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AdventureActionScience Fiction Editor's Pick

The Empire Strikes Back Review (1980) — 86% Celluloid Score

Directed by Irvin Kershner · 1980 ·

LLM fact sheet (.md)

Answer Summary: Is The Empire Strikes Back worth watching?

The Empire Strikes Back (1980) earns a 86% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

Quick Verdict: What is the Celluloid Score for The Empire Strikes Back?

Averaged from five public sources (critic, audience, Metascore, Letterboxd, IMDb). See how we calculate scores.

86%
Celluloid Score Recommended

Five-source breakdown

89% Critic Score
91% Audience
83 Metascore
★★★★☆ Letterboxd 4.1
8.7 IMDb /10
Runtime
2h 4m

Where to watch in India

Not yet streaming in India — check local listings.

Why this score?

  • Majority of critics rated it fresh (89%).
  • Audiences widely enjoyed it (91%).
  • Metascore signals universal acclaim (83/100).
  • Letterboxd diarists rate it highly (4.1/5).
  • IMDb users score it 8.7/10.

Best for

  • Viewers who want a well-regarded adventure, action, science fiction pick

Not ideal for

    Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy

    Is The Empire Strikes Back worth watching?

    Yes — The Empire Strikes Back earns a 86% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.

    Critics Consensus

    IMDb Top 250 #15 (8.7/10) — The Empire Strikes Back remains one of the most highly rated films of all time.

    Celluloid Critics Consensus

    Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

    What is The Empire Strikes Back about?

    The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile, rebel leader Princess Leia, cocky Han Solo, Chewbacca, and droids C-3PO and R2-D2 are thrown into various stages of capture, betrayal and despair.

    Critic Reviews

    critic The Empire Strikes Back

    The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Review

    Irvin Kershner's The Empire Strikes Back (1980) remains a defining Adventure landmark from United States, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

    Strongly recommended — holds up for new and returning viewers.

    Marcus Webb Horror & Genre Critic

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