Original Fan Reception of the Empire Strikes Back

How Star Wars Fans Really Reacted To Empire Strikes Back When It Released

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is now a favorite among fans, but it wasn't like that when it was released. Here's how fans reacted to it.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is considered by many to be the best movie in the Star Wars saga, but the reaction of critics and viewers was very different when it was released. The Star Wars universe began in 1977 with the movie now known as Star Wars: A New Hope, which took viewers to a galaxy far, far away to introduce them to Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and villain Darth Vader, among other characters who stuck around for the rest of the saga. Three years later came the anticipated sequel, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, which revealed a big secret that changed the saga completely.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is set three years after the events of the previous movie, and saw the Empire going after Luke and the rest of the Rebel Alliance. While Vader pursued Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO, Luke continued his Jedi training, now with Yoda as his master. The movie also introduced some classic Star Wars characters, such as Lando Calrissian and Boba Fett, but its biggest contribution was the big reveal of Darth Vader being Luke's father, in a scene that has been referenced and parodied countless times ever since the movie's release. While this is one of the most memorable scenes in film history, the reaction of critics and viewers wasn't always positive, and many didn't really like the movie when it was released.

Although Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was the highest-grossing film of 1980, it was met with mixed reactions, in big part due to the aforementioned scene between Darth Vader and Luke. The way fans could voice their dislike over movies back in the day was through magazines, of which some have been digitalized and saved in archives, as is the case of Starlog (via A Critical Hit). In the magazine's 1980s issues can be found many complaints from fans who weren't pleased with The Empire Strikes Back – some believed Darth Vader was lying to Luke, others didn't like that it left Han's fate to be solved in the next movie, and some even began to speculate about who was Yoda's "other" student. Other complaints were directed towards Han's now-classic "I know" line and how George Lucas "made a movie even more racist and sexist than the first".

Critics weren't nice to it either, with some finding it to be silly (but not in a good and entertaining way), the "middle-of-the-story" plot not having a beginning or an end, Luke not learning nor "growing", and the overall product to not be at the level of Star Wars: A New Hope. As years have passed, the opinion of critics and viewers has drastically changed, and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is now not only considered the best movie in the Skywalker saga but also one of the best ever made. The movie is now praised for its tone, story, and considered to be better than its predecessor, thus becoming one of those rare examples where a sequel is superior to the original. Of course, reaction to the Vader/Luke twist has changed and is now cited as one of the greatest plot twists of all time.

Looking back at the reaction to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back when it was released, it's not that surprising that Star Wars: The Last Jedi was received the way it was, but it also shows that, as years pass and movies are revisited, the initial reaction and criticism can change completely. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is now one of the most influential movies of all time, but to get there, it had to go through some punches.

Next: Star Wars: What Happened Between The Empire Strikes Back & Return Of The Jedi?

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About The Author

Adrienne Tyler (2936 Articles Published)

Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided's BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she's not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said "hi" to her once. It was great.

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Original Fan Reception of the Empire Strikes Back

Source: https://screenrant.com/star-wars-empire-strikes-back-fans-critics-reactions/

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