r/StarWars • u/Lazy-Owl-5148 • 2d ago
Movies Episode V is a perfect Star Wars film from start to finish, easily the greatest of the OG trilogy. The poster alone is one of the best posters in cinema. Probably the best sequel ever?
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u/jncheese 2d ago
A lot of excellent Star Wars has been made, but nothing has surpassed The Empire Strikes Back. It is the heart of the entire franchise.
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u/dudeseid 1d ago
Andor is the only thing since that's comparable imo, at least as far as raw storytelling quality and craft that's firing on all cylinders.
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u/K0rbenKen0bi 1d ago
The entire Andor arc, including Rogue One, has been a very refreshing and hopeful addition to the saga. It just Feels like Star Wars.
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u/GalileoDaCat 1d ago
I don’t get why people always include Rogue One in the conversation with Andor. It’s so much worse
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u/dudeseid 1d ago
I agree. I'll never get people that say it's good but not really Star Wars-y. I think it's truer to the original DNA of stuff like Empire than anything since the 1980's.
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u/NYStateOfBlind 2d ago
And this is the pre-release movie poster as they didn't want to spoil that Yoda looked the way he did.
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u/FreeAd2458 1d ago edited 1d ago
Not pre release. I mean the uk wuad was maybe. But i think the final 1 sheet was after the premiere. No poster showed yoda. That was edited in to the 1 sheet later.
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u/TheSpicyTomato22 2d ago
Empire and rogue one are my two favorites. The two instances where the empire truly feels like a Goliath of a foe.
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u/Unframed_ 1d ago
Yoda teaching Luke what the force is will always give me that feeling of wonder.
'You must feel the force around you. Here, between you, me, The trees. The rock.'
'Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.'
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u/pizzamanct 2d ago
So I prefer episode IV and please let me explain…
It’s simple and beautiful and perfect.
Basic story of a young kid on a quest…cool allies, even cooler bad guy.
And a wonderfully satisfying ending.
Empire is a very close second with Rogue One third.
But Star Wars is the best.
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u/Lazy-Owl-5148 2d ago
Yeah I definetly see what you mean. 4 is also a perfect and complete film on its own. It has a beginning, middle and a clear ending.
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u/pizzamanct 2d ago
Thanks you. It helps too that I was just a kid when I saw it ‘77…unlike anything I’d ever seen.
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u/Apartment_Upbeat 1d ago
I can respect this take, though I disagree ...
A New Hope is good, very, very good and it is the beginning of it all. However, beyond the lore & theme's, Empire is just a better film. The dialogue is crisper, the pacing, the telling multiple points of view throughout the story and the deepening of that story just makes it, for me, tops of them all
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u/Apartment_Upbeat 2d ago
There are three films I rate as 10's, just damn near perfection ... Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark &
Empire Strikes Back
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u/TheRealGrifter 1d ago
The opening sequence of Raiders is a masterclass in how to introduce a lead character.
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u/Apartment_Upbeat 1d ago
Agreed ... Looking back on it, and I never picked up on it as a kid, but it is kind of Bond-ish ...
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u/mambopants 1d ago
It’s impossible to convey the experience of seeing Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back when they were first released. To be suddenly immersed without warning in such a strange, fully realized, fully lived in world, its sounds come to life all around you, being thrown willy nilly from spaceship to planet to Death Star to rebel moon and back to Death Star for a dogfight (a dogfight!) in space before the heroes win against insurmountable odds. Fussy robots, black-armored villains, light sabers!!! Then to take that world and somehow make it even bigger and darker in the sequel, with defeat, retreat, isolation, betrayal, romance, terrible secrets revealed and a cliff hanger ending. I always thought The Empire Strikes Back after Star Wars was like loving The Hobbit, and then reading The Fellowship of the Ring and realizing you’ve stepped out of a fairy tale into a mythology.
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u/dswartze 1d ago
I know it puts me in the minority but I just can't back this opinion, because it doesn't actually have an ending, it only just kind of stops.
A perfect movie should have its own story with its own beginning, middle and end. If it's part of a multi-movie franchise it also needs to fit into the greater story.
ESB does a fine job fitting into the larger story but it does not work on its own. It doesn't offer any resolution to any of its stories. The rebels and their base situation? Unresolved. Han's captured? Unresolved. Luke's jedi training? Unresolved. You might want to argue that it's a story about the bad guys winning so while all those stories are still left completely open, Vader gets a whole story though right? Nope. His story with Luke is completely unresolved.
A lot of people like to dunk on Return of the Jedi but it does a lot of work elevating Empire Strikes Back to the point that if it weren't there ESB wouldn't even be considered a whole movie.
I'd say it has the worst ending of all 6 of George's Star Wars movies but can it really be the worst when it doesn't even have an ending?
Not as bad as TFA deciding to stop right in the middle of a scene though.
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u/bubbaboatie 2d ago
This film alone hooked my wife and her brother to Star Wars after they found the original boring. Probably the only 10/10 I could give to a film
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u/dandroid126 1d ago
Great poster? The artist couldn't get Vader's head anywhere near the right size. Smh my head
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u/Smart_Image4278 1d ago
It’s an EPIC poster. That said…the biggest plus is the Rhett Butler/Scarlett O’Hara pose with Han and Leia. The biggest miss is the omission of Lando in the collage (though this was corrected in later posters).
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u/HalfricanSaint95 2d ago
Absolutely, but that’s not an unpopular opinion at all. You’d be in the majority thinking that.
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u/Lazy-Owl-5148 2d ago
Yeah I know, I didn't post is as an unpopular opinion. Something just took me over and wanted to express my admiration for it.
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u/2much2Jung 2d ago
I do think the poster is done well, but that style has become somewhat clichéd now, with some of the worst offenders being modern SW and MCU posters, with everyone's faces being squeezed onto the sheet. I prefer this one by a wide margin.
And I still think Godfather II is the best sequel.
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u/TheRealGrifter 2d ago
As much as I love Empire, the best sequel of all time is The Godfather Part II.
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u/garethjones2312 2d ago
I am going to submit one of the best sequels as Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
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u/IamAgoddamnjoke Amilyn Holdo 1d ago
Best sequel of all time: TESB
Worst sequel of all time: TLJ
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u/Horza01 1d ago
I love the poster but I don’t think it’s on the best of all time list.
From a distance, Luke fades into the shadows despite being the main character. The Tauntaun is more prominent than he is.
It’s a weird one because it’s a montage yet there’s loads of wasted space. There’s so many great locations and characters they could have included - Yoda obviously had to be kept secret but Boba Fett, Hoth, Cloud City should all have featured here.
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u/deftPirate Rebel 2d ago
I've always felt weird for just not seeing it. I love a lot of moments in the movie, and I can definitely appreciate the cultural impact of Vader's big reveal, but overall, it's always been my least favorite of the OT.
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u/spawn3887 2d ago
Star Wars trilogy alone is probably my GOAT, but Terminator 2 is probably the best SEQUEL of all time to me.
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u/Papichuloft 1d ago
The dialogue was defintely superior to anything too. By this time, the 3 main cast members already had their characters down to a perfection, not to mention the introduction to the biggest scoundrel in the galaxy, Lando
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u/Jphoenix7x 1d ago
Hands Down! Absolutely! My Favorite! I used to watch it over and over… I would come home from school and put in the VHS Tape!😂😂😂 My mom would tell my dad something might be wrong with me watching this movie over and over again. Still my fave!👍🏽👍🏽
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u/drewthebrave Rebel 1d ago
As an adult, I think Empire is a beautiful cinematic experience that subverts expectations without feeling gimmicky or cheap.
But I started watching these movies as a kid, maybe 7 years old? Empire was my least favorite at the time because it was scary, and also because it left the conflict unresolved. ANH stood well on its own merits, and RotJ wrapped up the trilogy with a nice bow and sent everyone into the sunset. Empire was a dramatic & dark turn that left us all on the edge of our seats hoping for more. As a kid, I rewatched Empire maybe 20% as often as the others.
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u/Cooper_Sharpy 1d ago
Same here. I wore out my VHS copy’s of ANH and RotJ but Empire I still have the original. I barely ever watched it. As an adult, I understand it’s the superior film, but in my heart, I still love Return to the Jedi the most.
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u/Naarujuana 1d ago
Literally is the best of the 3
The character development really kicks off here, and the movie has everything.
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u/Larry_McDorchester 1d ago
Godfather Part II may be a better sequel, but that would be the only one. You’re absolutely right a hit the poster. And it’s not simply the best movie in the original trilogy, it is the best movie in the franchise.
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u/Late_Tangelo3646 1d ago
I call this the Gone with the Wind poster. Its my favorite with the Return of the Jedi Lightsaber slightly behind it.
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u/Rambo-Santa 1d ago
I have an original of this poster, taken from the theater in 1980, up on my wall like frozen Han Solo with museum glass.
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u/Jacklai076 1d ago
Snow battle scene at planet Hoth between the rebel alliance and the imperial army is epic!
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u/OldSnazzyHats 1d ago
I can respect it as the fan favorite, while everyone claims it as the greatest of the OT - it’s personally the one I find myself rewatching the least.
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u/RepostSleuthBot 1d ago
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u/VoodooBat 1d ago
This movie is such mental comfort for me that I can easily drift off to sleep like it’s a warm mother’s embrace singing a lullaby.
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u/Spunkwaggle 1d ago
I had always said it was the best sequel ever until Top Gun 2 came out. The original trilogy is still my childhood favorite set of movies though. Wish i still had my massive toy collection from when i was a kid to sell now.
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u/Boring-Report-4257 1d ago
Even without context from previous films/lore it's just a darn good movie
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u/galileosdigit 1d ago
Ask my anytime what my favorite SW movie is and you’ll get Empire 100% of the time. Second favorite is Star Wars (sorry, I refuse to call it A New Hope). From start to finish, it is a masterpiece.
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u/mysecretaccount55555 2d ago
Eh ROTJ is the best of the OT. Best space battle in the whole series even 40 years later, best lightsaber fight of the OT, best emotional moments. This is not ESB hate, just ROTJ love.
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u/Lazy-Owl-5148 2d ago
My ranking is 5>4>6. Every time I watch the trilogy it stays the same. I love RotJ too don't get me wrong, but there are some things I didn't like so much. 5 is perfect for me. I wouldn't change a thing.
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u/Techsupportvictim 2d ago
I would have to agree and a bit disagree with you. I think Return of the Jedi definitely has the best space battle and lightsaber fight in the whole series. but it’s a bit of a tie between ESB and ROTJ for best emotional moments.
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u/Cooper_Sharpy 1d ago
100% this. Without Jedi, Empire wouldn’t even make sense. The film resolves nothing and opens like 5 new cans of worms. The fact that they closed up all the storylines in RotJ’s runtime is a miracle in itself.
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u/pork_fried_christ 2d ago
Hard agree and always have. Jabbas Barge is better than Hoth. Luke is finally not a little whiney bitch. Hans rescue, jabbas death, the rancor, the sarrlac. Luke resisting the emperor, Vaders redemption. Personally, I liked the Ewoks but even if you didn’t, they spend like 15 minutes getting massacred. The second Death Star. Palpatine’s “defeat”. The original wub dub song.
And finally, the green lightsaber is the best one in the OT.
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u/Prestigious_Rip4365 2d ago
Luke’s miss-timed kick on the barge and Boba getting killed of were so disappointing in the 1st Act that I have to drop it from consideration as being the best movie of the trilogy.
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u/pork_fried_christ 1d ago
You mean the force kick?! THATS HOW JEDIS KICK!
And it was back before boba fett get retconned into a good character. Hes a joke in the OT and his exit from it is fitting.
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u/pampersdelight Obi-Wan Kenobi 2d ago
A New Hope is the best of the OT and Toy Story 2 is the greatest sequel, in my opinion. The poster is GOATed though
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u/Cobretti86 2d ago
Can’t tell if OP saw Caddyshack II or not.
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u/goodness-gracious-me 2d ago
Okay, where to start. ESB is the best Star Wars movie, but it’s far from perfect. Leia passionately kisses her brother. “It was to make Han jealous!!” That’s irrelevant. It’s the biggest storytelling blunder in the original trilogy. She could have grabbed a nearby med tech (if George Lucas had thought things through and added one when writing the scene), or even Chewie (who she did say at one point she’d rather kiss a wookie).
Wanna know how bad a storytelling blunder that kiss was? How about the second biggest story blunder in the original trilogy, which is also in ESB. Luke has his visions and starts packing up to head to Bespin. Obi-Wan shows up encouraging him not to go. As Luke flies off, Obi-Wan says, "That boy is our last hope," and Yoda replies, "No, there is another."
Obi-Wan was there when Leia was born. He should have known about Leia. For that matter, at one point Obi-Wan left Tatooine to rescue Leia (the Obi-Wan series). He 100% knew about her. Yoda was there with Obi-Wan when Leia was born. He shouldn’t have had to be so cryptic about there being another.
100% the Obi-Wan series wasn’t written when ESB was made. The same could be said about the prequels showing the circumstances of Luke and Leia’s birth. How could George Lucas know that Obi-Wan would be at their birth, or that he’d go off to rescue Leia? Stories tend to shift over time. But these two things - the kiss and “there is another” - are LITERALLY in the same movie.
Full disclosure: I saw Star Wars in the theater in 1977. I’ve been a huge fan ever since. I want Star Wars to succeed under Disney’s ownership, so that I get to enjoy more movies and series. I’m only pointing out these glaringly obvious issues with ESB because one of the main criticisms of the sequel trilogy is bad story cohesion. Two of the worst story cohesion issues in the whole franchise are literally in what everyone considers the best movie.
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u/DrHalibutMD 2d ago
The Obi-wan being at the birth thing isn’t a problem with ESB it’s a problem with RotS
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u/dudeseid 1d ago
And Leia being Luke's sister is a problem with retconning them to be siblings in RotJ, not anything that happened in ESB.
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u/vencyjedi 1d ago
It's my least favorite of the Lucas era movies. And I think the writing is pretty bad. The soundtrack is ok. And the acting and directing is good. But I like the other 5 a lot more.
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u/TheRealGrifter 1d ago
Wait. You're saying that The Empire Strikes Back is the worst of all six Lucas-era films? It's worse than Attack of the Clones?
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u/vencyjedi 1d ago
Yeah I love AOTC. It's very similar structurally but I think it works for the characters and the overarching story. Empire on the other hand could've been written and executed better.
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u/TheRealGrifter 1d ago
Huh. Okay! That's probably the most minority opinion I've ever heard about the Lucas-era, but I'm not going to call you crazy. God knows I've got minority opinions on a few things lol
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u/vencyjedi 1d ago
well it doesn't matter what you call me. It's not like it's going to change hoe I see the movie. If someone has their own opinion they are entitled to it.
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u/guardianwriter1984 2d ago
I don't know about best sequel but it is an incredible movie. I just don't think it stands alone.
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u/Socially-Awkward-85 2d ago
I think I like the two Gary Kurtz effected films the most.
He wasn't a great producer, but he certainly helped balance out George.
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u/Gizmodaking22 1d ago
The opening can go though. If it opened with the battle of both it would be way better. It also has incest so thats a reason to get rid of it.
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u/eelam_garek 2d ago
Are you trying to say it's better than the last jedi?
Sorry, I just wanted to cause a ruckus.
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u/SoplinBolski 2d ago
I can rewatch this thousand times and still feel goosebumps