--- title: "The Empire Strikes Back: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-empire-strikes-back/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-empire-strikes-back" critics_score: 70 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Empire Strikes Back (1980): what the critics said Critics' score 70 from 10 reviews: 6 positive, 1 mixed, 3 negative. Most critics favour The Empire Strikes Back, with praise clustering around Kershner’s direction, the special effects and the darker treatment of familiar characters. Supporters find that the sequel gives its action more emotional weight, allowing character development and philosophical questions to sit alongside the set-pieces. The inventive worlds and creatures are a recurring pleasure, while several reviews argue that the storytelling is tighter and more thoughtful than in the original. The spread is wide, however, and the disagreements extend beyond whether the sequel feels fresh. Where admirers see greater depth, detractors find ponderous discussions, mechanical plotting and machinery crowding out the people. The Telegraph finds too little characterisation to make the action matter, while Sight and Sound regards the effects as a substitute for story and finds even the Yoda sequence unimaginative. The central division is over whether the added seriousness enriches the adventure or makes it tiresome. ## Radio Times Rating 5/5. Kershner's direction gives the film an epic dimension with a mature, philosophical aspect alongside brilliant effects. It darkens the imagery and deepens the narrative with provocative plot strands and character development. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-1p1u3k/star-wars-episode-v-the-empire-strikes-back/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 4/4. 21 February 1997. The best of the three Star Wars films and the most thought-provoking, plunging into darkness and despair while surrendering to the story's mystery. It is a visual extravaganza worth seeing for its inventive sights like the Imperial Walkers, Cloud City, and especially Yoda. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-empire-strikes-back-1997) ## Time Out — JO'C Rating 5/5. 20 February 2014. This is the tautest Star Wars installment, ricocheting between incendiary set-pieces while attending to plot, pace and character development. Luke's training and the Bespin confrontation deepen the narrative stakes. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/star-wars-episode-v-the-empire-strikes-back) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Arthur Knight Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 21 May 1980. The critic finds it a worthy successor to the original Star Wars, a rattling good entertainment that is far and away the best of its kind since the first film. He singles out Kershner's direction for making the familiar characters more human and the special effects for being virtually flawless. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/empire-strikes-back-review-1980-movie-752672/) ## Variety — James Harwood Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 7 May 1980. A worthy sequel equal in technical mastery and characterization to the original, with strong performances, new visual marvels, and believable elements drawn from classic film frameworks. It suffers slightly from overfamiliarity with effects and excessive saber duels but is poised for strong box office. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1980/film/reviews/the-empire-strikes-back-1200424800/) ## The Guardian — Derek Malcolm Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 1980. The critic views the film as a technically proficient sequel that is a sure commercial hit but slightly less fresh and a bit boring compared to the original. Special effects and direction are praised while the story and some elements like extended Force discussions are noted as tiresome. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/may/22/star-wars-review-empire-strikes-back-archive) ## The New York Times — Vincent Canby Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 15 June 1980. A nice but bland and inoffensive sequel that is not as fresh, funny, surprising or witty as the first film, feeling like the middle of a comic book or a mechanical operation. It is silly and tiresome in patches, with the director and some cast members panned. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1980/06/15/archives/film-view-the-empire-strikes-back-strikes-a-bland-note-film-view-a.html) ## Sight and Sound — Richard Combs Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 1980. The critic finds the sequel overly reliant on special effects and gimmicks that institutionalize the fun of the original, with story and characters taking a backseat. Human elements feel second-hand and the Yoda sequence lacks imagination. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/empire-strikes-back-archive-review-return-gimmicks) ## The Telegraph — Eric Shorter Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 1980. The review advises not to seek meaning in the film and criticizes its grandiloquent approach, emphasis on machinery, and lack of characterization, making it hard to care about the characters or plot. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/star-wars-episode-v-empire-strikes-back-review-hard-care/) ## Empire — Ian Nathan 1 January 1980. The critic declares it the best of the original Star Wars trilogy, praising its sophisticated storytelling and emotional depth over the first film. They single out the array of inhospitable worlds and the masterful direction of the climactic confrontation for particular acclaim. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/star-wars-episode-v-empire-strikes-back-review/) ## Eye for Film — Scott Macdonald Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 4 May 2005. The critic calls it the single best sequel ever made and praises its vigorous storytelling, character development through action and meditation, and spectacular, detailed moviemaking that blends dark delights with inventive effects and humor. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/star-wars-episode-5-the-empire-strikes-back-film-review-by-scott-macdonald) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-empire-strikes-back.md