OK, Jedi was a bunch of Muppets and directed by Lucas, Empire was not. It was a dark and contemplative piece of adult cinema, not to mention at the end you are seriously feeling a case of the "oh shit, they are totally screwed!" 

Empire is the better movie because of the following reason. The characters totally evolve in this movie, for example,  Leia isn't some bratty, snobbish princess, she's totally rebelling out. Han is not some completely arrogant, card-playing cad, he's on his way to hero. Empire gives shape to what the "force" is, it is explained in empire. Also, most of the backgrounds and sets were completely synthetic, compared to the forest scenes of Endor. This movie shows that Vader is a total badass, the light-saber scene with Luke is still a great fight scene. And really how many Dagobah or Hoth or Echo Base jokes have you told? My network is called echo base, I bet that there are more references to empire over Jedi. 

Finally Empire has one of the best, to this day (32 years later) reveals in cinematic history, "Luke I am your father." Beat that Muppets!

Wowza!! Thanks Paul! Yippie!!!

I look at it this way: Luke getting his hand cut off or yub nub. And those prequels -- I will totally not even go there. Ugh.  

Whoohoo! Going to Nerdigras!!!