The Empire Strikes Back

The Empire Strikes Back
Theatrical release poster
Directit bi	Irvin Kershner
Produced bi	Gary Kurtz
Screenplay bi	Leigh Brackett Lawrence Kasdan
Story bi	George Lucas
Starnin	Mark Hamill Harrison Ford Carrie Fisher Billy Dee Williams Anthony Daniels David Prowse Kenny Baker Peter Mayhew Frank Oz
Muisic bi	John Williams
Cinematography	Peter Suschitzky
Eeditit bi	Paul Hirsch
Production company	Lucasfilm Ltd
Distributit bi	20th Century Fox
Release date	Mey 17, 1980 (1980-05-17) (Washington, D.C.) Mey 21, 1980 (1980-05-21) (Unitit States)
Rinnin time	124 minutes
Kintra	Unitit States
Leid	Inglis
Budget	$18–33 million
Box office	$534.2–538.4 million

The Empire Strikes Back (an aa kent as Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back) is a 1980 American epic space opera film directit bi Irvin Kershner.

Plot

Three years efter the destruction o the Daith Starn, the Rebel Alliance haes been driven frae thair umwhile base on Yavin IV bi the Galactic Empire. Princess Leia leads a contingent, which includes Han Solo an Luke Skywalker, in a new base on the icy planet Hoth. Luke gangs tae investigate a possible meteor impact which turns oot tae be a probe droid sent bi Darth Vader in rake o him, but is ambushed bi a monstrous, furry wampa. While Han Solo rakes for him, Luke frees himsel frae the wampa's cave wi his lichtsaber, but suin suffers frae the sheer-cauld temperaturs o the snowy wasteland. The spirit o his late mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, appears afore him an instructs him tae gang tae the seestem Dagobah tae train unner Jedi Master Yoda. He is then foond bi Han, who uises the wairmth o his dead tauntaun for shelter, an brocht back tae base tae recover.

Meanwhile, Vader is alertit tae the location o the Rebel base bi the probe droid an launches an attack uisin gigantic AT-AT Walkers, capturin the base. Han an Leia escape on the Millennium Falcon wi C-3PO an Chewbacca, but thair hyperspace drive malfunctions. Thay hide in an asteroid field, whaur Han an Leia grow closer. Vader summons several boonty hunters includin the notorious Boba Fett tae assist in findin the Falcon. Luke escapes wi R2-D2 in his X-wing fechter an crash lands on Dagobah. He meets the diminutive Yoda, who accepts Luke as his pupil efter conferrin wi Obi-Wan's spirit. Durin Luke's trainin, Yoda sends him intae a cave in which the dark side o the Force haes a strang presence. Luke experiences a veesion in the cave whaur he fights Darth Vader an decapitates him. When the false Vader's mask is removed, Luke sees his ain face beneath it. While unnergangin intensive trainin, Luke haes a premoneetion o Han an Leia in pain an, against Yoda's wishes, leaves tae save his friends.

Unknawinly tracked an follaed bi Fett, Han sets a coorse for Cloud Ceety, a floatin gas minin colony in the skies o the planet Bespin run bi Han's auld friend, Lando Calrissian. Shortly efter thay arrive, Lando leads them tae a banquet table, whaur thay are shocked tae find Vader an Fett waitin. Lando apologizes tae them, statin that thay arrived afore them an he haed tae turn them ower for the sake of his fowk. Ower Lando's objections, Vader uises them as bait an torturs Han sae he can lure Luke intae a trap. Vader an aa reneges on his agreement wi Lando bi agreeing tae haund Solo ower tae Fett ance Luke arrives. Fett plans tae collect a hefty boonty on Solo bi deliverin him alive tae Jabba the Hutt, the gangster tae whom Han is hivily indebtit.

Vader intends tae hauld Luke in suspendit animation via carbon freezin, an against Fett's protests, who fears the freezin will kill his prize, selects Han as a test subject for the process. Leia professes her luve for Han, efter which Han is frozen in a block o carbonite. Han survives the freezin an Vader haunds ower his hibernatin form tae Fett, who intends tae leave for Tatooine tae collect his prize. Vader then faur betrays Lando bi demandin that Leia an Chewie are tae be taken intae his custody insteid o remainin on Cloud Ceety, an when Lando objects ower Vader's tyranny, Vader threatens tae place Cloud Ceety unner Imperial occupation. Lando, who is unable tae deal wi the guilt o whit is happenin, initiates an escape, freein Leia an the ithers. Thay desperately try tae save Han frae Fett; houiver, the group are too late an the boonty hunter is able tae load Solo ontae his ship an escape. Thay flee in the Millennium Falcon wioot Han.

Meanwhile, Luke arrives at Cloud Ceety an faws intae Vader's trap. Luke an Vader engage in a lichtsaber duel that leads them ower the ceety's central air shaft. Vader severs Luke's richt haund, disairmin him, an corners him ower the air shaft. Vader tells him that Obi-Wan never tauld him the real truth aboot his faither, but Luke shouts that Vader killed his faither. Vader tells him that Obi-Wan lied tae him, an states that he didn't kill his faither, but that he is his faither. Despite Luke's disbelief in this, he realizes that Vader is tellin the truth. Vader offers Luke a choice tae rule the galaxy bi his side as faither an son, but Luke rejects the offer an throws himsel doun the shaft.

He slides throu a tube seestem an is ejectit beneath the floatin ceety, whaur he grabs ontae an antenna. He maks a desperate telepathic plea tae Leia, who senses it an persuades Lando tae return for him, an he is saved. R2-D2 repairs the Falcon's hyperdrive, allaein them tae escape. Abiord a medical frigate, Luke is fittit wi a robotic airtifeecial haund. Lando an Chewbacca set off in the Falcon tae find Jabba the Hutt an Boba Fett in an attempt tae save Han frae Jabba. Luke, Leia, R2-D2, an C-3PO stay at the Rebel frigate thegither.