"The Empire Strikes Back," the second film in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, was originally released in 1980. In 1997, George Lucas released a Special Edition of this film (along with the other two in the original trilogy) with several notable changes and enhancements. The major differences between the original 1980 version and the 1997 Special Edition can be categorized into visual effects updates, scene modifications, and audio changes. Here are the key differences: 1. **Visual Enhancement**: - Improved visual effects using CGI for several space battle scenes, including the opening Hoth battle. - The Wampa ice creature that attacks Luke on Hoth was originally kept mostly off-screen because the costume wasn't convincing. In the Special Edition, new scenes showing the Wampa were added. - When Luke escapes from the Wampa cave, the Special Edition adds a shot of the creature stepping into view and roaring. 2. **Scenery and Environment Modifications**: - The exterior shots of Cloud City on Bespin saw some of the most significant changes. Lucas felt that the original movie didn't sufficiently portray the size and busyness of Cloud City. The Special Edition added CGI windows to show more of the city's interior and extended the cityscape to make it look more expansive. - Several sequences within Cloud City have expanded backgrounds and open vistas where previously the scenes had plain walls or matte paintings. 3. **New and Altered Scenes**: - The scene where Darth Vader returns to his Star Destroyer from Cloud City was extended to show Vader boarding a shuttle, taking off, and joining the Star Destroyer, adding clarity to his movements. - The scene where the Millennium Falcon is being chased by TIE fighters through the asteroid field includes additional shots with more dynamic and complex maneuvers. 4. **Character and Creature Adjustments**: - There are enhancements to some of the creature effects, including more screen time for the tauntauns (reptilian mounts used by the Rebels on Hoth) and a clearer view of the space slug that nearly swallows the Millennium Falcon. 5. **Music and Sound Changes**: - A few of the musical cues and sound effects were re-synchronized with the film or adjusted. For example, when the Millennium Falcon's hyperdrive fails, the sound effects were altered for greater impact. 6. **Dialogue Tweaks**: - Some lines of dialogue were altered for clarity or to maintain consistency with the broader saga. For example, in the original, a line referred to the "Imperial Senate," which is not consistent with the timeline after it was dissolved in the original film, "A New Hope." The line was altered to "Imperial fleet." 7. **Color Timing and Presentation**: - The film's overall color balance and timing were given an update, which not only freshened up the look for the 1990s audience but also created some continuity in visual tone across the trilogy. George Lucas made additional changes to "The Empire Strikes Connects Back" for its DVD release in 2004 and for the Blu-Ray release in 2011, adding further tweaks on top of the 1997 Special Edition alterations. Fans of the series have varying opinions on these edits, with some preferring the original untouched versions and others appreciating the updated effects and clarity of the newer releases.