky-high expectations, it often faces the chopping block, regardless of its creative potential. This is evident in the frequent cancelations that have plagued the streaming industry in recent years , where even critically acclaimed shows struggle to justify their high production costs.

When viewership numbers didn’t justify the expenses, the show struggled to find its footing.

Take The Acolyte , for example. Despite its promising premise and high-profile association with the Star Wars franchise, the show faced challenges stemming from its massive budget. When viewership numbers didn’t justify the expenses, the show struggled to find its footing. This scenario has become all too common in the streaming world, where the pressure to deliver blockbuster hits every time is unrealistic. The reliance on immediate success, rather than long-term audience growth, has led to a volatile environment where few projects are given the time or space to develop fully.

Sample show canceled in 2024	Streaming service
	Max
	Netflix
	Hulu
	CBS
	CBS
	Max
	Apple TV+
	Max
	Paramount+
	Prime Video

The streaming industry’s focus on quantity over quality , with an emphasis on churning out content to retain subscribers, is another factor contributing to this broken model. Unlike Lucas, who carefully curated his projects to ensure both creative and financial success, streaming services often prioritize content volume, leading to inflated budgets and unsustainable production costs. This strategy has resulted in numerous high-profile cancelations, with studios unable to recoup their investments due to the sheer scale of their spending.

Lucasfilm Needs To Relearn George Lucas' Lesson

Balancing budget and creativity is key to long-term success.

Qimir from the Acolyte holding up two red lightsabers to the left and a close up of the Stranger's mask to the right all in a red hue in a combined image

Ultimately, George Lucas’ legacy is not just about the stories he told but also about how he told them — wisely, efficiently, and with an eye on the bottom line . His ability to balance creativity with financial responsibility allowed him to create some of the most beloved films in cinematic history. As the streaming industry continues to grapple with the challenges of rising costs and changing viewer habits, it would do well to look to Lucas as a model for sustainable success.

While innovation and ambition are vital, they must be balanced with financial prudence. The relentless drive to outdo the competition with bigger budgets and grander spectacles has led to a precarious situation where even minor missteps can result in cancelations and financial losses. To ensure the longevity and success of the Star Wars franchise, Lucasfilm needs to relearn the lessons of its founder. By focusing on efficient production and realistic expectations, the studio can create Star Wars movies and TV shows that resonate with audiences without the constant threat of cancelation.

Can Star Wars Relearn George Lucas' Lesson?

What's the threshold for success with star wars.

The Acolyte 's cancelation raises a disturbing question; what is the threshold for success with Star Wars ? It doesn't help that, in the streaming age, companies are essentially spending money to stand still; they are producing incredibly expensive TV shows, but their main goal in doing so is retaining existing subscribers. Viewership is the name of the game, and those numbers need to be sky-high to perform. DIsney can't afford such a high-budget show to gradually gain a fanbase , as George Lucas did with Star Wars: The Clone Wars - which had a rocky start, but became dearly loved by the end.

Showrunners can't just be left to do their own thing when they've been handed $180 million.

Looking forward, it seems as though Lucasfilm's focus is moving away from the small screen now. Lucasfilm has " ramped up " their movie production, and three movies are in the works for 2026 and 2027. It's reasonable to assume Lucasfilm lacks the bandwidth to produce these films at the same time as an ongoing slate of TV shows; that same challenge seems to have caused Lucasfilm's sister studio Marvel no end of problems. But, again, part of the problem lies in the fact showrunners can't just be left to do their own thing when they've been handed $180 million.

After The Acolyte 's cancelation, the future of Star Wars TV looks very questionable indeed. The only way forward for live-action TV shows seems to be to learn George Lucas' most important lesson; to control the budgets, to sign off on shows that aren't trying to be prestige TV but that are instead simply trying to be enjoyable. It can only be hoped Lucasfilm will learn this lesson.

The Acolyte

Not available

The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.

Den of Geek

From Alien to Star Wars: The Problem with Bringing Back Dead Actors

Alien: Romulus continues a trend that has been growing in various Hollywood franchises, from Ghostbusters to, most egregiously, Star Wars. And it's still unnerving.

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Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

This article contains Alien: Romulus and The Flash spoilers .

The reviews are in, and some fans are already holding Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus up as the best xenomorph feature since Ridley Scott’s 1979 original and James Cameron’s Aliens from 1986. It feels like a new era of the Alienverse is ready to burst forward from Hollywood’s chest. But while there’s plenty of praise for Alvarez’s back-to-basics approach, which tries to capture the pulse-pounding horror of Scott’s Alien , it’s not quite a perfect outing.

As well as some criticizing the suitably batshit ending that echoes Alien Resurrection ’s bewildering finale, it’s the return of Ian Holm’s likeness that’s causing a stir for Romulus —namely because the actor tragically passed away in 2020. Despite a CGI approximation of “Holm” appearing in the role of a new android called Rook instead of Alien ‘s Ash, it isn’t immediately clear this is a new character. Maybe it’s because I was too distracted by the return of a dead actor or maybe it’s the jarring uncanny valley effects, but unlike Michael Fassbender playing David and Walter in Alien: Covenant , it’s all a bit distracting. Worse than this, Alien: Romulus is the latest big movie (but undoubtedly not the last) to resurrect a beloved actor for what feels like cheap fan service. From Star Wars to Ghostbusters , what is the deal with these major franchises bringing dearly departed actors back from the dead?

You might remember when another Ridley Scott-adjacent project grabbed headlines after Blade Runner 2049 controversially created holograms of Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and Frank Sinatra. But that was a little easier to process since the uncanny valley aspect of their appearance was the intentional point in the Denis Villeneuve sequel. They were also intended to be almost throwaway easter eggs.

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Conversely, when it came to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story , the extended screen time of an uncanny valley version of Peter Cushing crossed into concerning territory. After all, the actor had passed away in 1994, and while the casting department sought out Guy Henry, who already looked a lot like Cushing, an unnerving digital likeness of Grand Moff Tarkin was superimposed on Henry’s face. Similarly to Romulus , Rogue One is a fan-pleasing movie that feels tarnished by these deep fakes taking us out of the action.

Star Wars is arguably the worst offender in this phenomenon. The series struggled to decide what to do with Princess Leia following Carrie Fisher’s death in 2016, although it’s easy to be more sympathetic to Leia’s return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker , especially with Fisher’s own daughter (Billie Lourd) playing the digitally de-aged Leia. The same can be said for Paul Walker’s brother, who stood in for him in Furious 7 in order to bring back Brian O’Conner for one last ride. Even as far back as 1999, Ridley Scott was himself resurrecting actors back from the dead with stand-ins and computer composites finishing up Oliver Reed’s performance as Prixmo after the actor died during the filming of Gladiator . Struggling to replace an actor and honoring their legacy is one thing, but there’s a much murkier side to this movement.

It’s often a struggle to see why you’d include a dead actor when there’s little need to bring that character back. 2006’s Superman Returns used CGI to recreate Marlon Brando’s Jor-El two years after the actor’s death and 26 years, and after his scenes were cut from Superman II . Theoretically it informed the plot of that movie, which was intended to be a sequel to Superman II , yet it seemed to knowingly be desecrating hallowed ground. The film’s villain even smirks “he’s dead” when looking at Brando’s image.

More recently, The Flash was rightly lambasted for bringing Christopher Reeve back from the dead . In fact, Andy Muschietti’s movie is one of the most egregious examples of using CGI to resurrect dead actors. The likes of Reeve, George Reeves, and Adam West were all featured, and more than just fans hated the “Chronobowl” scene for its lackluster visuals. And it was frankly disquieting to hear Reeve’s own children tell Variety they hadn’t watched it and had no involvement.

There’s also Ghostbusters: Afterlife (which was already called out as a movie that didn’t really need to exist), memorably featuring cameos from the OG gang . Following Harold Ramis’ death in 2014, bringing him back as a literal ghost didn’t sit well with some audiences, but I’d argue if there’s any franchise you’re going to do it, Ghostbusters is just about acceptable. Thankfully, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire learned from these mistakes and decided not to bring back Egon’s ghost for another sequel. It at least seemed more thematically poignant for the story Afterlife was trying to tell, with its focus on Egon’s grandchildren, than Holm’s return in Romulus . Other critics have already pointed out it would’ve been easy to use someone like Michael Fassbender’s David or to even de-age the beloved Lance Henriksen and bring in a variant of the fan-favorite Bishop model 341-B synthetic.

But then, that aforementioned de-aging has also become a popular trend with its fair share of problems. It might’ve been novel seeing a de-aged Robert Downey Jr. pop up as young Tony Stark for a scene in Captain America: Civil War , but when it came to Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman , the much younger depictions of Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino took plenty of viewers out when it was used for more than half of a four-hour movie. It’s all the more frustrating when you realize the legendary Star Wars visual effects house, ILM, led The Irishman ’s effects development.

I doubt The Godfather, Part II would be regarded as the best in the trilogy if we’d de-aged Brando instead of casting De Niro as a young Vito. As with Romulus ’ depiction of Holm being an obvious dupe, these movies are in danger of aging like the schlocky CGI of the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns .

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We’re getting a taste of that future throughout ILM’s Star Wars work though, especially since that franchise began opting to use a de-aged Luke Skywalker. Even though Mark Hamill might be hard to replace, imagine if Solo: A Star Wars had de-aged Harrison Ford instead of casting Alden Ehrenreich. The worst part is the actor who played the flesh version of young Luke in The Book of Boba Fett is a dead ringer for a young Hamill. As well as not looking great, de-aging actors and bringing back the dead feels like it’s robbing others of a chance to join these major franchises. If George Lucas made his Star Wars prequels today, would he have resurrected Alec Guinness instead of casting Ewan McGregor playing a young Obi-Wan? It would have denied us one of the saga’s greatest performances.

Still, unlike Reeve in The Flash , at least Holm’s widow was consulted on Romulus . Speaking to The LA Times , Alvarez defended the use of his likeness and explained, “We were not trying to do what can’t be done, which is to reproduce that person’s talent as an actor, because this is another character…The only thing they have in common is the likeness.” Yet with British actor Daniel Betts doing the facial capture and AI helping with the voice, it feels like a disservice to bring Holm back in this way. Unfortunately, we can’t ask the man himself what he thinks of Romulus .

It feels like we’re on the cusp of seeing these kind of unsettling visual effects a lot more. The BBC reports that WRX and its sister company have the licensing to hundreds of deceased celebrities, including James Dean, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and more. Video game voice actors, including Mass Effect ‘s Jennifer Hale and Metal Gear ’s David Hayter, have been vocal about the potential of AI putting them out of work, and saying things they wouldn’t in real life. Meanwhile Susan Sarandon told The Hollywood Reporter it’s a “now or never situation” in terms of AI taking over.

Cailee Spaeny and Archie Renaux in Alien: Romulus

Alien: Romulus Confirms Alien: Isolation Game Is Canon, Making the Timeline More Sinister

Alien Movies Ranked (Including Romulus!)

The Thelma & Louise actor mused, “It scares me if it means taking someone’s image, using it in perpetuity in any film you want without the actor having control anymore. Going in this direction, I don’t know if we should copyright our voices or ourselves.” Sarandon might be against the idea, but if her estate signs off on it after her death, there isn’t a lot she can do about it. I’m reminded of the fact that Guinness’ reportedly hated playing Obi-Wan Kenobi and can only imagine him turning in his grave if his estate signed up for a CGI recreation of him so many decades after his death.

Perhaps the only thing stopping this Blade Runner -inspired AI takeover is the expense. Alvarez admits that it would’ve been much cheaper to hire an actor than go to the trouble of trying to recreate Holm, but that doesn’t seem to be a reason to stop Hollywood from capitalizing on the trend. The BBC reported in 2023 that generative AI is due to expand James Dean’s tragically short film catalogue with a sci-fi road trip called East of Eden , while some have started referring to this movement in a derogatory way as a ‘Tarkin.’

Rogue One might be remembered as the one that kickstarted the trend, but as Romulus and more get embroiled in the drama, it takes the shine off what are otherwise stellar love letters to a franchise’s past. If you think seeing Audrey Hepburn brought back from the dead to sell Galaxy and Dove chocolate bars is bad, chances are it’s going to get a lot worse.

Tom Chapman | @tomtomchap

Tom Chapman is a Manchester-based writer with a hunger for the Iron Throne. When not trying to protect the Sacred Timeline or defending superhumans at GLK&H,…

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Movie Review: Star Wars: Episode V: the Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The Empire Strikes Back Movie Review
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back wiki, synopsis, reviews
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
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The Empire Strikes Back movie review (1997)

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The Empire Strikes Back movie review (1997)
``The Empire Strikes Back'' is the best of three Star Wars films, and the most thought-provoking. After the space opera cheerfulness of the original film, this one plunges into darkness and even despair, and surrenders more completely to the underlying mystery of the story. It is because of the emotions stirred in ``Empire'' that the entire series takes on a mythic quality that resonates back ...
Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Movie Review
Parents need to know that The Empire Strikes Back is an atmospheric sci-fi classic that features some intense moments of dark emotional content, along with a few very jarring scenes that are not so much violent as they are psychologically jarring. Sequences such as an encounter with the villain in a cave, a character being placed into a deep-freeze chamber, and the final sword battle are all ...
Star Wars: Episode V
Dec 16, 2019 Full Review Bob Thomas Associated Press The Empire Strikes Back Displays the same soaring imagination that made Star Wars a filmmaking classic; most other space movies seem clunky and ...
Star Wars: Episode V
The Empire Strikes Back is the best Star Wars film because it took a cultural moment and redefined what it could mean. Full Review | Feb 11, 2022 Eddie Harrison film-authority.com
Star Wars: Episode V
While Empire doesn't quite measure up to Star Wars in the freshness and originality of its script, and the plethora of space operas that has been jamming the screens ever since Star Wars has somewhat lessened the novelty of city-sized ships sailing the stratosphere, nevertheless this 20th Century-Fox release remains a rattling good entertainment, a worthy successor to the original — and far ...
Star Wars: Episode V
Simply put, this movie CARES. The people involved put forth their best work to bring what the world needed in a constant rotation of mundane and bad sci-fi action flicks coming out around the same time. The Empire Strikes Back is a perfect Star Wars movie in an otherwise very flawed saga.
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Review
124 minutes. Certificate: U. Original Title: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. It's generally agreed that The Empire Strikes Back is the best film of George Lucas' initial trilogy ...
Star Wars: Episode V
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back: Directed by Irvin Kershner. With Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams. 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.
The Empire Strikes Back Review (Star Wars: Episode V)
Original review text from 1980. Running time: 124 MIN. With: Luke Skywalker - Mark Hamill Han Solo - Harrison Ford Princess Leia - Carrie Fisher Darth Vader - David Prowse C3P0 - Anthony Daniels ...
Star Wars: Episode V
Rated. PG. Runtime. 124 min. Release Date. 06/20/1980. Forgive the generalization, but Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back is one of the most beloved films of all time and certainly the most well-crafted of the Star Wars films. Any Star Wars aficionado, as well as most critics and film historians, will no doubt proclaim it to be ...
5 Reasons Why Empire Strikes Back Is The Best Star Wars Movie (& 5
In the rest of the Star Wars franchise, George Lucas' dialogue can sometimes come off as corny or clunky. But Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan's dialogue is easily the best in the franchise, to the point where the banter in The Empire Strikes Back "feels" real. The comical lines, such as Leia's "scruffy-looking nerf herder," help buoy the movie from becoming too dark.
Critical Opinion: The Empire Strikes Back's Original Reviews
The Empire Strikes Back logo by Ralph McQuarrie. Sitting here in 2014, the 34th year since its release, it can be hard to believe that The Empire Strikes Back wasn't always lauded as the movie masterpiece it clearly is. On the contrary, its arrival back on May 20, 1980, was welcomed with an array of mixed, lukewarm, and indifferent reviews on both sides of the Atlantic from newspapers ...
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
For the first time in three long, merchandise-clogged years, new Star Wars had reached screens. The movie was a guaranteed success before its first public show. Although it lacks the pioneering "newness" of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back is in many ways a superior motion picture. The storyline is more interesting and ambitious, the ...
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (4K UHD Review)
The Empire Strikes Back was shot on 35 mm photochemical film using Arriflex and Panavision cameras with Panavision C-Series anamorphic lenses, while its analog visual effects were produced in VistaVision. It was finished on film as a cut negative at the 2.39:1 aspect ratio, from which a color-timed master interpositive and dupe negatives were ...
The Empire Strikes Back archive review: return of the gimmicks
The Empire Strikes Back archive review: return of the gimmicks. In our original 1980 review of George Lucas's first Star Wars sequel, Richard Combs found even the "genuinely 'fun' elements of the first film" now "pedantically filled out and institutionalised". from the Monthly Film Bulletin January 1980. The most dazzling trick in ...
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
The Empire Strikes Back was already a great movie by the time the scene arrived some 110 minutes into the proceedings. The revelation took the film to another level and virtually assured that no other Star Wars film, past or future, will surpass it as the best the saga has to offer.
Here's Why The Empire Strikes Back Is Still the Best Star Wars Movie
Lucasfilm. Star Wars: A New Hope introduces what many audiences thought would be a love triangle between Luke, Han, and Leia; but George Lucas takes the story in a new direction in The Empire ...
The Empire Strikes Back Summary and Synopsis
1980 saw the continuation of the Skywalker Saga with Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Although this was the second film in the Star Wars series itself, it would end up being the fifth film chronologically in the Skywalker Saga itself. Created by George Lucas and directed by Irvin Kershner, this sequel sees Darth Vader attempting to locate the Rebel Alliance after they destroyed the Death Star.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Review
The Empire Strikes Back, regarding by many fans as the best film of the entire six-movie Star Wars series, serves as inspiration for THQ Wireless latest action game. Featuring classic sequences ...
5 Reasons Empire Strikes Back Is The Best Star Wars Movie (& 5 Reasons
The second chapter in the original Star Wars Saga, and fifth overall, The Empire Strikes Back, isn't just universally accepted as the best of the bunch. It's also regarded as one of the best sci-fi movies ever, let alone movies ever. When George Lucas decided to hand over directing duties to one of his old professors, Irving Kirschner, he ...
Star Wars: Episode V
The most recent home video release of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back movie is September 11, 2006. Here are some details… Home Video Notes: Star Wars: Episodes IV - VI . Release Date: 8 October 2013. 20th Century Fox is releasing Star Wars: Episodes IV - VI to home video (Blu-ray and DVD). This 6 Disc Combo Set (3 Blu-ray +3 ...
20 facts you might not know about 'The Empire Strikes Back'
After Star Wars, we got Empire Strikes Back. Here are 20 facts about the sequel that changed cinema and gave us one of film's most famous twists. ...
The Empire Strikes Back movie review (1997)
"The Empire Strikes Back'' is the best of three Star Wars films, and the most thought-provoking. After the space opera cheerfulness of the original film, this one plunges into darkness and even despair, and surrenders more completely to the underlying mystery of the story. It is because of the emotions stirred in "Empire'' that the entire series takes on a mythic quality that resonates back to ...
Star Wars Outlaws is the Scoundrel Fantasy You're Looking For
Star Wars Outlaws is the first-ever open-world Star Wars game, set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Players follow protagonist Kay Vess (and her adorable Merqaal companion ...
Amazon.com: LEGO Star Wars at-at Walker 75313 Buildable Model
Every LEGO Star Wars fan has waited for this AT-AT (75313) big LEGO Star Wars UCS set for adults. This epic Ultimate Collector Series Star Wars buildable model features posable legs and head, cannons with a realistic recoil action, rotating cannons, bomb-drop hatch and a hook to attach to Luke Skywalker's line - just like in the Battle of Hoth.
The Acolyte Failed Because Star Wars Forgot George Lucas' Most
Movie Title Year of Release Budget (adjusted for inflation) Box office (adjusted for inflation) Star Wars. 1977 $74 million Almost $2 billion The Empire Strikes Back. 1980 $85 million $944 million Return of the Jedi. 1983 $104 million $886 million Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. 1999
From Alien to Star Wars: The Problem with Bringing Back Dead Actors
Conversely, when it came to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the extended screen time of an uncanny valley version of Peter Cushing crossed into concerning territory. After all, the actor had passed ...

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