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*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I noticed that A NEW HOPE and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK are in the TOP
10, but that this one isn't even in the TOP 100.
This movie has a bad reputation because of Ewoks, but there are so many
reasons to love this movie:
-The Rescue of Han Solo from Jabba: This official wraps up the Han Solo
in debt sub-plot that was established when we first met the character
in A NEW HOPE.
-The Emperor was Finally Revealled: Well alright this might not work as
well now that the prequels are out but this was the first time we saw
The Emperor as kids.
-The Speeder Bike Chase: Alright, so this was a special effects moment.
But it was definitely one of the most memorable and exciting moments in
all the films!
-The 3 Part Climax: 1) The Battle of Endor (Led by Han and Leia) 2)
Luke Confronts his Father & The Fall of the Emperor 3) The Destruction
of the Second Death Star (Lando's Moment)
-The Final Celebration with Our Heroes: Like I said, this movie gets a
lot of crap because of the Ewoks but I think it's kind of cool that
while the entire galaxy celebrates the FALL OF THE EMPIRE, our heroes
are having their own private party in the woods with each other.
All in all this was a great final chapter for our heroes and a fitting
end to the STAR WARS story.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.....There was a boy who was
only two years old when the original "Star Wars" film was released. He
doesn't remember first seeing the movie, but he also doesn't remember
life before it. He does remember the first "Star Wars" themed gift he
got...a shoebox full of action figures from the original set. He was
too young to fully appreciate how special that gift would be. But years
later, he would get what to this day goes down as one of the best gifts
he's ever received: another box full of action figures, ten of the
final twelve he needed to complete his collection. It's now legendary
in this boy's family how the last action figure he needed, Anakin
Skywalker, stopped being produced and carried in stores, and how this
boy went for about ten years (until he got into college) trying to
track one down and finally bought it from someone on his dorm floor for
a bag of beer nuggets (don't ask...it's a Northern Illinois University
thing).
I can't review "Star Wars" as a movie. It represents absolutely
everything good, fun and magical about my childhood. There's no
separating it in my mind from Christmases, birthdays, summers and
winters growing up. In the winter, my friends and I would build snow
forts and pretend we were on Hoth (I was always Han Solo). My friends'
dad built them a kick-ass tree house, and that served as the Ewok
village. They also had a huge pine tree whose bottom branches were high
enough to create a sort of cave underneath it, and this made a great
spot to pretend we were in Yoda's home. I am unabashedly dorky when it
comes to "Star Wars" and I think people either just understand that or
they don't. I don't get the appeal of "Lord of the Rings" or "Star
Trek" but I understand the rabid flocks of fans that follow them
because I am a rabid fan of George Lucas's films.
I feel no need to defend my opinion of these movies as some of the
greatest of all time. Every time I put them in the DVD player, I feel
like I'm eight years old again, when life was simple and the biggest
problem I had was figuring out how I was going to track down a figure
of Anakin Skywalker.
Grade (for the entire trilogy): A+
I'm sick of people whining about Ewoks! True, they're not the best thing
that ever happened to Star Wars, but they DID happen, so deal with it!
Besides, they ARE cute, and I don't care if they're marketable. Yubb
Nubb!
This movie always leaves me in tears. It's perfect. The end could not be
better. I'm excited for The Phantom Menace because it will suddenly throw
the focus of the whole story from Luke to Anakin. I love how he is
revealed
at the end - it would be too unresolved any other way. So those of you
who
are complaining that Vader's helmet was removed, take a moment to think
about it. It's very effective. Vader, the man who hid behind a mask for
20
years, is finally revealed as a sick-looking man. He is not entirely
machine - he's vulnerable.
I don't know how the casting director happened to pick such good actors in
A
New Hope. They all do so well. They are believable characters. Hamill
does an excellent job with his dramatic character development. Fisher
does
a fine job being a female role model (I mean, come on! She killed Jabba
even when so many others had failed!). Harrison Ford - need I say
more?
The music is once again brilliant. It's so very touching and significant
when you can pick out character themes at different parts of the movie.
The
best climax is when Luke shouts "NOOO!" and jumps out to fight his father
in
the Final Battle. John Williams is nothing short of a genius! What an
amazing man!
Already, the movie has so much more meaning for me because of Episode I.
I
can't wait to finally see it in the theatres (CAN I WAIT???) and then
watch
the original trilogy yet again.
Bravo!
Perspective is a good thing. Since the release of "Star Wars Episode I:
The
Phantom Menace", claims and counter-claims of just how Episode's II and
III
will eventuate has taken the spotlight off the 'original' Star Wars films,
making them part of a cohesive whole, rather than segregating the older
and
new films into separate trilogies. What the new films have done is allow
fresh perspectives to be placed on the older films. This new outlook
allows
us to greater appreciate what has often been viewed as the weakest of the
original trilogy: "Return of the Jedi". Often derided for its overly
'cute'
factor, ROTJ is in a sense as strong as the original and only slightly
less
impressive than the nearly perfect "The Empire Strikes Back". Indeed the
'cute' element of ROTJ, namely the Ewoks, remains a weak link in the
entire
series. Did George Lucas place the furry midgets in the film purely for
the
merchandising possibilities? Only he can answer that question.
This cute factor aside, the film is a brilliant full circle AND evolution
of
the saga. Following on from the conclusion of "The Empire Strikes Back",
Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) follows his Rebel Alliance friends to
Tatooine,
his home planet, to rescue Han Solo (Harrison Ford), the space pirate
turned
Rebel hero who was captured by Jabba the Hutt for overdue debts.
Skywalker is a changed man since leaving Tatooine with Ben 'Obi Wan'
Kenobi
(Alec Guiness) to fight the evil Empire. Now swathed all in black, Luke's
discovery of his origins have left him confused and torn. His
psychological
make up is not as strong as his outward appearance would suggest. While
he
might aim to always assist his Rebel friends, he yearns for another chance
to confront the evil Darth Vader again, despite his unassuredness as to
whether he will destroy him or eventually turn to the Dark Side and join
Vader at the Emperor's side.
Early scenes in Tatooine are impressive, from Jabba's lair, to his
floating
palace and the 'almighty Sarlac' - an intenstine that lives in the sand.
Lucas' CGI enhancements to the film in 1997 actually worsened the overall
effect of the Sarlac, making it look fake and overdone.
The battle scene on Tatooine is outstanding, and is one of the more
memorable of the saga. Luke almost singlehandedly anihiliates Jabba and
his
cronies, proving his prowess as a Jedi is now almost complete.
When Luke returns to the Degobah system to visit the ailing Yoda one more
time, the viewer is let down by Yoda's distinct lack of screentime.
Undoubtably the star of "The Empire Strikes Back", Yoda is all but erased
from the story as the progression of Luke's destiny is played out on
screen.
ROTJ really is Luke's film, perhaps even more so than the original. His
journey carries the movie as he moves closer to his confrontation with
Darth
Vader and his fate. The other Rebel characters certainly work in his
shadow. The romance between Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Solo is all but
non-existant, unlike in "Empire". In fact only Leia's character is
developed in ROTJ, Solo's character seems to fade as the facets of his
personality have become too familiar in the first two films.
Their roles are consigned to working alongside the Rebels to destroy an
all
new Death Star that nears completion. This time the Emperor himself is
overseeing the final stages of construction. The Empire intends to crush
the Rebellion once and for all, while the Emperor himself schemes to bring
the now powerful Skywalker to his side to work alongside (or is that
replace?) Darth Vader. The Emperor is a different kind of evil for this
film, less cunning than Governor Tarkin (Peter Cushing) from "Star Wars",
more deeply psychologically dark than anything else. Played brilliantly
by
Ian McDiarmid, the Emperor is just one of those characters you love to
hate.
All the other actors are well entrenched in their roles. Hamill surprises
as the more wisened Luke, making his character's progression from whiny
teenager, impatient student to enlightened warrior one of the few real
character developments of the series. Ford's role is waring thin, as all
his charm and charisma was spent in the first two films -- he was the REAL
star of the first film after all. Fisher's Leia is more of a prop, at
least
unti the end of the film where she learns things about herself that she
was
never sure about... Add in favourites like Alec Guiness as Kenobi, Yoda
and
the loveable Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2D2 and the series resembles a family
more than a cast.
Despite the film's corny forest battle involving the Ewoks and the Empire,
it ends well and includes a three way battle sequence: on Endor, in space
and on the Death Star, each with very impressive special effects. The
music, as always, is brilliant and captures the mood perfectly in every
instance. Just as the 'Blue Danube' worked perfectly for "2001: A Space
Odyssey", John Williams' score is as much a part of "Star Wars" folklore
as
light sabers and the Force.
Lucas left the ending open to interpretation, meaning there could have
been
more episodes made. Indeed sci-fi fans have created their own versions of
Episodes VII, VIII and IX in their heads over and over again. ROTJ works
when given a chance, and furry cute animals aside is a good finish to the
series.
When all six episodes get to be viewed together, this saga could well be
the
best ever made. Is it already? The addition of Episode I changed the
landscape of the series. This is why "Return of the Jedi" can now be
viewed
in a different light and be given a whole new appreciation nearly 20 years
after its release.
My five children were growing up but all still at home when 'Return of
the Jedi' came to the theater. While there had been other Sci-Fi movies
with a theme of conflict in outer space, the 'Star Wars' trilogy filled
our imaginations like no other movies before them. The fantastic,
strange worlds were presented almost like we were there too. Aliens
sitting around a tavern, enjoying drinks and speaking in all sorts of
languages. Nothing before had approached the sheer size of the space
ships depicted here, huge cities traveling all over the galaxy. And how
about the jump to hyper speed, then disappearing from the screen as the
speed exceeds light speed! And the light sabres of the Jedi Knights.
The Jedi Knights, a striking parallel to the Japanese Samurai.
After the fantastic 'Star Wars' and 'Empire Strikes Back' (now called
parts IV and V on DVD), the last episode 'Return of the Jedi' was bound
to be somewhat of a let down, but not much of one. It was made to
achieve resolution. Of the rebels' battle with the evil Empire. The
relationship between Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and the Princess, and
her relationship with Han Solo. We witness Luke's Jedi training at the
hands of Yoda, as Luke becomes the Last Samurai, I mean Jedi. The DVDs
finally came out last month, and they are near perfect, as we should
expect from Lucas Films and THX. The bit rate is high, and the picture
is nothing short of superb. As is the Dolby EX surround track.
My wife and I watched all three of the movies on DVD this week -- Star
Wars, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi (now on DVD called
parts IV, V, and VI) -- compliments of our local public library. It was
an appropriate reminder how good these movies are, and still ahead of
their time. Nothing else has been made to compare to them.
After "Star Wars: A New Hope" redefined science fiction, and "The Empire Strikes Back" redefined "Star Wars", it's hard to believe that the third and final film of this trilogy can manage to be as good as the other two, but this one really does a nice job. The first part of the film resolves the cliffhanger left by the previous one, with an elaborate escape plan that is in keeping with the incredible suspense and action of the first two films. Then the film moves back to the rebel alliance and what's going on in the war. There is a lot of action in the scenes building up to the rebellion's final confrontation with the Emperor. When the battle begins, the audience is already on the edge of their seats from everything leading up to it, and this final battle is even more intense than those from the other films. This climax is definitely more dense with action than any other part of the trilogy, with the most at stake for the rebellion. This is continually changing between a ground battle between the rebel strike crew on land (including Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Leia), the battle raging on in space (including Lando), and a confrontation between Luke and the Emperor on the new Death Star, which leads up to another duel with Darth Vader. It is really intense since the rebels constantly seem to be losing the battle that will determine the outcome of the war, and there seems to be no escape. Although I think the idea of Ewoks overpowering stormtroopers is a bit far-fetched, it didn't seem very unrealistic since they were more of a distraction that the rebels could use, rather than an actual threat to the stormtroopers, although they did have some luck fighting them. There is also a twist or two at the end that nobody saw coming, which may not be quite as stunning as that of "The Empire Strikes Back", but still complete a very spectacular trilogy very well. With the light tone of "A New Hope" and the more sinnister tone of "The Empire Strikes Back", this film really completes them by combining the two in this grand finale. The Special Edition for "Return of the Jedi" concentrated on what would have been nice to change, since not much of the original really needed it. Fifteen years of technology advancements didn't seem to make up for fifteen years of deterioration as far as the rancor scene is concerned, and there still is the occasional disappearing TIE fighter, but other than that it was good. The gaping non-threatening Sarlaac's mouth was given moving tentacles and a huge fly-trap looking head that emerged, which definitely added to the suspense. Also, the disco was taken out of Jabba's palace, and the lame ending of the original was replaced by a huge victory celebration spanning the entire galaxy, instead of just a small Ewok village, which was the case of the original and that didn't really end a story this big the way it deserved. It's hard to say which of the three films was the best, but since it's all part of the same story, the over-all trilogy is like one big, outstanding film. A THIRD must-see for film fans.
Up until the sixth and last episode of the Star Wars saga, which
finally ended in 2005, I had always looked at this 1983 entry as my
favorite film of the long-running series. The varied action scenes and
really different characters (Jabba The Hut, furry woodland creatures,
etc.) made this a particularly appealing movie.
None of the action ever focused too long in one spot, either. The last
half hour exemplifies this the most as the scene switches every few
minutes from the woods to the battle among space ships to the
individual laser-duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.
Another nice characteristic this film had that the two previous did not
was the absence of in-fighting between two of the stars. Gone was the
incessant bickering between Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford. Finally,
everyone was on the same page! It was nice to see.
In the end, this was simply a wonderful adventure tale, more than
anything else.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
This final entry in George Lucas's STAR WARS movies is often regarded
as the weakest of the lot. However, this is not to say that it is a
totally worthless entry in the series. On the contrary. Sure, it's not
as groundbreaking as its predecessors and a bit more slow-going at
times, but RETURN OF THE JEDI still offers a lot to warrant the price
of admission.
The first third of the movie, where Luke and his friends rescue Han
from the palace of Jabba the Hutt, is a classic. Jabba, a truly
disgusting blob of bloated flesh who speaks in his own language, not
only makes a great villain, but a memorable one, too. It must have been
a nightmare to construct this giant puppet, much less give it the spark
and life that we see on the finished product. Actually, what also makes
this sequence fun is the clever use of puppets for the various members
of Jabba's court, including the intimidating, slavering Rancor and
scary Sarlaac pit monster. It builds masterfully to its climax and
pulls punches all the while.
Things get a little bit slower around the second act, where Luke
discovers that he and Leia are related by blood and when we travel to
the forest planet of Endor, home of the cuddlesome yet stalwart Ewoks.
Most of the complaints about RETURN OF THE JEDI that I've read seem to
be centered on these furry creatures, in that they somehow disrupt the
tone of the saga. I don't totally agree with that, although this moment
is probably played out a bit longer than it should. However, their
leader, Wicket (played by Warrick Davis) is a delightfully memorable
creation, and watching how they handle the Imperial Troops' technology
with their simple, natural weapons provides a nice contrast.
By the time we get to the third act, though, the pace picks up again,
as we intercut between the Ewoks battle against the troops, Lando and
the Rebel Forces launching an attack against the Empire's all-new
half-completed Death Star, and Luke's final showdown with Darth Vader
and the Emperor. The latter ties with the Jabba Palace sequence as the
highlight of the movie. Mark Hamill flexes his acting chops once again
as Luke Skywalker in these scenes, and watching him as a fully matured
Jedi Knight makes for an unforgettable performance. Also, as iconic as
James Earl Jones' voice as Darth Vader is, he is rivaled only by the
shriveled, crone-like Emperor, played with deliciously raspy,
frightening evil by Ian McDiarmid. The tension between this trio
heightens the excitement of this climactic moment, which is
appropriately darkly lit and menacingly underscored.
The STAR WARS movies have always set standards for special effects, and
the technical work in RETURN OF THE JEDI can easily hold a candle to
its predecessors. The space battle fights are as exhilarating as
always, and the speeder bike chase through the forest is a knockout. Of
course, given that this movie was made after A NEW HOPE and THE EMPIRE
STRIKES BACK, it probably shouldn't be so surprising that the special
effects have reached an even greater level of excellence. The acting is
classic STAR WARS fare; Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher all
mature and deepen into their roles, and Anthony Daniels provides more
hilarious moments as C-3PO. Frank Oz's Yoda only appears in two scenes,
but he makes the most of it. And yes, there's also John Williams'
music.
All told, while RETURN OF THE JEDI falters a little bit in the middle,
the first and third acts deliver in style, making this a rather
satisfactory finale to one of the greatest sagas ever.
In 1997, George Lucas re-released the classic STAR WARS in digitally
restored (and revamped) "Special Editions", which featured added-in
effects and/or shots as well as some enhancements. Of the three, RETURN
OF THE JEDI appears to have caused the most commotion with STAR WARS
fans. Perhaps it can be due to the jarringly out-of-place (albeit funny
if you're not so easily offended) "Jedi Rocks" musical number in
Jabba's Palace, which, although technically amazing, does disrupt the
flow of the film. However, I DID like the ending montage scenes where
we see victory celebrations occurring on the various planets of the
galaxy. This DVD version features yet more tweaking--we get to see more
montage finale scenes (notably on Naboo, where we hear what sounds like
Jar Jar Binks screaming, "Wesa free!"), and, in what is probably the
most controversial change, Hayden Christensen as the specter of Anakin
Skywalker in the closing scenes. Probably due to the intense (and
unfair) disdain fans have for his somewhat shaky work in EPISODE II:
ATTACK OF THE CLONES it seems inevitable that fans would put this
edition down for that alone. However, if you're watching the STAR WARS
saga chronologically (and contemplating about it), chances are you may
react a little differently. Nonetheless, it is an issue that fans have
raised, so it's probably best to be warned beforehand.
As nice as it would be to have Lucas release the original versions of
these three classic films, he nonetheless stands by what he said about
these revamps being the "definitive" editions of his classic trilogy,
and, when viewing the STAR WARS movies altogether as one complete saga
(as Lucas intended), it actually makes sense to keep them technically
and aurally consistent. The original films will always be engraved in
our memories, but these new incarnations are just as much fun, if one
can give them a chance.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
This is the film that pretty much answers all the questions. One thing that I did notice is that it dealt with the theme of redemption. Luke pretty much wanted to redeem his father's good name and at the end Vader regains his humanity just in time not only to save his son Luke, but to destroy the Emperor, the man who cost Vader his soul. I also liked the scene in the film where 3PO summarizes the events of the previous chapters for the Ewoks. This also helps to tie everything together as far as the saga is concerned. Also, even though many have called this the weakest film in the trilogy, it still has enough of a story and great special effects to put it on a par with the previous films.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Despite the feelings of most "Star Wars" fans, in my opinion "Return Of
The Jedi" is the greatest cinematic film ever created. Ever since the
first time I saw it, it's depth, intensity, special effects, and moving
story have overwhelmed me. The film was so well put together that it
has been able to stand the test of time over the last 20 years. Filled
with powerful action, as the climax of the original trilogy, George
Lucas gives us a rousing finish of the "Star Wars" saga in "Jedi".
Film Summary (Contains Spoilers For Those Who Have Not Seen It)
After "The Empire Strikes Back" left us hanging for 3 long years we
finally find the end of the story in "Return Of The Jedi". Darth Vader,
in emotional turmoil makes a surprise visit to a new uncompleted Death
Star to oversee it's construction. The Emperor is first seen in this
film as he has the ultimate plan to destroy the Rebel Alliance and
bring young Luke Skywalker to the Dark Side. Luke, Lando, Leia, Chewie,
and the droids all travel to Tatooine to rescue the frozen Han Solo
from the crime Lord; Jabba The Hutt. After Han has been rescued, and
Jabba defeated, Luke returns to Dagobah to find a dying Yoda where he
learns the awful truth; Darth Vader is in fact his father. The rebel
heroes regroup with the Rebel Fleet. Now joined by other species and
races including the Mon Calamari the Rebels must make a all-or-nothing
plan of attack to destroy the Death Star before it is completed. While
Lando heads the space attack in the Millennium Falcon, the Rebel heroes
must disable the Death Star's shield generator on the Forest Moon Of
Endor. It is here that the Rebels happen upon the furry, but mighty
Ewoks. During the the two part intense battle, a third battle must take
place as Luke willingly delivers himself to Vader in an attempt to
convince him to leave the Dark Side. In emotionally charged sequences
Luke must face his father as the Emperor lures out his dark emotions.
As young Skywalker is about to face his death at the hands of
Palpatine, Vader turns on his wicked master to save his son's life.
Filled with a deep timeless story of good vs. evil, "Return Of The
Jedi" is a spectacular, emotionally charged film that redeems the good
in all of us.
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