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

Great job

Great movie

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.

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.

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.

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.

Easy to play, Easy viewing, good product

Firstly, the 3 stars was for the prompt service. Had this been the 'original version' I would have given it 5 stars. For any prospective purchasers.. BEWARE! These three reissued films... Star Wars, Empire & Jedi are the DVD versions of the 'special editions' from 1997 (& the fairly recent boxset with Vader on the cover). They very cleverly (or cynically) removed the 'special edition' wording from the 1997 cover. If you (like I) want the original theatrical versions, then look for the 'limited editions'.