STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK [Blu-ray]

Finally managed to root out the originals! The DVD 11 Sept. 2006 Limited Edition 2 disc set has a bonus disk with the original theatrical release. (If the people with the copyright want to go on playing with it, they have every right to do so - but I do take issue with the difficulty of getting hold of the original release which is of considerable historical interest in several ways. Doing new things with it and trying to efface the reality of the original movie are totally different). So far, I have only watched the original except for one clip (Darth Vader and the Emperor talking, where I can see entirely why the addition makes sense), so all the following is comments on the theatrical release not on the modern changes. I feel the films of this era have a charm of their own despite the special effects limitations, and I felt things like the jump-into-hyperspace effect were well done and very consistent with the overall feel of the story. I hesitated over giving it four or five stars, but I think it does deserve the five. It's brilliant in many ways. The main characters are relatable - they contrast and interact well, the villain is demonstrably evil and is not an idiot or lacking in power and threat (witness the moment where someone shoots him and he just holds up his hand to stop the missiles and take the gun - it makes sense he's proved practically impossible to defeat so far), and the action and sentimental/character development sequences are well juxtaposed. The supporting robots are both wonderful fun, as is the eccentric but genuinely wise mentor. And the twist (redacted in the unlikely event that it's still a spoiler for anyone :-D) is brilliantly done in this movie and the final one in the trilogy: pulling THAT particular thing off is unbelievable, and an incredible achievement in both the writing and acting. It adds unexpected tragic and character-struggle depth which sets off the action-adventure elements extremely well and, I felt, takes the whole work from good to great. However, though most of it is very well done, there are a few things that are unclear or jar slightly in context. For instance, someone who is - I believe - supposed to be dead is carried away in camera-view in a manner that makes it clear he's really alive, people don't entirely behave around Darth Vader as one would expect if he's given to murdering his own men for mistakes, there are some inconsistencies I didn't feel were explained properly (especially Vader's, uh, precise attitude to rebellion against the emperor in this one vs. the following film. Again, redacted spoiler problems). Also, I found some of the romance a bit jarring. I do find the way a certain guy speaks to Leia towards the beginning of this one extremely uncomfortable, and I would have thought it would have put Leia off him more than it does, given she's used to power and responsibility. Being sexually suggestive to a woman who is being clear she doesn't welcome it and then being dismissive of her protests isn't ok. On the other hand, it does fit his character and he does learn better: I think the relationship does make sense overall. They feel a believable couple when they work together, and his care for her specific needs when she's duty-focused on others feels very right and touching. I felt the romance element was off in character terms enough to take note of, but it's shaky in places rather than straight-out not making sense. And, on the flip side of any sexism issue, I was pleasantly surprised to see an action girl who really is an action girl, and isn't a masquerading damsel-in-constant-distress, a substitute man, or primarily there to be objectified in the male gaze (metal-bikini incident in following film notwithstanding - she takes it off the first opportunity she has, and anyone who actually uses that as a pin-up is aligning themselves with the ilk of Jabba the Hutt). Princess Leia could be better characterised in some ways (more capacity to be diplomatic rather than snarky when appropriate seems likely, for instance, given her background) but I did love the genuineness of the action role she has. I don't mind "in media res" done well, but for those who do, this one actually starts more at the beginning of an arc than A New Hope. Though it has a semi-open ending, I felt it finished in a good place: one quest ends, the next needs to begin. There's more to do but the "breathing space moment" where it stops is real. I would note to mothers and fathers and grandparents and other people responsible for children that I am deeply surprised that this or the others in the trilogy (A New Hope and Return of the Jedi) are rated U: I would personally treat them as PGs and recommend considering the individual sensitivities of children in your care. In this one, several people are murdered in camera view (albeit in a fantastic manner), someone's hand is cut off in an on-screen fight (though in circumstances where it isn't messy and it's more symbolically and emotionally important than anything else), the villain is a menacing and murdering bully, there's a scene where a significant character has something rather horrible done to him precisely in case doing it is going to kill him (avoiding spoilers again: but he comes out LOOKING gruesome), and there's a lot of fighting, (none of which feels very realistic except the aircraft going up in flames, but I have the impression that usually goes over kids' heads). Despite it annoying me in other ways, the occasional "suggestiveness" is very discreet - it's in the way things are said not in what is said - the romance does check out as clean and child-friendly: it's only the level of threat and violence that would worry me. Not really a rating problem, but also mostly a children thing: I thought the unfortunate real-life impact scarred-face villain trope is peculiarly (and very effectively) subverted in the final film in several ways, but I found it uncomfortable in this one and in A New Hope. I don't think we should try to retcon artistic history or try to destroy what might not be politically correct - thought-police is always bad - but awareness is good. Anyway, I enjoyed it. For all the minor faults, there's a reason it's so well known and thought of.

Great job

Great movie

Packaging/Case: This product (along with the other 5, which I have also) is a beautiful steelbook. the 'STAR WARS' is embossed and the rest of the case has a gloss finish. The spines match up perfectly and look uniform on any shelf. overall a very nice, well made set. Finally these products come packaged in a paper/card with information (not a slip cover). Interior and Disc: There is Disc art on each disc, matching the cover. Their is magnificent artowork on the interior of each case, in 'Empire Strikes Back' the battle of Hoth is featured. no manuals or paperwork of any kind. Contents: Each movie comes with only 1 disc. the disc features commentary and the movie only. Overview: Thke movies themselves look great on blu ray, I will not go into detail here, as they can be found all over the internet. I can see this set being appealing to only 2 types of people. Individuals who have not picked up the 'Star Wars: The Complete Saga' (Like myself) or collectors who would like these stunning steelbooks for their star wars collections. For a casual buyer who loves Star Wars or blu ray, as good as this set is the price is very steep for the same movies in different packaging, particularley if you own the blu rays already. For this reason I can't give 5 stars. Ps: these are the digitally enhanced versions.

Like many other Star Wars fans i was not that impressed with many of the changes George Lucas made in the digitally remastered versions, even if the overall quality of the image was improved. My old from-TV VHS recordings are long gone, and i've been waiting since then (circa 1990) to get hold of a DVD version of the original, pre-remastered, films for the original trilogy. This is that version. A two disk set with both the remastered and original film version in the case. With the slew of Star Wars re-releases we've had over recent decades it's been hard to tell the wood from the trees in relation to getting the original films, so here are a few pointers to help. For the second film, Star Wars Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back: 1. The ASIN code is: B000FMH8US 2. The code on the base of the spine is: 3392001001 3. The cover is as shown in the amazon listing for this review, with the 'Limited Edition' banner in gold along the top. 4. On the back it will say: "Disk 2: Original theatrical (1980) version of The Empire Strikes Back" Now i've seen people remark that the quality of the original version is terrible, and i can't agree. Maybe we have become too used to over-saturated HDR and computer enhanced visuals? Certainly my viewing of the original versions in this set was no different to the VHS version i had previously or the countless times i watched it on TV as a kid. It's an old film, and these are old recordings of an old film, but in no way is the quality so bad as to ruin your enjoyment of the best of sci-fi stories in film. It is also possible to adjust the settings on most modern TV sets, or even in the software you use if viewing on your PC to get the 'best' viewing you can, i had to darken it slightly to suit my TV, but in general these are not destroyed by blurring or artifacts, certainly no more than the original film was. And finally, thank you George Lucas for eventually listening to the many Star Wars fans that really wanted these versions, it's been a longtime coming, but awesome none the less.

This was a great watch.The movies were very entertaining and fun.This was a good buy as was well worth the money.A seriously great film.I would recommend it.

Easy to play, Easy viewing, good product

Da grande fan della saga non potevo non prendere questa fantastica versione, oltretutto, questo è il mio film preferito della saga. Come detto con gli altri 2 steelbook, ottima edizione in Blu ray, ottima scelta di inserire i poster originali nel retro della custodia! Sul film non c'è molto da dire, stesso disco presente nel Box Blu-Ray del 2011-2015, senza però i contenuti speciali. Prezzo molto conveniente e servizio perfetto, come sempre, da Amazon! Se siete collezionisti e amate la saga non lasciatevi scappare questa grande edizione, peccato contenga l'edizione speciale, tristemente famosa per le aggiunte di Lucas. Film fantastico, video ottimo e audio anche, peccato per l'assenza dei contenuti speciali.

Can’t beat $10 for the steel case of the best movie in the Star Wars catalog.

Très bien

Très bonne remasterisation

With the phenomenal success of Star Wars in 1977, George Lucas realized he could continue the planned trilogy he had been outlining since the early 1970s. His original outline contained the raw material for Episodes IV, V and VI as well as the nebulous backstory that would become the foundation for the current prequels. So in 1978, with Star Wars (which would be rechristened Episode IV: A New Hope) earning hundreds of millions in box office receipts, Lucas, producer Gary Kurtz and the Lucasfilm production team began work on The Empire Strikes Back, the film most Star Wars fans believe is the best in the entire saga. Lucas gave his story to Leigh Brackett, an acclaimed science fiction writer, and hired her to write the screenplay. She passed away soon after finishing the first draft, so Lucas (who would serve as executive producer) handed the project over to up-and-coming writer-director Lawrence Kasdan (Body Heat, Continental Divide, and Raiders of the Lost Ark). Furthermore, he handed the directing reins to Irvin Kershner (The Eyes of Laura Mars); the Star Wars shoot had drained Lucas emotionally and physically, so the series creator focused on the behind-the-scenes aspects of Empire's production. The Empire Strikes Back picks up the narrative some three years after the events of Episode IV: A New Hope. Despite their impressive victory at Yavin, the Rebels' destruction of the Empire's Death Star marked only the true start of the Galactic Civil War. Darth Vader (Dave Prowse, voice of James Earl Jones), last seen heading into deep space in his damaged TIE fighter, made his way to Imperial territory and was given the assignment of eradicating the main resistance cell of the Rebellion. Somewhere along the line (and the movies never explained this), Vader discovered the identity of the X-Wing pilot who destroyed the Death Star. Some time after the Battle of Yavin, the Empire forced the Rebels to flee from their hidden base and pursued them across the galaxy. Now, as the title crawl narrates, Vader, "obsessed with finding young Skywalker, dispatches thousands of remote probes into the deep reaches of space." One of these probes crashes on Hoth, an icy world in the backwaters of the galaxy and so inhospitable that even smugglers avoid it. Its fiery descent is seen by Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), now a commander of Rogue Squadron, as he rides on his trusty tauntaun. However, before he can check it out, he's attacked by a Wampa ice creature and dragged off to its cave for future consumption. Meanwhile, unaware of his friend's plight, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) returns to the Rebel base and tells the commanding officer (Bruce Boa) that he's leaving the Alliance to pay the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt the money he still owes from an incident predating his involvement with the Rebellion. When Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) reacts angrily to his decision to leave, he tells her he knows she wants him to stay not because he's "a natural leader" for the Rebel pilots but "because of the way you feel about me." But their sparring is interrupted when Luke (now hanging by his ankles on an ice cave's ceiling) is reported overdue and Han recklessly rides out into the bitter cold of a Hoth night to find him. Skywalker, aided by his untrained Jedi abilities, manages to escape from the Wampa before he becomes its dinner, and runs out into the teeth of a Hoth night storm. Before collapsing in exhaustion, the spirit of his slain mentor Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi (Alec Guinness) appears before him and tells Luke he must "go to the Dagobah system. There you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi Master who instructed me." Ben disappears and Luke falls unconscious to the snow, but Han reaches him in the nick of time. Although Han's tauntaun dies and the two friends must themselves be rescued by Alliance pilots, Luke survives and everyone is briefly reunited. But the Imperial probe that Luke failed to investigate discovers the Rebel base and reports to the Imperial fleet. Soon, Vader and his hordes of Imperial forces, supported by a fleet of Star Destroyers and lumbering armored transports, descend on Hoth, and the band of Star Warriors scatters. Luke and his astromech droid R2-D2 fly off to Dagobah to find Yoda, while Han, Leia, Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) are pursued relentlessly by Imperial ships and the bounty hunter Boba Fett (Jeremy Bulloch). The Empire Strikes Back took very big risks, such as surprising fans with its Episode V subtitle, having its big battle take place during the first half of the movie, giving the director's chair to Kershner, and making the ending a big cliffhanger with so many story threads left dangling. Would Luke complete his training with Yoda (Frank Oz)? Could Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) be trusted? Who did Leia really love, Luke or Han? Most importantly, was Vader really Luke's father, as he claims at the end of the de rigeur lightsaber duel on Cloud City? For three years, fans theorized and conjectured many different scenarios and grumbled about the unfinished feel of the ending, but Empire was a resounding critical and popular success. The script and directing gave Episode V depth and more personality shadings to the characters, the effects were even better than the first film's, and John Williams' brilliant score built on A New Hope's established musical themes and added new and more interesting leitmotivs that gave the Star Wars saga its operatic sweep. Empire is one of those rare sequels that in some ways surpasses its predecessor film, and almost 25 years after its release it still thrills and chills its many fans.