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The Empire Strikes Backis one of the most popular and critically - celebrated films of theStar Warsfranchise , but George Lucas felt a change was necessary way back in 1980 , when the film was still in theaters . Empireis best remembered today for its disconsolate tone , the introduction of iconic characters likeYoda , Boba Fett , and Lando Calrissian , and its unforgettable final reveal that Darth Vader is Luke ’s father . All of these aspects were , of course , present in the original sack .
Lucas had made likewise last - minute change before this point , with small audio adjustment made toA New Hope(then know only asStar Warsbefore being , yes , changed in re - release ) while it was still in theaters . But his reputation as a tireless revisionist would n’t truly emerge until the 1997Star WarsSpecial Edition press release , which made clear replacements of and additions to most aspects of the original trilogy ’s particular upshot . These would be followed by similar efforts in subsequent eld , with even the prequel trilogy being change as it moved to household video .
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This first , theatrical variety toThe Empire Strikes Backappears at the very end of the celluloid , after Luke narrowly escapes from Cloud City ( h / tStarWars.com ) . It consists simply of three young snap showing the exterior of the Rebel medical frigate which providesLuke with his new hired man . The first of these features a few Rebel starships fly past the frigate , while the minute testify the Millennium Falcon , carrying Lando and Chewbacca , docked beneath it . After an interior look at the cockpit , the third novel shot pans out from an outside view of the Falcon to peer into a windowpane of the medical bay where Luke is being treated alongside Leia , C-3PO , and R2 - D2 . Originally , the flick cut from a wide view of the fleet directly to the cockpit , then straight to the inside of the medical bay , leading to Lucas ’s concern that audiences might be slightly confused as to where the two groups were in telling to one another if they were n’t given more context of use .
George Lucas has persist dogged criticism for the retell alteration made theStar Warsfilms under his supervision . WhileThe Empire Strikes Backhas been less importantly altered thanA New HopeorReturn of the Jedi , it has been subjected to , among other thing , casting change when Ian McDiarmid and Temuera Morrison were tuck as Emperor Palpatine and Boba Fett , severally . However , it ’s easier to consider the extra exterior nip as part of the proper film , both because they came so ahead of time in its life and because they are relatively unnoticeable , being neither a needless exhibition of CGI nor a marked narrative modification like theinfamous shootout between Han Solo and Greedo .
From a cynical position , even three very abbreviated dig could be interpreted as an omen of the unnecessary addition to get . But the variety , disregardless of necessity , demand a very lively turnaround from the crew , who believed that their work onThe Empire Strikes Backwas long since finished , only to be recalled three weeks before wide release . With that in mind , this also serves as a admonisher of the vast identification number of people required to create films like these , and of just how much arduous employment break into meet even the minuscule creative choices .
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