The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

The Empire Strikes Back rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb8.7/10· 1.5M votes

Rotten Tomatoes93%

Metacritic82%

TMDb8.392/10· 19K votes

With 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 8.7/10 on IMDb and 82/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been very positive.

About The Empire Strikes Back

The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile, rebel leader Princess Leia, cocky Han Solo, Chewbacca, and droids C-3PO and R2-D2 are thrown into various stages of capture, betrayal and despair.

Cast of The Empire Strikes Back

• 

  Mark Hamill

  as Luke Skywalker

• 

  Harrison Ford

  as Han Solo

• 

  Carrie Fisher

  as Princess Leia

• 

  Billy Dee Williams

  as Lando Calrissian

• 

  Anthony Daniels

  as C-3PO

• 

  David Prowse

  as Darth Vader

• 

  Peter Mayhew

  as Chewbacca

• 

  Kenny Baker

  as R2-D2

• 

  Frank Oz

  as Yoda (Voice)

• 

  Alec Guinness

  as Obi-Wan Kenobi

• 

  Jeremy Bulloch

  as Boba Fett

• 

  Jason Wingreen

  as Boba Fett (voice - uncredited)

The Empire Strikes Back facts

Budget

$18M

Box office

$538.4M

Collection

Star Wars Collection

Our take on The Empire Strikes Back

Widely considered the finest Star Wars film, this 1980 sequel darkens the saga: the rebels are routed, Luke trains with Yoda, and Darth Vader delivers cinema's most famous twist. Richer, sadder and more mythic than the original, it deepened a galaxy into legend. If its blend of adventure, romance and shadow gripped you, the wider Star Wars saga continues the story, and the grand sci-fi epics chase the same wonder.