This is something that has always puzzled me. I feel like the overwhelming majority of the population considers this film to be superior to A New Hope (which is included in the top 20 list of the AFI top 100). I understand that sequels in general are often overshadowed by the first installment in a series, but this sequel is pretty much one of the most beloved films of all time.
shareBecause Star Wars was first and far superior. Sequels really shouldn’t be on the list at all.
shareThe Godfather Part II is on the AFI top 100 list and rightfully so - much like Godfather II, Empire is a sequel that has proven itself to be equally (if not more) iconic to the first installment of its series.
shareGF2 is considered a top 10 of all time. Empire is not. GF2 is every bit as good as the first. Empire is not. Star Wars in in a galaxy of its own.
shareBut that is not an argument ("Star Wars was first" or "sequels really shouldn't...") if the movie is really good it does not matter if it is a sequel or not. In my opinion TESB is the best SW movie.
share" I feel like the overwhelming majority of the population considers this film to be superior to A New Hope"
You may be right. I wouldn't know. But I do know that back when it was released it was not all that well received. Not that it was hated -- just not universally adored by the fans as it is now. Being the middle part of the trilogy it was a downer, not to mention a cliff hanger.
Personally I like ANH the best, but think Empire is just as good in its own way. They are easily the two best films in the franchise.
I don't know
shareTESB was not as groundbreaking as the first film from a technical production standpoint. ANH was made with an $11m budget and blew away everything. TESB was given $30m and used much of the same production methods. TESB perhaps makes people feel more but ANH was the film which got the award for what it did first in the industry.
shareAll the OT are part of the Library of Congress National Film Registry(NFR) To be part of that is better than being in AFI or Oscar it is preserved in our Library for Generations to come just personal preference I prefer ANH and ROTJ to ESB
share