Star Wars is simply the best saga ever put to film, and the middle movie of the original trilogy captures all the emotions that make this series so perfect: the thrilling dark majesty of Darth Vader; the awe-inspiring wonder of the Force and Jedi Master Yoda; the determination and courage of Luke Skywalker; the romance between Han and Leia; the soaring musical score of John Williams (probably his best music ever was composed for this particular movie); the “big reveal” as Darth tells Luke that he is his father; the coolest bounty hunter Boba Fett; the exciting adventures in the asteroid field; and the cliffhanger ending that takes our breath away every time we see it.

and in “Empire,” Darth Vader is at his most cunning and sinister, even making you want to root for the Dark Side (especially when Luke gets all whiney and dumb). In addition, on the opposide side of the Force, we get to meet Yoda for the first time - who happens to be the all-time best puppet, and is 100x more realistic than that poorly-computer-generated version in the Star Wars prequels.

Finally, it rocks because of the nostalgia. From the cool toys and tie-in lunch boxes, movies would never be the same from then on. It makes you want to re-live 1981 all over again.