– Director: Irvin Kershner

– Stacker score: 94.4

– Metascore: 82

– IMDb user rating: 8.7

– Runtime: 124 minutes

Another of the best-received sequels of all time, Empire had a lot to live up to when it premiered three years after “Star Wars: Episode IV.” Luckily, the story matured from “chosen one saves universe” into a more complex series of blows and counter-attacks. With cinema’s most famous twist in the middle, Empire recaptures all the magic of the original and further explores the galaxy far, far away.