What do you lose by watching the 1980 version? Dolby Digital 5.1 EX sound, for one thing (only 2.0 Surround here), and digital cleanup. But for home-theater owners, the biggest frustration will be from the non-anamorphic picture. On a widescreen TV, an anamorphically enhanced (16x9) picture at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio will fill the screen with the exception of small black bars on the top and bottom. The original edition of Empire, however, on a widescreen TV will have large black bars on the top, the bottom, and the sides unless you stretch the picture (and distort it in the process, especially considering the substandard picture quality). If you're watching on a standard square-shaped (4:3) TV, though, you won't notice a difference.

Yes, it's true that serious home-theater lovers who want spectacular sound and anamorphically enhanced picture can always watch the 2004 version of the movie also included in this set. But chances are good that they already picked up the trilogy edition of all three films, so their decision to buy the 2006 two-disc edition depends on how much they want the original film. The official LucasFilm stance is that this is an individual release of the 2004 version of The Empire Strikes Back, and the 1980 version of the film is merely a "bonus feature." Common speculation is that the only reason the original versions are seeing the official light of day at all is to undercut the booming black market for the laserdisc version. Star Wars fans will have to decide for themselves if that's worth the purchase. --David Horiuchi

My dissertation,lol,on the film is near the final when Vader tells Luke that he is the father. On a Freudian level, this could be called the Oedipus complex theory with Luke deciding to not join his father. I presume Luke was apprehensive to join in because he believed it was a confidence game that would result in his own termination/castration. Just a speculative theory.
No matter what, enjoy this wonderful work.

When ESB was released in 1997 I had a standing date to go see it on the big screen. Way back in 1980, I remember being on summer vacation and going to see it for the first time. When the movie ended, I could not believe that we (the audience) were left hanging on a cliff for the next 3 years. Talk about tease, lol.......:)

It was a dark time for the Rebellion.

The now-famous scroll of yellow letters over the movie screen set the tone for the second chapter in George Lucas's Star Wars saga. In The Empire Strikes Back, we see a darker side to the conflict that was first introduced in the swashbuckling Star Wars. The stakes are higher, the battles are more tense, and the characters grow. In the same vein as the matinee movie serials that Lucas was honoring with these movies, Empire begins with a bang and ends on a cliffhangar, but, from beginning to end, showcases the best that the Star Wars Trilogy has to offer.

The Rebellion has just been driven from their base, and are set upon on all sides by the numerically superior Imerial Fleet, leaving the heroes scattered. Luke, yearning to finish his Jedi training, sets out to find a reclusive master, and must come to terms with his first defeat. Han and Leia travel to a magnificent city in the clouds, only to meet with betrayel at the hands of an old friend. Darth Vader, more sinister and evil than ever, has concocted a plan to capture Luke and turn him to the Dark Side of the Force, using Han and Leia as bait.

Lucas handed the directing reins over to Irvin Kershner (Never Say Never Again), who infuses his own brand of vision into Lucas's story, creating a much darker, character-driven narrative, and, arguable, the best film in the series. My first experience with the saga, Empire holds a special place in my heart. Either way, The Empire Strikes Back is filled with exotic worlds, fierce space battles, and climactic lightsaber duels.

The Special Edition of Empire adds less than it's predecessor, mainly placing in bits and pieces of effects shots that were never finished, and giving more substance to the ice monster that attacks Luke early in the film. However, the meat of the film is untouched, thankfully, and simply looks the best it has in more than twenty years. When it comes to film, there are movies, then there's Star Wars, and Empire holds its own against the original with talent to spare.

If you own Star Wars, chances are you own The Empire Strikes Back. If not, give yourself a good kick in the butt, and get it. NOW.

So what has been changed with the already perfect, in my opinion, STAR WARS: EPISODE 5 - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK? For starters one may want to familiarize themselves with Donald F. Glut's storybook novelization to read any scenes that are not included in the original 1980 release. Despite many of the key scenes occuring out of sequence in the novel and comic book version - for instance, the Bounty Hunters are introduced following Yoda bringing Luke's X-Wing out of the swamp, and the arrival at Cloud City occuring after Luke's imaginary duel with Darth Vader inside the dark cave. What has been changed?

There are many unnecessary, in my opinion, changes seen throughout. When R2-D2 is nearly swallowed by the swamp monster, Luke's "You're lucky you don't taste very good!" is changed to "You were lucky to get out of there!" WHAT? WHY? A more visual look at the Wampa eating carrion while Luke struggles to free himself from the ice cavern. Plus an actual look at Luke slashing off the monsters' arm. The best changes made are a wider view of Cloud City. There are open windows making the city look more like a real metropolis instead of a very confined set as it was in the original 1980 release. When Luke takes his fall from the reactor core, his cry as he falls is a recycled sound effect of the Emperor falling down the shaft in RETURN OF THE JEDI. There are also added scenes of Darth Vader's shuttle departing for the EXECUTOR Star Destroyer's landing platform, which looks very similar to the set used for the uncompleted Death Star in RETURN OF THE JEDI. Probably recycled footage.

What's still missing? Following Luke's recovery from the Bacta Tank there was to have been a scene where 2-1B the medical droid removes an adhesive mask from Luke's face to heal the injury scars, and rebel officers discovering Luke's dead tauntaun. Plus the capture of a wampa, and Threepio removing the warning sticker to lead stormtroopers to their "Wampa Chow" fate. Also missing are longer scenes during Luke's Jedi Training where he levitates glowing magical balls or cleaves sticks with his lightsaber. Also missing for probably good reason is Han Solo enduring the shock torture which was to have gone longer, but according to interviews director Irvin Kershner cut it short, fearing it would be too gruesome for chidren. As if stuffing Luke inside a dead tauntaun wasn't bad enough. It's also strange that the Computer Graphics crew weren't able to remove the classic bloopers where Luke flees from the Wampa cave with his lightsaber activated just after you hear him turn it off, and C-3PO's body on the conveyor belt with the camera crew briefly reflected. I'm not going to argue anyhow because EMPIRE still remains a classic entry in the series as it is. It's one of those movies that stands alone as a great film in a series.

As an added bonus the Special Edition trailers to THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI are also included on this video release.

All things considered, it's a shame that only the SPECIAL EDITION films will be released on DVD on September 21, 2004. If George Lucas really wanted to monopolize on the Star Wars franchise he should have both the original and special edition releases available in the same set. Similar to how on some DVDs one side is standard edition and the other is widescreen format. That would be some heavy duty technology to pull that off, but it would be worth it. Still I am definitely going to buy the DVD releases, since I strongly feel that the films will be given their long overdue justice - not to mention fantastic picture and sound quality, which with STAR WARS is a must. I also hope for Special Features the original, yes you read me correctly, ORIGINAL trailers will be included. After 2005 when EPISODE 3 is released, fans all over Earth will no doubt have their visual dreams realized - if still lacking the old time freshness.

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!