Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back's reviews
Media reviews
Empire
At once more graceful and melancholic than its predecessor, this is a film far more sophisticated, awe-inspiring and daring.
Chicago Sun-Times
The Empire Strikes Back, is the best of three Star Wars films, and the most thought-provoking. After the space opera cheerfulness of the original film, this one plunges into darkness and even despair, and surrenders more completely to the underlying mystery of the story.
The Hollywood Reporter
The already familiar characters become more human, less like animated figures from the comic strips. 'The Empire Strikes Back' may not top 'Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope' but remains a rattling good entertainment.
Variety
From the first burst of John Williams? powerful score and the receding opening title crawl, we are back in pleasant surroundings and anxious for a good time?like walking through the front gate of Disneyland.
New York Times
'The Empire Strikes Back' is not a truly terrible movie. It's a nice movie. It's not, by any means, as nice as 'Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope'. It's not as fresh and funny and surprising and witty, but it is nice.
The Telegraph
But it is hard to place one?s affections anywhere in a world which is ruled by buttons and dials, computers and bleeps, and people whose conversation is so technical, inaudible or dull that it might be better if the film gave up the idea of dialogue and settled for subtitles where necessary.
Festival Internacional de Cine de Lanzarote