Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) Review

"It's a trap!"
-Admiral Ackbar 



With Han Solo (Harrison Ford) held prisoner by Jabba the Hut (Larry Ward), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) enacts a plan to infiltrate Jabba's Palace and rescue Han.  Meanwhile, Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) and the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid) arrive at the second Death Star as it nears completion and plot to bring Luke over to the dark side.  Even if Luke can rescue Han and escape Jabba, can he and his friends stop the Emperor and bring Vader back to the light?


What Works:

Mark Hamill gives one hell of a performance as Luke Skywalker.  He has a fantastic arc in this film as we see him filled to the brim with confidence as he takes on Jabba, only to have it stripped away again when confronted with the fact that he must once again face his father.  His final duel with Darth Vader is excellent and one of, if not, the most emotionally charged duels of the series.  Both Luke and Anakin have excellent arcs during Return of the Jedi and this gives us a very satisfying conclusion.

Ian McDiarmid is a gem when he gets to play the Emperor in Revenge of the Sith, and that's definitely true here.  He gives a wonderfully evil performance and is a blast to watch.  

The opening act at Jabba's Palace is great.  It's awesome to see Luke with his powers in action.  Everyone has a part to play in the escape from the crime lord and it's a really fun sequence.  Plus, I love how grimy and disgusting the inside of Jabba's palace is.  It's a very different look from our typical Star Wars and I found it fascinating.


What Sucks:

I really hate the Ewoks.  They are irritating, to say the least, and I simply don't believe they would have been able to do anything against the Empire.  I really wish they had gone with the Wookies instead of the Ewoks.  If I wanted to watch annoying fur-balls I would go babysit my friend Derek's cat.  I don't need it in my Star Wars.

The second act of this movie slows down way too much.  The pacing is uneven in this film.  It 1st act and the 3rd act are chalk-full of action sequences.  The second act only has the speeder bike sequence, which is fine, but the rest of it is just Ewoks and waiting around for the finale to begin. 


Verdict:

The first and third act of Return of the Jedi are both great.  We get some really fun sequences at Jabba's Palace and we get the fantastic duel between Luke and Darth Vader, as well as the Emperor being wonderfully evil.  The Ewoks suck and the second act is uninteresting, but the movie as a whole is a solid ending to a fantastic trilogy.

  8/10: Really Good 

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