Viewed Despecialized Edition

The Empire Strikes Back takes the incredible foundation of the original classic and digs into its problems, insecurities, and emotional dilemmas that were left in the shadows previously. It's the equivalent of peering into an open wound, with every beloved character dealing with issues and trials that are both fascinating and startlingly introspective. It only helps that every scene is perfectly composed, wonderfully acted, amazingly scored, eerily shot, and mindbogglingly awesome. I get chills just thinking about Darth Vader waiting for Luke up on that platform, enshrouded in mystique and menace, ready to smother the light from Luke's soul.

The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite STAR WARS film and one of the finest works ever made. Fucking Shakespearean in its themes and scope, this mystical masterpiece enthralls again and again. It'll never age.

My all time favorite film. It doesn't get any better than this.

What I really paid attention to this time around was the pacing. It is astonishing how perfect The Empire Strikes Back flows, every single scene is exciting and memorable. I never really thought about it, but the Rebellion doesn't even leave Hoth until roughly 40 minutes into the film, which clocks in with a total running time of just over two hours. Think about how much iconic greatness is jammed into those remaining 80 minutes, yet it never feels rushed, nothing is glossed over.

I can't imagine ever been more entertained than I am during Episode V. It was the greatest achievement in the world when I was a child, and over 20 years later nothing has changed.

only angels have X-wings

100

Cities in clouds, spiritual guides, snow monsters, and giant walking battleships. A romance among the stars, and a tragedy rooted in the desperate escape of defeat. To watch The Empire Strikes Back is to experience joy and love and pain in all their multitudes, and such emotional/visual/conceptual breadth (somehow) shares the screen with a subplot involving a shiny gold droid and his disassembled body. A whole lotta' movie, but one of the best too.

all c3po ever fucking does is complain and r2 solves every single problem. no lie i want one of these standalone backstory movies about r2d2

man, i don't get y people keep hating on this movie, Laura Dern wasn't that bad and i really liked the podracing

The Empire Strikes Back will always be a five out of five. Despite the flaws I was trying to find in this film, there is none. And even if I could find one, the amount of genuine emotion that you feel for the rebels, Luke Skywalker, or with Han & Leia would just overshadow everything. The score here is incredible, and it plays a huge part in the narrative of the story. The set designs and cinematography is outstanding, as everything genuinely looks so real and perfect. Everything is so well-done! 

I love this movie, and this is the pinnacle of what Star Wars will be. Nothing will probably ever come close again.

Ps: let’s not forget that Luke actually struggles in this film and fails a lot. I’m glad he’s not a Gary Stu in this film like Rey is a Mary Sur in the other ones.

Best SW film. Not my favorite

My instinct now is to nitpick - Luke's marooning on Hoth seems so pointless, Han's treatment of Leia is like a blueprint for troll-her-into-submission Twitter tactics, the music absolutely smothers every scene, and the trauma of the big twist is given about twenty seconds of screentime. Still, I spent the entire movie wishing I was twelve and seeing it for the first time. It's so overwhelming!

Not just a mere sequel, Empire eclipses even its predecessor and is unquestionably one of the greatest films ever made, with brilliant new characters (Yoda!), stunning special effects, and possibly the greatest single revelation in movie history.

Princess Leia Organa: Stop that. 
Han Solo: Stop what?    
Princess Leia Organa: [timidly] Stop that! My hands are dirty. 
Han Solo: My hands are dirty too. What are you afraid of?

One of the best sequels of all time. Builds and expands the world of the original, and ends on a perfect note to set up the ending to the trilogy.

My favorite of the entire series. We opened our second driveway double feature with this. amazing as always.