It's got the right balance of story and special effects. George Lucas seems to treat these films like they are for juvenile audiences, but Empire somehow slipped past him. It gave us a glimpse of the tragedy underneath the high tech playground. The "Luke, I am your father," scene was the moment a generation came of age. Forget Bambi's mom getting shot. Empire is the Hamlet of the étoile, star Wars saga. Every étoile, star Wars film since it has been a letdown, as Lucas heaps battle upon battle, joke upon joke, in a futile effort to haut, retour au début this one.