The empire strikes back what was your reaction

adamlee19adamlee19 Posts: 632
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Sadley i wasnt even thought off when Empire first came to cinama.I really wish i was just to see that huge twist at the end when Vader told Luke who he really was, Plus i think its the best star wars film out of all 6. But i would like to know your reaction when you first saw it and saw that massive twist. Even if it wasnt at the cinama.

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  • peroquilperoquil Posts: 1,526
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    I remember it vividly. I watched it in a lovely old cinema with my grandfather and I was eight. I couldn't believe the twist, I wouldn't believe it! This was pre-Internet days, so there were no real spoilers to be had beforehand, and I remember the buzz of everyone chatting on the way out.

    I was in tears though because I thought my hero Han Solo was dead. That carbonite coffin scared me.
  • Big Boy BarryBig Boy Barry Posts: 35,290
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    My reaction is that it's the best Star Wars movie

    Primarily because it was the one movie that George Lucas had the least amount of influence over.
  • Ancient IDTVAncient IDTV Posts: 10,122
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    I remember my dad taking me to see the original Star Wars film at the cinema (I was 8 at the time), and I remember some discussion with classmates and relatives about the film.

    I never went to see either of the sequels, though. I don't think I had any interest in them at the time. I didn't get to see Empire or Return until the mid-'90s when a work colleague loaned me them on VHS. Can't remember if I had much reaction to that twist.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,679
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    I wasn't very old but i remember it vividly, shortly before the big reveal came my brother punched me in the arm, I hit him back and we got thrown out.

    So I didn't actually see the moment for some years afterwards, videos being what they were back then and my father vowing never to take either of to the cinema again.
  • Ted CTed C Posts: 11,730
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    Well, I recall that it took a while for the film to achieve classic status, in fact some early reviews made a big deal of the magic being lost from the first movie, and critiscised the dark tone of the movie.
  • stripedcatstripedcat Posts: 6,689
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    Unfortunately I saw it after "Return of the Jedi" in 1984. It got re-shown at the cinema - it used to happen back then as distribution was slightly different and videos were in their infancy. It meant that I already knew about Han and Vader. My impression at the time was just how stunning the imagery was in the film - the whiteness of the Hoth planet, the dark and moody tone of Yoda's planet, Han getting frozen and the setting for the climatic battle between Luke and Vader. I did how the Millennium Falcon hid from the Imperial Fleet funny(sticking to the side of a ship).
  • bass55bass55 Posts: 18,319
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    I was around 7 when I first saw it, so I don't recall my exact reaction. But I think I just assumed Vader was lying.
  • mike65mike65 Posts: 11,386
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    Yoda was annoying! But the rest was great.
  • FizzbinFizzbin Posts: 36,827
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    peroquil wrote: »
    I remember it vividly. I watched it in a lovely old cinema with my grandfather and I was eight. I couldn't believe the twist, I wouldn't believe it! This was pre-Internet days, so there were no real spoilers to be had beforehand, and I remember the buzz of everyone chatting on the way out.

    I was in tears though because I thought my hero Han Solo was dead. That carbonite coffin scared me.
    Well, yes there were. I read the book about a month before the film came out. I nearly fell off the sofa when I got to the bit about Luke's daddy.
  • peroquilperoquil Posts: 1,526
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    Our primary school used to run a kind of book club, and I remember a few of the kids bought the photo storybook from "The Empire Strikes Back" and we all pored over the pictures in class before it came out, totally amazed.

    It's the most human of the saga, I hope JJ Abrams studies it hard.
  • Dr. LinusDr. Linus Posts: 6,445
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    I first saw it when I was 7 years old in 1999, immediately after watching TPM and then ANH. I was obsessed with TPM at that age and I had absolutely loved ANH as well, but ESB took me by surprise. I really, really enjoyed the darkness of it and how different it felt to ANH, but my favourite part was how the storylines were getting so much more intense and interlocking with each other - I loved the idea of Vader spending most of the film chasing Han instead of Luke.

    When the Vader/Luke duel finally got started I nearly fainted with the sheer drama of it all - I was so scared I could barely watch during the first scene of the duel with that awesome lighting and Vader's high ground, and was cheering Luke on loudly throughout. And laughing my head off at Threepio during the Bespin escape sequences which were a nice interlude from all the excitement. But when Vader said the line... wow. Can't really describe how that felt. You have to remember that I had actually seen little Anakin in TPM, who I saw myself in, before watching the OT, not knowing about this, and the reveal just felt like someone had died. I was lost for words, but within a few minutes I began to realise that this was the most amazing twist I had ever known in a film - and I have to say, to this day no plot twist has ever rendered me speechless in the way that one did.

    And then the film ended and I was left yelling for more, and as I went with my dad to buy the ROTJ VHS, I kept going on about how amazing ESB was and that Star Wars was now my favourite thing in the world. Ah, memories. I love Star Wars so much.

    I do think that demonstrates, as well, just how important the Vader reveal is to Star Wars as a whole. It changes absolutely everything for every fan and turns the saga from fun action films into incredibly high-drama epic destiny sagas, and the fact that the reveal suddenly makes the whole saga about the same one family means that you invest yourself in the characters so much more as you learn more about them. It also demonstrated really clearly to the viewer that every character had a story to tell and had a back story that was probably involved with other characters' back stories, in ways we probably couldn't even think of. Therefore I think the Vader reveal basically breathed the first life into the EU and secured the saga as more than a series of films.
  • peroquilperoquil Posts: 1,526
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    Fizzbin wrote: »
    Well, yes there were. I read the book about a month before the film came out. I nearly fell off the sofa when I got to the bit about Luke's daddy.

    I meant not to the extent that every detail is up for grabs the way it is today, that's all.
  • peroquilperoquil Posts: 1,526
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    Dr. Linus wrote: »
    ...the first scene of the duel with that awesome lighting.

    The set designs for that carbon freezing chamber and the room looking out onto the central Bespin shaft are beautiful, utterly brilliant. The bit when the hatch closes behind Luke, the lights come on, and you hear it...

    "The Force is with you young Skywalker....but you are not a Jedi yet"

    Ace.
  • Dr. LinusDr. Linus Posts: 6,445
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    peroquil wrote: »
    The set designs for that carbon freezing chamber and the room looking out onto the central Bespin shaft are beautiful, utterly brilliant. The bit when the hatch closes behind Luke, the lights come on, and you hear it...

    "The Force is with you young Skywalker....but you are not a Jedi yet"

    Ace.

    It's an amazing moment. It does exactly what that kind of scene does, by making you think "oh my god... this is going to be awesome". The fact it manages to do that, and does it without any music, just with one line and some amazing cinematography, is pretty impressive. And the fact that the rest of the film actually delivers on that promise is even more impressive.
  • thedarklord _thedarklord _ Posts: 565
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    I watched the Star Wars movies for the first time last year and I already knew the 'twist' beforehand. So obviously not shocking. Star Wars has become engrained in popular culture in a way that it's regularly spoofed, parodied and regularly brought up in conversation about films.

    Honestly I could've given a half decent synopsis of each of the films before having seen them.
  • Dr. LinusDr. Linus Posts: 6,445
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    I watched the Star Wars movies for the first time last year and I already knew the 'twist' beforehand. So obviously not shocking. Star Wars has become engrained in popular culture in a way that it's regularly spoofed, parodied and regularly brought up in conversation about films.

    Honestly I could've given a half decent synopsis of each of the films before having seen them.

    Hardly a fair viewpoint of the film though. There are films I've seen where I've known the big twist and still really engaged with the way it played out and got chills when it happened.
  • HelboreHelbore Posts: 16,066
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    I was born in '79 and don't actually remember the first time seeing any of the Star Wars films. It feels like I just always knew the story. Its weird, because it was such a huge thing at the time (I had tons of SW toys as a child because its what everyone bought you for xmas and b'days) it feels like it was a massive part of my early life and that the story was something I was born knowing.

    Consequently, I missed out on all the twists. In my mind, I'd always known Vader was Luke's father. I always knew Vader would turn on the Emperor and save Luke. I always knew what Jabba the Hutt looked like. I always knew "its a trap!"

    I'd liked to have known what it was like to experience the story without knowing the plot like it was pre-written in my brain.
  • GulftasticGulftastic Posts: 127,177
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    I was 10 when 'Empire' was released, and pretty much lived and breathed Star Wars back then. We were obsessed with it. It's hard to picture how massive those films were (certainly in my circle). I loved it when I saw it. It helped that we already knew we were getting a third film, so the 'to be continued' type ending didn't bother us, it just meant more great Star Wars to come!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,488
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    I saw it for the first time a few weeks ago and my reaction was "really? Why'd everyone go on about it? it's not that good". Personally, I much preferred Return of the Jedi, though I'm probably the only person in the world that things that...
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,027
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    adamlee19 wrote: »
    Sadley i wasnt even thought off when Empire first came to cinama.I really wish i was just to see that huge twist at the end when Vader told Luke who he really was, Plus i think its the best star wars film out of all 6. But i would like to know your reaction when you first saw it and saw that massive twist. Even if it wasnt at the cinama.
    A critical comparison between Empire and Return of the Jedi was featured in "Clerks"
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA
  • Tal'shiarTal'shiar Posts: 2,290
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    Empire is the best of all the films, and the Vader reveal was pretty good. Its funny, but I don't want to say what it was in case someone hasn't seen it, but its so infamous that a lot of people already know it without ever seeing the films.

    I watched New Hope and Empire a few years back (I always struggled with Jedi, too stupid and poorly writen, you can tell Lucas had a lot more involvement (FRICKEN EWOKS?!?! Oh that was a sign of things to come wasnt it just)) and to be honest, I turned Empire off. I watched it on Blu Ray, but its the remix of the remaster of the editors and 1992 cut, you get my point. George Lucas is a hack.
  • Brass Drag0nBrass Drag0n Posts: 5,046
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    Saw this in the cinema back in 1980 aged 9 and I think I went from the elation of the Hoth battle and asteroid field chase through to the growing horror of realising that Luke was going to lose his fight with Vader - I don't think I'd seen any good guys lose before that point.

    And then to be hit by THAT line at the lowest point - my mind was blown.
  • Nattie01Nattie01 Posts: 1,652
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    I was 10 when I saw it and I think I was more bothered about Han Solo being frozen in carbonite rather than the "I am your father" stuff.
  • RebelScumRebelScum Posts: 16,008
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    Han and Leia was the bigger shock to me. I was 7 when the first one came out in the 70's, and immersed myself into it completely. Had all the comics & action figures. I'd usually make up my own little adventures whilst playing with the action figures, and regardless of whatever adventure I'd come up with, it was always Luke and Leia; so when I saw Empire, the Han / Leia development did unnerve me. Part of my innocence was lost forever that day.

    ...sorry, I was just having a Wonder Years moment there.
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