STAR WARS EPISODE VI: RETURN OF THE JEDI

I am a Jedi, like my Father before me.

It’s not unknown that Return of the Jedi isn’t the strongest of the original trilogy. The plot isn’t as interesting as the others and the idea of teddy bears defeating the Galatic Empire is absurd. While it makes for a fun watch, and makes a great conclusion to the trilogy, it just misses the mark that Episodes 4 and 5 hit perfectly.

The film introduces two new characters, both were mentioned before, but Jedi is the first time they are actually scene. Gangster and Crime Lord Jabba the Hutt is the first of the two, and is, at the start of the film, in possession of the Carbon—frozen Han Solo. After an altercation with the gang, Jabba is killed by Leia upon his own sail barge. The Emporer however, has a far grander entrance. Ass flying formations circle the newly-built Death Star, hundreds of Troopers gather in the hanger. The ship plank lowers, smoke machines turn on, and we get our first proper look at the wrinkled old wretch that pretty much has twisted everyone’s destiny since The Phantom Menace.

The only other introduction in the film is the Ewoks, but as I hate them with a vengeance, they’re not getting a paragraph.

The look of a bruised universe continues through the film, much like the other two in the trilogy. The best place to see this is at the beginning, inside Jabba’s Palace. The heroes are on a desert planet, so it makes sense for everything to be covered in sand (Sorry Anakin) and scratched to within an inch of its life.

The scenes on Dagobah gives us a more in depth look at Vader’s reveal, and another to help move the plot along. There is another Skywalker. Seeing as she’s one of the only women in the trilogy, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out Leia is Luke’s sister. After a quick chat with Obi Wan, Luke goes to rendezvous with the Rebel Alliance.

Despite the completely ridiculous battle on the Forest Moon, the battle over it between the Rebellion and the Empire’s fleet and new Death Star is quite the spectacle. It’s not one-on-one dogfights like Episode 4, instead it’s all-out war. Plus, we get to see Lando fly the Millennium Falcon, and blow up Death Star 2.0. The speeder bike chase is also great to watch, because, like the heroes in the scene, you’re on the edge of your seat.

While the final battle between Luke and Vader isn’t as well choreographed as their fight in Empire, it’s so clear that the tension is at breaking point, which isn’t helped by the Emperor’s ongoing moaning and groaning. This is especially well seen at the moment Vader realises Luke has a sister. That’s when we see Luke walk the thin line between good and bad. Luckily, once he dis-hands his Father, he stops.

Darth Vader is possibly the greatest villain ever put to screen. That’s why when he picks up the Emperor and throws him down the reactor shaft, you get a weird sense of…something. Everyone loves a redemption story, and, while it may have taken many years and the deaths of hundreds of Jedi, that’s why it’s great to see Vader get his own. And we finally get to see what Anakin looks like after all those years. That guy needs to get some sun.

Seeing as I’m about to move on to the bad points, I’m going to have to mention Ewoks. They’re stupid. Get over it. Plus, they tried to eat Han and Luke. The other down point of the movie is Boba Fett’s (presumed) death. For a character that such a huge fan following, it’s too quick, and something usually reserved for red shirts on Star Trek.

On the whole, despite it's grievances, Return of the Jedi offers a fitting conclusion to the Trilogy. It's still a great movie a ties off any loose ends the story ark provides. The Star Wars saga is at an end...Y'Know, until tomorrow, when it's back with a bang. Force Awakens here we come...

9.5/10

If the Ewoks were Wookies, and not a cheap knock off, I’d happily give it a ten.

I couldn't decide which picture to end with, so I'll put two: Vader's ending, and then the movie's...

Tell your Sister...You were right.