Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Review

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

Release Date: 7th August 1980 – Australia


Production Companies
Lucasfilm Ltd.

Distribution

20th Century Fox Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: PG

Runtime: 124 minutes
                 126 minutes
                 (Special

                 Edition)

                 127 minutes

                 (2004 Edition)

Budget: $30,500,000

Box Office Gross: $550,016,086 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary

The Rebels suffered a devastating attack on the frozen planet of Hoth by the Empire, which caused them to retreat. Luke Skywalker goes to the swamp world of Dagobah to look for the mysterious Jedi Master Yoda and receive his training. Meanwhile, Han Solo and Princess Leia find themselves in hot pursuit by the Imperial fleet but manage to outrun them and head to the beautiful Cloud City of Bespin.

Wanting to convert Luke to the dark side, the evil Darth Vader captures his friends and sets a trap for him. Amidst a ferocious lightsaber battle with the Sith Lord, Luke faces a terrible family secret.

Cast
Mark Hamill – Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford – Han Solo
Carrie Fisher – Princess Leia Organa

David Prowse – Darth Vader

James Earl Jones – Darth Vader (Voice) (Uncredited)

Billy Dee Williams – Lando Calrissian

Anthony Daniels – C-3PO
Kenny Baker – R2-D2
Peter Mayhew – Chewbacca
Frank Oz – Yoda (Voice)
Alec Guinness – Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi
Marjorie Eaton – The Emperor (Uncredited)
Clive Revill – The Emperor (Voice)

Denis Lawson – Wedge Antilles

Ian McDiarmid – The Emperor (2004 Edition) (Uncredited)

Jeremy Bulloch – Boba Fett/Lt. Sheckil

Jason Wingreen – Boba Fett (Voice) (Uncredited)
Temuera Morrison – Boba Fett (Voice) (2004 Edition) (Uncredited)

John Hollis – Lobot, Lando's Aide

Jack Purvis – Chief Ugnaught

Des Webb – Snow Creature

Kenneth Colley – Admiral Piett

Julian Glover – General Veers

Michael Sheard – Admiral Ozzel

Michael Culver – Captain Needa

John Dicks – Imperial Officer

Milton Johns – Imperial Officer

Mark Jones – Imperial Officer

Oliver Maguire – Imperial Officer

Robin Scobey – Imperial Officer

Bruce Boa – Rebel Force

General Rieekan

Christopher Malcolm – Rebel Force Zev (Rogue 2)

Richard Oldfield – Rebel Force Hobbie (Rogue 4)

John Morton – Rebel Force Dak (Luke's Gunner)

Ian Liston – Rebel Force Janson (Wedge's Gunner)

John Ratzenberger – Rebel Force Major Derlin

Jack McKenzie – Rebel Force Deck Lieutenant

Jerry Harte – Rebel Force Head Controller

Norman Chancer – Other Rebel Officer

Norwich Duff – Other Rebel Officer

Ray Hassett – Other Rebel Officer

Brigitte Kahn – Other Rebel Officer

Burnell Tucker – Other Rebel Officer

Mark Capri – Officer M'Kae (Captain Needa's

Communications Officer) (Uncredited)

Maurice Bush – Dengar (Uncredited)

Alan Harris – Bossk/Bespin Security Guard

(Uncredited)

Chris Parsons – 4-LOM/K-3PO/

E-3PO/Stormtrooper/Snowtrooper (Uncredited)

Cathy Munroe – Zuckuss/Wiorkettle

(Uncredited)

Paul Klein – IG-88 (Bounty Hunter Droid)

(Uncredited)

Quentin Pierre – Edian – Bespin Guard

Arresting Stormtroopers (Uncredited)

C. Andrew Nelson – Darth Vader

(Special Edition) (Uncredited)

Harold Weed – Wampa (Special Edition)

(Uncredited)

Treat Williams – Echo Base Trooper

(Uncredited)

Mac MacDonald – Rebel Pilot (Uncredited)

Joe Johnston – Captain Shawn Valdez –

Hoth Rebel (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Harrison Ellenshaw – Hoth Rebel (Cameo)

(Uncredited)

Michael Pangrazio – Rebel Pilot (Cameo)

(Uncredited)

Ralph McQuarrie – General McQuarrie

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Jim Veilleux – Imperial Officer Canonhaus

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew
Director – Irvin Kershner
Story/Executive Producer – George Lucas

Writers – Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan

Associate Producers – Robert Watts

and Jim Bloom
Producer/Assistant Director (Uncredited)/
Director: Studio Second Unit (Uncredited) –
Gary Kurtz
Producers – Howard G. Kazanjian (Uncredited)

and Rick McCallum (Special Edition)

Casting Directors – Bob Edmiston,

Irene Lamb and Terry Liebling

Production Designer – Norman Reynolds

Design Consultant and Conceptual Artist/

Matte Artist: Miniature and Optical Effects Unit –

Ralph McQuarrie

Art Directors – Leslie Dilley,

Harry Lange and Alan Tomkins

Assistant Art Directors – Fred Hole and

Michael Lamont

Sketch Artist – Ivor Beddoes

Draftsmen – Ted Ambrose, Michael Boone,

Reg Bream, Steve Cooper and Richard Dawking

Set Decorator – Michael Ford
Costume Designer – John Mollo

Makeup and Special Creature Design –

Stuart Freeborn

Chief Makeup Artist – Graham Freeborn

Makeup Artists – Kay Freeborn,

Nick Maley and Rick Baker (Uncredited)

Chief Hairdresser – Barbara Ritchie

Director of Photography – Peter Suschitzky

Director of Photography: Location Second Unit –

Geoff Glover

Director of Photography: Studio Second Unit –

Chris Menges

Operating Cameramen – Kelvin Pike and

David Garfath

Assistant Cameramen: Location Second Unit –

Mike Brewster and John Campbell

Second Assistant Cameramen – Kate Robinson

and Madelyn Most

Production Supervisor – Bruce Sharman

Assistant Production Manager – Patricia Carr

First Assistant Director – David Tomblin

Second Assistant Directors – Roy Button and

Steve Lanning

Assistant Directors: Location Second Unit –

Ola Solum and Bill Westley

Location Manager – Philip Kohler

Director: Location Second Unit – Peter MacDonald

Directors: Studio Second Unit – John Barry

and Harley Cokeliss

Stunt Coordinator – Peter Diamond

Helicopter Pilot – Marc Wolff

Mechanical Effects Supervisor: Production

and Mechanical Effects Unit – Nick Allder

Robot Fabrication and Supervision: Production

and Mechanical Effects Unit – Ron Hone and

Andrew Kelly

Senior Effects Technicians: Production and

Mechanical Effects Unit – Neil Swan

and David H. Watkins

Chief Creature Maker: ILM (Special Edition) –

Harold Weed

R2-D2 Builder – Tony Dyson (Uncredited)

Fabricator: Yoda – Wendy Midener

Performing Assistant: Yoda – Kathryn Mullen

Special Visual Effects – Brian Johnson

and Richard Edlund

Visual Effects Producer: ILM (Special Edition) –

Tom Kennedy

Art Director: Visual Effects, Miniature and Optical

Effects Unit – Joe Johnston

Visual Effects Art Director: ILM (Special Edition) –

George Hull

Assistant Art Director: Miniature and Optical

Effects Unit – Nilos Rodis-Jamero

Assistant Visual Effects Art Director: ILM

(Special Edition) – Alexander Laurant

Effects Director of Photography: Miniature and

Optical Effects Unit – Dennis Muren

Effects Cameramen: Miniature and Optical

Effects Unit – Ken Ralston and Jim Veilleux

Camera Operators: Miniature and Optical Effects

Unit – Don Dow and Bill Neil

Assistant Cameramen: Miniature and Optical

Effects Unit – Selwyn Eddy, Jody Westheimer,

Rick Fichter, Clint Palmer, Michael J. McAlister,

Richard Fish and Chris Anderson

Assistant Cameraman/Model Maker: Miniature

and Optical Effects Unit – Paul Huston

Chief Model Maker: Miniature and Optical Effects

Unit – Lorne Peterson

Model Maker: Miniature and Optical Effects Unit/
Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM (Special Edition) –

Dave Carson

Miniature Pyrotechnics: Miniature and Optical

Effects Unit – Joe Viskocil, David Pier and

Thaine Morris

Matte Painting Supervisor: Miniature and Optical

Effects Unit – Harrison Ellenshaw

Matte Artist: Miniature and Optical Effects Unit –

Michael Pangrazio

Matte Photography: Miniature and Optical Effects

Unit – Neil Krepela

Matte Photography Assistants: Miniature and

Optical Effects Unit – Craig Barron and

Robert Elswit

Animation and Rotoscope Supervisor: Miniature

and Optical Effects Unit – Peter Kuran
Stop Motion Animation: Miniature and Optical

Effects Unit – Phil Tippett and Jon Berg

Stop Motion Technicians: Miniature and Optical

Effects Unit – Doug Beswick and Tom St. Amand

Supervising Stage Technician: Miniature and

Optical Effects Unit – Ted Moehnke

Stage Technicians: Miniature and Optical Effects

Unit – William Beck, Ed Breed, Dick Dova,

Bob Finley III, Edward Hirsh and Leo Loverro

Special Project Coordinator: Miniature and

Optical Effects Unit – Stuart Ziff

Optical Photography Supervisor: Miniature

and Optical Effects Unit – Bruce Nicholson

Optical Supervisors (Special Edition) –

Chris Bushman and Philip Feiner

Computer Graphics Supervisor: ILM (Special

Edition) – Tom L. Hutchinson

Visual Effects Editorial Supervisor: Miniature and

Optical Effects Unit – Conrad Buff IV

Effects Editor: Miniature and Optical Effects

Unit – Michael Kelly

Editors – Paul Hirsch, Marcia Lucas (Uncredited)

and T.M. Christopher (Special Edition)

Assistant Editors – Duwayne Dunham,

Barbara Ellis, Phil Sanderson, Steve Starkey

and Paul Tomlinson

Sound Design and Supervising Sound Effects

Editor/Sound Designer (Special & 2004

Editions) – Ben Burtt

Supervising Sound Editor (2004 Edition) –

Matthew Wood (Uncredited)

Supervising Assistant (2004 Edition) –

David Acord (Uncredited)

Sound Editors – Richard Burrow and

Bonnie Koehler

Sound Editor (1980, 1997 & 2004 Editions) –

Teresa Eckton

Production Sound – Peter Sutton

Re-Recording – Bill Varney, Steve Maslow

and Gregg Landaker

Re-Recording Mixer (2004 Edition) –

Tom Myers (Uncredited)

Dialogue Editors – Curt Schulkey,

Leslie Shatz and Joanne D'Antonio

Foley Editors – Scott Hecker and

Robert R. Rutledge

Foley Assistants – John Roesch and

Edward M. Steidele

Sound Effects Recording – Gary Thom

Recording Technician/Re-Recording Mixer

(Special Edition) – Gary Summers

Recording Technicians – Kevin O'Connell

and Howie Hammerman

Digital Mix Technician (Special Edition) –

Gary A. Rizzo

Film Restoration Supervisor (Special Edition) –

Pete Comandini

Film Restoration Consultant (Special Edition) –

Leon Briggs

Music – John Williams

Music Supervisor – Lionel Newman (Uncredited)

Supervising Music Editor – Kenneth Wannberg


Awards

1981 Academy Awards
Best Sound – Bill Varney, Steve Maslow,

Gregg Landaker and Peter Sutton (Won)

Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects –

Brian Johnson, Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren

and Bruce Nicholson (Won)

----------------
Best Art Direction – Norman Reynolds,

Leslie Dilley, Harry Lange, Alan Tomkins

and Michael Ford (Nominated)

Best Original Score – John Williams (Nominated)

Review

The fans of the Star Wars franchise were right. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK was the best of the original trilogy and the whole series. This cinematic masterpiece has left its mark on the film industry and pop culture. It has everything the first movie didn't have, such as a brilliant story, a dark tone and more character development.

I loved the film's characters, such as Yoda, Lando Calrissian and Boba Fett, who (excluding the latter, who already debuted in the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special) were all introduced to the series. The action sequences in this movie are as spellbinding as ever. Most of the visuals have stood the test of time, and the performances from actors like Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher were more astonishing than they were in the original Star Wars movie. Also, Billy Dee Williams was terrific as Lando. Composer John Williams never ceases to amaze me by delivering one of the most famous movie scores with the recognisable "Imperial March" theme music.

The notable scenes include the Battle of Hoth between the Imperial AT-AT walkers and the Rebel snow-speeders, Han in the Millennium Falcon getting chased by the Imperial fleet in the asteroid belt and the cliffhanger ending. Not to mention the lightsaber duel between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, which has the shocking and iconic reveal where Vader says in his infamous quote to Luke, "No, I am your father."

EMPIRE has been considered a classic sci-fi film and is now one of my all-time favourites. It is simply one of the best movie sequels ever made. I highly recommend this film to Star Wars fans and non-fans alike, some of whom haven't seen it yet.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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