For a long time, "Empire" has been called "The Godfather Part II" of sci-fi sequels: the gold standard for
how to make an even better movie the second time around. That still holds true
today. While the original "Star Wars"
... more (or "Episode IV," as it's known these days) was a
fun, if creaky, mash-up of every pulp and space-opera cliché in the known
universe, "Empire" darkened the story, developed the characters more fully and
reached a shocking dramatic climax that elevated it to greatness with one line
of dialogue (if you don't know which one I'm talking about, you shouldn't be
reading this). Sadly, the "Star Wars" saga never hit that sweet spot again.