Something that I can never quite get over is how real Yoda is as a character. It’s totally believable for this puppet to be a wise Jedi Master, and it’s so good that you forget how damn impressive that is. The model work throughout the film is solid to excellent, and the Imperial Walkers continue to be frightening despite being stop-motion. Apart from Hoth, there are no real locations in this film but it never feels like the world is anything but boundlessly vast.

In addition, none of the characters feel shortchanged by this film. Everyone gets their moment to shine and the small moments between characters feel authentic in a way that hasn’t been achieved since.

Finally, this movie distills the message of Star Wars into its purest form. Yoda’s speech to Luke IS the gospel of the Force, and Luke’s coming of age story is as timeless as storytelling itself.

Star Wars might have been the best contained story of the series, but Empire feels more than any other film like you have stepped into an ancient world where things of myth and archetype are happening all around you.