J.J. Abrams' favorite 'Star Wars' movie is a controversial pick

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What's your favorite "Star Wars" movie?

The general consensus seems to be the second one in George Lucas' original trilogy, "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back," which had a jaw-dropping twist no one saw coming. In it, Darth Vader reveals to Luke Skywalker: "I am your father."

But if you've watched the new J.J. Abrams "Star Wars" movie, "Episode VII: The Force Awakens," it's not to hard to guess which of the six movies Abrams himself prefers.

Throughout "The Force Awakens," the filmmaker throws in numerous references, both in the actors' lines and in the plot, to the first-ever "Star Wars" movie, "Episode IV: A New Hope." The famous cantina scene is recreated in Abrams' own vision, for example, and Harrison Ford makes a joke about a trash compactor, which he, Chewy, Luke, and Leia all got trapped in during the first movie.

In terms of the plot, there's the fact that both movies have critical information stored in R2-D2, both have skilled desert pilots (Luke and Rey) who don't realize their destinies or their powers with the Force, and both end with the bad guys' headquarters (the Death Star) being blown up at the very last minute.

Abrams admits that while "The Empire Strikes Back" is a close second, "A New Hope" is in fact his favorite "Star Wars" movie ever made.

"My favorite movie is Episode IV," the director tells Colldier in a video interview. "And I'll say that because as much as I desperately love 'Empire' — and it's hard to say 'Star Wars' over 'Empire' — 'Empire' is so standing on the shoulders of 'Star Wars.' Like if 'Empire' existed without 'Star Wars,' would it have been as strong? I don't know. The whole 'I am your father' [works] because we got two years of feeling and living and breathing with Darth Vader. So as much as I love that moment — it's maybe one of the best scenes of all time — the absolute sheer brilliance of everything George [Lucas] did in that first movie is what allowed for 'Empire' to exist."

Abrams admits "Empire Strikes Back" is more "beautifully lit" and has "some of the best moments in cinema ever," but he says the first "Star Wars" was so good, nothing like it can ever be accomplished again.

His favorite scene is also in the first "Star Wars" movie, Episode IV, not the second.

"It's so easy to go for 'I am your father,' because it's so profound," Abrams explains to Entertainment Weekly. "But I guess my favorite moment is Luke watching the two suns setting [in 'A New Hope']. It was a feeling that just galvanized the authenticity of that world."

Here's Abrams' explanation for why "A New Hope" is better than "Empire Strikes Back":

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