Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back - 1980

Coming up next is the fifth (or second if you're an original trilogist) installment in the Star Wars saga.  1980's "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" follows the continuing adventures of Han, Luke, and Leia as they battle the evil Empire in search of freedom for the galaxy.

The film's cast includes Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Frank Oz, James Earl Jones, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Billy Dee Williams, Clive Revill, and John Ratzenberger.

Luke Skywalker and the Rebel fleet are hiding out on the ice planet Hoth.  Luke gets captured by a carnivorous wampa and almost ends up as lunch.

He's rescued by Han Solo just in the nick of time.  The two almost freeze to death.  Just before collapsing, Luke hears the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi who tells him to go to Dagobah and seek out Yoda.

After Luke recovers, we focus in on Han and Leia.  The two still can't seem to decide if they love each other or hate each other.

Darth Vader has discovered the location of the hidden Rebel fleet.  He orders a ground assault to destroy it.

Luke joins the rest of the pilots and are successful in destroying the Imperial walkers.

Han and Leia escape just in time.  Apparently, there's a problem with the Millennium Falcon.  "Would it help if I got out and pushed?" asks Leia.  Frustrated, Han looks at her and shouts, "It might!"

Luke and R2-D2 head to the planet Dagobah to find Yoda.  On arrival, R2 gets attacked by a mysterious swamp creature and only narrowly escapes serious harm.  Luke isn't at all sure what to expect from the strange planet.

Meanwhile, Darth Vader is very angry that the Rebel forces have once again escaped his grasp.

It turns out that Luke doesn't have to look for Yoda at all.  He comes to them.

The Millennium Falcon is still having problems.  They escape the Imperial forces by hiding in a cave on an asteroid.  The only problem is that the cave is not a cave at all.  The Falcon escapes the mouth of a huge space worm!

Luke begins his Jedi training with Yoda, a former master of Obi-Wan Kenobi.  Yoda has him performing all sorts of athletic feats in order to build up his endurance.  He also teaches him the ways of the Force.

As part of his training, Luke must face a dark part of the jungle planet.  When he asks Yoda what lies within, Yoda replies, "Only what you take with you."

Luke is disturbed by visions of Han and Leia in pain.  He wants to go and help them.

Han decides to take the Millennium Falcon to get fixed at Cloud City, which is run by his good friend Lando Calrissian.  Han trusts him, but Leia does not and is very suspicious of Lando.

Luke prepares to leave Dagobah.  Yoda and the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi caution him against leaving as he could fall prey to the Dark Side.  Obi-Wan warns him that the Emperor wants to use Luke's abilities to help him rule the galaxy.  Luke promises to return and finish his training, and leaves for Cloud City.

At Cloud City, Leia is feeling very uncomfortable about their time there, especially about the whereabouts of C-3PO, who seems to have mysteriously disappeared.  Han tries to reassure her that Lando is a good guy.

That seems to be in question when Lando brings them to Darth Vader, who tracked the Millennium Falcon there.  Lando tells Han that he had no choice as Vader arrived just before the Falcon did.

Because of his debt to Jabba the Hutt, Han is frozen in carbonite to be delivered to him on Tatooine.  Darth Vader also wants to freeze Luke when he comes so that he can be taken to the Emperor with little fuss.

Luke does indeed come to the rescue, but his halted by Darth Vader and engaged in a lightsaber battle.

Darth Vader informs Luke that he is his father.  Luke tries to fight him, but Vader cuts off his hand.  When Darth Vader offers him a position at his side, Luke refuses and falls down a dark tunnel.

He comes out underneath Cloud City with seemingly no way to get help.

He uses the Force to speak telepathically with Leia and get her to help him.  Lando (who proves his good guy status by helping Leia and company to escape Cloud City) turns the ship around and helps Luke onto the Millennium Falcon.

He's given a prosthetic hand in place of the one that Darth Vader cut off.

Luke and Leia join up with the Rebel fleet as they begin to formulate a plan to rescue the frozen Han Solo.

Cast rundown:

   Mark Hamill......................................Luke Skywalker

   Harrison Ford....................................Han Solo

   Carrie Fisher.....................................Princess Leia

   Alec Guinness...................................Obi-Wan Kenobi

   Frank Oz..........................................Yoda

   James Earl Jones...............................Darth Vader

   Anthony Daniels................................C-3PO

   Kenny Baker.....................................R2-D2

   Billy Dee Williams..............................Lando Calrissian

   Clive Revill........................................Emperor Palpatine

   John Ratzenberger.............................Major Durlin

And that's all for Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back.  One of the funniest moments of this film comes in the form of a blooper.  Near the beginning, Darth Vader comes to the planet Hoth to help with the destruction of the Rebel forces.  During an early take, he entered the base, tripped over a cable, and fell down face first.

For the 2004 DVD release, the scene between Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine was altered.  Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine in the rest of the Star Wars franchise) played the Emperor.  The dialogue between the two cast members was expanded and completely re-recorded by McDiarmid and James Earl Jones.

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