Review of Return of the Jedi (1983) by Ethan P — 17 Dec 2015

Return of the Jedi concludes the original trilogy with a visceral and satisfying ending, but the finale is the least of the original three films. It has the requisite action, the mesmerizing landscapes and special effects, but I didn't like the energy of the film. The first two were an intoxicating mixture of adventure and darkness, but this one felt silly. It was too a little too whimsical. Even with all the great scenes in the film, the one I'm left with is the irritating, puffy e-woks hopping up and down on a log, celebrating mindlessly. It gets too bogged down in it's side plots with Jabba the Hutt and the creatures in the forest and doesn't focus enough on the Force and history behind the Star Wars.

Mostly, Return of the Jedi doesn't offer anything surprising or original to separate it from the first two. Yes, there is plenty of thrilling action. The group's escape from Jaba's execution in the desert, their chase on scooters through the forest, Han Solo and Leia's battle with the E-woks and Luke's final face-off with his father and the emperor. But without Yoda or Obi-Wan to provide a grounding presence in the film, Darth Vader is the only compelling character left. Even his stirring decision to save his son and kill the emperor wasn't enough to bolster the film to its predecessors' heights.

I can't identify with Luke very well, especially in this movie. He is simply a paper thin, good-guy action figure, a vessel for us to experience the movie in and not a complex character for us to sympathize with or examine. I like Han Solo for his brashness and fiery demeanor, but I realize he isn't very dimensional here, either. If I could change the film in any way, it would be to cut some of the harmless scenes with the alien creatures and develop Luke's character more. We never see Luke become a powerful Jedi here, we just have to take other people's word for it. Luke just isn't complex enough as a character for him to be a driving force in this film.