'Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi' Review

Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi Review:

Redemption Tale

BY IAN TAN

In the concluding chapter to the Original Trilogy, the Rebels are faced with a new threat from the Empire, one more powerful than the first Death Star – Death Star 2.0. Well, that’s not what it’s called but that’s basically what it is. Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker must confront Darth Vader and bring him back to the light side. Vader on the other hand, brings Luke to the evil Emperor in hopes of turning him over to the Dark Side. And so begins the final (or so we thought) fight between good and evil in our favourite galaxy far, far away…

This is an unpopular opinion, but Return of the Jedi is by far my favourite Star Wars film. I’m a sucker for seeing things come to an emotional close, and I felt that Return really delivered on that front. However, I don’t find the film perfect. I don’t particularly fancy the idea of a second Death Star. Not only does it rehash the plot of A New Hope, it sounds a bit silly of an idea for the Galactic Empire to come up with. I do think it would’ve worked better if they created an entirely new weapon of destruction different from the Death Star, since we already saw ond blow up before. Besides that, I wasn’t too fond of the Escape from Jabba’s Palace sequence. It was just filled with too many ridiculous looking creatures that I found more ugly than unique, and don’t get me started on Leia’s unnecessary outfit.

Father Vs. Son

             After that opening sequence, however, the movie started getting really, really good, for me at least. The action, for one, is the best and most engaging in the Original Trilogy. The Battle of Endor and the attack on the new Death Star are great fun to watch, and Marquand really captures the essence of teamwork throughout the film. The bigger budget that allowed more Rebel Alliance members to join in the action for some of cinema's most epic space battles only added to the excitement. Along with all the action is the tale of redemption and internal struggle between good and evil that gives Return an edge over its predecessors. There’s just so much engaging action and drama fueling this machine that it’s almost impossible to take your eyes off the screen. 

The best aspect of this film however, is the moral conflict between Luke and Vader that really gives it an emotional punch. The dialogue between the two made for some of my favourite scenes in the entire saga. And things get real dramatic when the evil, and I mean EVIL Emperor (played superbly by Ian McDiarmid) comes into the picture. You really just hate the dude for being so cold. Richard Marquand, who directed this instalment, handled the Force sensitive trio’s sequences perfectly, balancing dramatic tension and emotion adeptly.

Nothing beats this space battle

The Ewoks, who many fans dislike (and even hate), were bearable for me. I do see how they were added merely for kids’ appeal and some of the action involving them does feel a little goofy and unrealistic, but once one of the little teddy bear-like creatures took a hit from an AT-ST walker, I couldn’t help but to feel sympathy for the Ewoks. I do still think the film would’ve been better off if it featured Wookies instead of Ewoks though. It was about time Chewbacca’s species had their time to shine. Oh well, at least Revenge of the Sith got that down… like twenty-two years later. But better late than never, right?

Star Wars ft. The Care Bears

Although Return of the Jedi has the most things to nit-pick about in the Original Trilogy, its engaging action sequences and emotional center more than make up for its flaws. As a child watching this movie, I was shocked at the turn of events between Luke, Vader and The Emperor towards the end of the film. *SPOILERS* I never thought that Vader, the baddest baddie in the galaxy, could have been redeemed. It gave me quite a hopeful sensation. Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is the most thematically powerful episode in the Star Wars saga and still stands as my favourite entry in the series. The closing sequence of this movie left 9-year-old me with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside and put a big smile on my face, and it still does today. 

Final Verdict

Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi gets 9.5 out of 10 stars – The Force is the strongest with this one.