When STAR WARS (later re-titled STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE) was released in 1977, it became the most successful film of all time and was an unprecedented cultural phenomenon. In 1980, the sequel, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, was financially successful, if not on the same level as the first film, but received a mixed reaction from critics and audiences. Today, EMPIRE is widely considered the greatest of the Star Wars films, but following the breakneck-paced and upbeat original, the leisurely paced and surprisingly dark tone of the film were a bit of a sucker punch for many viewers. So, when RETURN OF THE JEDI was released, the return to a lighter tone and a neatly resolved conclusion were welcomed. Because high-profile film sequels were a relatively new practice at the time, many were unable to recognize each of the films as an act in a three-act story, which hindsight has now allowed us. JEDI has evolved into a perfect example of the weak "three-quel," where a three-part series builds itself up so high in the first two parts, that the third chapter has no room to go higher, and tends to collapse under the weight of expectations.But JEDI certainly is not a bad film, in fact, it's a very good film, even if it falls short of great; what makes that more upsetting though is there are definite glimpses of greatness in the film, promising an even higher potential. It is the culmination of the Skywalker drama, the redemption of the father and the fulfillment of the son's transformation. The whole thing comes full circle, which, after all, is the nature of a third act; the third act is one of reflection, where end meet beginning. The story returns to its roots, as does the protagonist, to consider his/her origins in their cyclical transformation. Early scripts of JEDI contained a scene which was an excellent example of this and which I would have loved to see, but was cut for more than a few reasons, not least of which were technological and economic concerns, in which Darth Vader returns to the volcanic planet (referred to as Mustafar in STAR WARS EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH) where the events which forced him to don the mask transpired, and where he seeks sanctuary. Maybe some would accuse that kind of scene as too melodramatic, but I think it would have been marvelous. Even with the exclusion of that scene though, there are plenty of moments of retrospection in JEDI, i.e. the return to the planet Tatooine, the reinterpreting of Obi-Wan Kenobi's tale of Darth Vader's betrayal/murder of Luke's father, and C-3PO's reiteration of the Battle of Yavin to the Ewoks among other things. Another prominent example of echoes from the first part might be the Death Star II, but I actually have some minor problems with that thing, but more of that later.
The story structure in JEDI is a bit odd in that it feels almost like two films; the first 35 minutes or so are plenty entertaining but feel completely separated from the rest of the film as Luke & Co. rescue Han from his carbonite imprisonment by notorious space gangster, Jabba the Hutt, a grotesque giant slug/frog hybrid with the coolest entourage in the galaxy. These scenes are lighter and quirkier than the remainder of film, which returns to the relatively serious tones of life cycles, redemption and the like which make up most of the Star Wars saga. I wouldn't say the shift is jarring, because the Jabba the Hutt/Tatooine scenes tie off nicely, but it feels like you switched movies there.
While on the topic of the Tatooine scenes, fan-favorite Boba Fett's usage in this film render his cult status utterly inexplicable. I don't give a damn about what some "Expanded Universe" books say about him, and for all I care, those books matter about as much as internet fan-fiction (Twilight fan-fic has been published in the form of novels too). Maybe it's that he has a cool look, or maybe it's the need to assign some level of skill to the guy pursuing Han "Awesome Guy" Solo, but Boba Fett has been made out to be the Clint Eastwood of the series, when he's more along the lines of Mr. Muldoon, the game warden from JURASSIC PARK (who also was "brought back" via additional published material), except sillier. Think about it: Boba Fett was first introduced in the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special; let that sink in. He is the only character in the movies to have first appeared in the Star Wars Holiday Special. Add to that the fact that he never once kills anyone onscreen (unless you count himself), he never captures Han Solo (Darth Vader & Co. do and then hand him off), a blind man (Han Solo) accidentally bumps Fett's jet pack, causing it to blast off, and then hit Jabba's barge before falling into the Sarlaac like a bitch. Just in case that weren't enough, his ignominiously anti-climactic demise is punctuated by a belch from the Sarlaac. You can pretend that Fett survived and is awesome in your little minds, but while you're at it, maybe re-imagine Jar Jar Binks as a badass too, because it's basically the same thing. Come to think of it, Jar Jar probably knocked off that kid from ATTACK OF THE CLONES and became Boba Fett after the formation of the Empire. Ya know, that would make sense, considering that Jar Jar's fate was never specified, Boba Fett is covered from head to toe to keep us from seeing his orange mottled skin, he's on good terms with Darth Vader and the clumsy way he bumps into Jabba's sail barge before dying. Anyway, back to RETURN OF THE JEDI...
So yeah, the Ewoks are a problem. Lucas had wanted to show a primitive race defeating the Empire and had originally considered Wookies, but decided that Chewbacca as a co-pilot proved they weren't all that primitive, so he shrunk the idea down to Ewoks. As a child, I thought Ewoks were just creepy; they were teddy bear people, but with thick, dirty, little sausage fingers. Yuck. Today, my issue with them is primarily how they throw rocks and sticks at armored troopers, successfully downing them, and successfully destroying an armored tank unit with swinging logs. Is the Empire retarded? Eh, but the Ewoks don't cripple the film the way some suggest they do; their just kind of stupid.
In terms of what makes the movie so awesome though, the space battle is spectacular, an epic, full-bodied battle ground in the cosmos, where plasma bolts riddle every perspective, and ship careen out of control, colliding with others. The speeder bike scenes are excellent, utilizing an impressively effective effect of filming 5 mph steadicam shots at one frame per second, then playing the shot at the standard 24 frames per second. The Rancor scene was originally intended to use stop-motion animation, but was changed to a puppet, due to budget concerns,but I think the scene works best as a puppet, with the fun b-movie elements of the super-imposing borders and cutting between actor and puppet shots. Overall though, for the climactic chapter of a big-budget action-adventure, RETURN OF THE JEDI is surprisingly patient with its action and pacing, not necessarily to its detriment.
Although emotionally-charged, however, the lightsaber duel, the true trademark of the series, is disappointingly short-changed. There are only a few brief bouts of fighting, between which Luke avoids fighting Vader, which I suppose is noble and all, but we all came to see a badass lightsaber fight, and it only gets real for a about thirty seconds.
And despite all the quibbling I can make, it's still a movie I love; it's one of those film that is highly entertaining, but you can't help but add your input, because it's personal enough that you want to construct it into the best possible vision in your mind, even if it's just for you. And you don't have to publish some dopey fan-fic story either. All you need to do is debate, re-watch and consider, then repeat.
STAR WARS: EPISODE VI- RETURN OF THE JEDI (May 25, 1983)
Three and a Half Stars out of Four
Directed by Richard Marquand
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, David Prowse, Billy Dee Williams, Ian McDiarmid
PG for sci-fi action violence.
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