Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back [Includes Digital Copy] [4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Blu-ray] [1980]

When this Blu-ray steelbook was on sale for 9.99 on May 4th, you couldn't pass it up even if you own the original trilogy on Blu-ray already. the collectable steelbook is worth the price of admission for 9.99. However, be warned. The extras are scarce on these and no Digital Copies at all. This set is very bare bones. Only get this edition if you want the collectable packaging or if you must own everything Star Wars.

This whole steel book collection is amazing and so unique. It's well worth getting separate movies than the box set.

It's a great steelbook copy with Beautiful artwork on the front and back and the inside.

The adventure continues in this "Star Wars" sequel. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) face attack by the Imperial forces and its AT-AT walkers on the ice planet Hoth. While Han and Leia escape in the Millennium Falcon, Luke travels to Dagobah in search of Yoda. Only with the Jedi master's help will Luke survive when the dark side of the Force beckons him into the ultimate duel with Darth Vader (David Prowse & James Earl Jones). This is the 2019 Disney+ version on the discs.

I think most will agree that Empire Strikes Back is hands down the greatest film in the Star Wars franchise to date. Filled with great special effects, a beautiful score that first introduced the now famous Imperial March, and character arcs that still shake audiences to their core as this was the first time we ever saw heroes lose. With that said, the 4K transfer of this film is gorgeous and presents the film in the greatest format it’s ever seen. While the special features of this release are identical to past releases, the 4K Upgrade makes this with the investment. My only complaint is that I wish they’d also included the original, unaltered version of the movie as it was originally released in theaters before George Lucas did the special edition version with the added cgi and digital effects.

Much like A New Hope, this version does not include the original cut. Rewatched this when it was in theaters last year, and was a bit disappointed with the transfer - which I assume is the same as what's on disc. It seems strange Disney would not put a little more care in the restoration of such an important trilogy. With that being said, based on reviews I've read, this is still the best quality it is currently available in. It also appears to include a decent amount of extras. Perhaps somewhere down the line there will be a perfect release, with each version and proper restoration, but for now this 4k blu-ray release will have to do. For anyone interested, my copy did not include a slipcase.

Of course ESB is great, but how is the 4k video and audio quality? I was blown away by both. This is a demo movie to show the capabilities of a 4k TV. Picture was super clear and audio was outstanding. I noticed things I had never noticed before. I would definitely recommend this one for SW fans and also to see what 4k is all about.

I've seen it in the theater and many times on the TV/VCR. And I heard a new joke that I missed! Right after kiss a wookie. The audio is great! The 4K version looks amazing on my new OLED. CGI looks good overall. All the bonus features are on the Blu-ray. The Blu-ray looks great on my 4K OLED. The HDR is HDR10.