- Compared to the original and The Empire Strikes Back, the finale the original trilogy comes crashing down to earth with a thud. There’s a pandering from Lucas that doesn’t need to be here and that’s frustrating. Whether it is the Ewoks (warm and literally fuzzy), the silliness of some of the dancing scenes at Jabba’s club, the film just does not strike the same balance of narrative and mood as its predecessors.
- However, I agree wholeheartedly with Ebert here- “At the end of it all, after the three movies, we’ve taken an epic fantasy journey. Lucas has in common with all great storytellers the ability to create a complete world.” https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/return-of-the-jedi-special-edition-1997 Though that statement and his summation of the 4-star review seem like they’re more reflective of the trio of films in total, then Jedi This is an unembarrassing finale. It satisfies—but it isn’t wrong to lament the opportunity missed as well.
- In medias res like the Bond films, most of Spielberg’s work, and the previous two Star Wars ventures—the escape from Jabba’s is like its own delightful 35-minute short film.
At the 56-minute mark Lucas repeats the shot from Empire (one of the strongest compositions of the entire series) of the back of Vader’s helmet. It is exquisite- but it does not help Return of the Jedi does not have half as many of these gorgeous moments as Empire and when it does—it is from a composition lifted directly from that film.
- Recommend but not in the top 10 of 1983
Worth mentioning that David Lynch & Cronenberg were both offered to direct and declined.
I think more highly of this than you do. Some of the Ewok stuff is a little wonky as you point out, but the Jabba’s palace set piece is a great start, and the Throne Room finale with Luke, Vader, and the Emperor is one of the strongest scenes in the entire series.
@Matt Harris- the finale is certainly good drama. I just wish more had been made to accentuate it visually.
@Drake of the 5 R Star Wars films you have in the archives, would you consider this the best?
I think The Last Jedi in 2017 is fantastic despite the flaws
@Anderson It’s been a while (2020) since I’ve watched them all, but I remember thinking Return of the Jedi, Revenge of the Sith and The Last Jedi were all close.
@LeBron Smith – what are your thoughts? I think they all have a case – though I would probably lean towards Return of the Jedi
@Drake I’ve thought about it some more and I think I’d also give the edge to Return of the Jedi. I think the Jabba scene and Throne Room scene give it the edge. The dancing stuff in Jabbas scene could probably be cut though.