Yeah I think you’re right. Empire Strikes Back is my all time favorite movie. :D
One of mine, too. One of the major criticisms of Force Awakens was that it was basically a remake of a New Hope...which was fair. I think people were expecting Last Jedi to be a complete rehash of Empire; and at first, it was. However, I think this was a false flag to pull the rug out from under Star Wars fans for an unexpected final act.
(Spoiler warning)
Luke’s last confrontation with Kylo Ren, followed by his vanishing into the force Kenobi-style, was almost like a showdown from a classic Western. Excellent film-making.