Review of Return of the Jedi (1983) by Ryan H — 20 Sep 2017

The final installment of the Star Wars trilogy sees the search for Hans Solo continue and plans are carried out for him to be rescued from Jabba the Hut. A more mature Luke Skywalker completes his training and now embarks on bringing Darth Vader back to the light side. Meanwhile Darth Vader and the Emperor start to rebuilt the Death Star in order to generate a bigger threat to the Rebellion.

The Star Wars ethos is continued and the action still comes thick and fast, and this will at least keep you entertained throughout, as it is well placed in portions throughout the film. Some of the battle scenes (especially those near the end) match the same intensity and amazement of A New Hope. There is a more `cartoony' laid back element to the film and this is chiefly due to the strong presence of the Ewoks (dwarf like teddy bears that inhabit the forest moon of Endor) and the `tea parties' thrown by Jabba the Hut.

This third installment of the original trilogy is by far the most weakest of them all and does not come across as a blockbuster. The first half is very promising but the second half turns into standard storytelling; there are no twists and turns and although there is a grand finale, it is too predictable and lacks any scope. However, I do understand that reaching a conclusion is tricky and more difficult than merely developing the story along. The acting is suspect in places, especially that of Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and seems that at this stage many of the actors are simply going through the motions.

The main achievement perhaps is that the director does not fall into the trap of giving this massive franchise an overblown ending, as did Peter Jackson in Return of the King and some might say that the Lord of the Rings had too many endings! Here, the final act is short and sweet.

Return of the Jedi is presented as a re-mastered version on the first disc. However the transfer is not up to scratch as many of the scenes still appear too soft and obscure and the transfer looks rushed, even though it is an improvement on the original version. The second disc contains the original version of the film which does not have improved picture and sound quality and apart from a Director's commentary there are no other extras in this two disc DVD package.

Whether this film is a fitting end its two predecessors deserve is highly suspect, but as a film in its own right it is still watchable. It shows just how difficult it was to make the first two films and the high standards that followed. However, it is still an achievement of some sorts and worth celebrating, as it completes the trilogy and whole series of the greatest franchise of all time.