Why I like Empre Strikes Back so much...

[enyawd72]

Ha. That's like comparing a high school team to the New England Patriots because they both have quarterbacks.

Have to agree. There is simply no defending The Last Jedi. It is a terribly written film that fails to understand the characters at all, and spits in the face of the established laws of the Star Wars universe. The "Holdo Maneuver" as it's now referred to completely undermines the events of the entire previous six films. Why did the rebels need to steal the Death Star plans to find a weakness? All they had to do was autopilot a small freighter at light speed right through it. No more Death Star. It makes every one of the previous films plots and battles utterly pointless.

Why send a team of rebels down to Endor to deactivate the shield generator? One Mon Calamari cruiser at light speed right through the second Death Star and bye bye Emperor and Empire.

Just because something has the Star Wars name slapped on it doesn't make it good.

[Werewolf]

Empire is definitely the superior film. Everything SW did Empire did better. Acting, effects, sets, directing, etc. But I still like SW better. It's a complete hero's journey from beginning to end. Empire needs SW to exist. But SW can exist all on it's own. Empire is also the start of the retconning of the story like changing Leia to Luke's sister and turning Anakin to Darth Vader.

[MegoRobyn]

Agreed to all but for me Star Wars 1977 is the best film because it's a perfect stand-alone story and the characters are at their best all together. They could have stopped right there (and sometimes I wish they could have, especially after the prequels came--I'd sacrifice ESB if it meant no prequels).

But I have to add that one of the best parts about Empire is the old school Hollywood romance between Ford and Fisher. It rivals Hepburn and Tracy for chemistry, humor and romance.

[Gorn Captain]

Empire was a fantastic film (and I absolutely love every second), but Star Wars changed my life.
Before that, my interests had no clear focus. After that first viewing of SW, I knew that Science Fiction was my greatest love. It was a game-changer.
It has influenced my life ever since.
It's like the invention of the wheel. Sure, after thousands of years someone built a Ferrari, but that very first wheel, wow!

[CrimsonGhost]

For years I wished for more Star Wars movies after Jedi. Now I kind of wish they stopped with the original 3. Nothing that has been released since even comes close to the first trilogy in terms of character, story, or tone.
Empire will likely always be my favorite as well.

[Allie Fox]

Dante Hicks said it best:

"Empire had the better ending. I mean, Luke gets his hand cut off, finds out Vader's his father—uh, Han gets frozen and taken away by Boba Fett. It ends on such a down note. I mean, that's what life is, a series of down endings."