Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1557 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-09-11
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Formats: Box set, PAL, Special Edition
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 127 minutes

DVD Description
Disc 1 - Special Edition: DTS 5.1 sound and 16:9 Anamorphic picture

Disc 2 - Original Version:2.0 Dolby Surround sound and is 2.35:1 letterbox within a 4x3 picture Disc 2 is THX, ensuring the highest possible quality picture and sound

Synopsis
Considered the most morally and emotionally complex of the original Star Wars trilogy, THE EMPIRE STRIKE BACK continues creator George Lucas's epic saga where STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE left off. The Rebel Forces--which include young adventurer Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), rogue pilot Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and the beautiful but seemingly humourless Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher)--have been successful in destroying the Empire's Death Star. However, the Empire's top commander, the terrifying Lord Darth Vader (played by David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones), is scanning the galaxy for the Rebels' secret location. After a visually stunning showdown on the ice planet Hoth, the Rebels are forced to flee, and Luke separates from Han and Leia. Masterful storytelling weaves multiple, archetypal plotlines that pit Vader against Han and Leia as he desperately attempts to capture Luke for political and personal reasons. Luke, meanwhile, finds himself under the tutelage of the tiny but powerful old Jedi Master Yoda, who teaches him the ways of the Force and warns the impatient but talented student against the threat of the Dark Side. Greek tragedy meets a philosophical hero's journey in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, a remarkable sci-fi epic in which the performances are as powerful as the spectacular special effects.

Customer Reviews

Not the best addition, but a well shot one
'The Empire Strikes Back', the second of the "old" Star Wars releases, is likely to be the darker of the collection, yet at the same time, the most accomplished in terms events. Their are many well shot scenes that are so cleverly edited, and the early fight scene on the snow planet between the rebels and the empire is superbly shot.

It's only my opinion though, but I've always felt the ending shot of this film is incredibly weak. Not longer after Darth Vader has confessed his relationship with Luke, we're still in alot of tension and the atmosphere is quite mellow, yet in a matter of minutes, all this is turned around so we can have a shot of Luke, Leia, and the droids gazing out of their cruisers window with a big smile on their face, just to make a "happy ending". This is surely un-appropriate, and dare I say it, a "To be concluded" would have at least kept the mood right.

Personally, I feel Episode IV (A New Hope) is the best of the saga, but The Empire Strikes Back is always worthy of a watch for it's well shot scenes.

I know alot of people are touchy on the subject of which Star Wars is the best, so I'll zip it for now - these are just my thoughts...

Simply the best of all the Star Wars movies
This a great DVD set - you get the original movie from 1979 and the remastered limited edition. Both are great movies in their own right with minor changes here and there (Wampa scene, the Emperor transmission and dialogue, Bespin scenes). This episode had a brilliant storyline, acting and direction with an awesome score by John Williams. You would have thought Lucas would take note of this when making the prequels but he obviously didn't; he decided that huge amounts of money and high-tech computers would give the same end product. Anyway, Empire Strikes Back is arguably the best of the 6 movies and one for your collection.

The best of the entire 2 trilogy's
Its dark (like all sci-fi should be), its fatalistic, and its the best Star Wars film. Actually this is the only Star Wars film in which the remastered version is superior.