The Empire Strikes Back


"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you?"   - Yoda


release year: 1980 (with 1997 special edition)
genre: sci-fi/action/adventure
viewing setting: home Bluray 6/15/22 and 8/23/13 and home DVD, 4/12/09 and theater 3/1/97, and theater and HBO many times in the 1980s

synopsis: Despite the destruction of the Death Star, the Empire is still going strong, as they relentlessly pursue/fight the rebels and their heroes in various settings. Also, Luke begins Jedi training while Han's debts catch up to him.

impressions: Again, I'm not going to go into much detail about this movie, since anyone reading this has seen it many times already. I didn't really detect the new scenes, but all in all, this was a mighty movie - it had the Hoth battle, the asteroid belt, the bounty hunters, and the cloud city! It even had the guts to end on a "bad" cliffhanger. This might have been the best, overall, of the entire series. It certainly made an impression on me as a kid - and continues to now that I'm an adult.

something this movie has that no other movie has: Imperial Walkers!

acting: Notable additions for this one include Lando and Boba Fett. I personally always felt that IG-88 was under-utilized here.

final word: A classic of sci-fi adventure and sequel.

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