Review of Return of the Jedi (1983) by Jeff B — 07 Jan 2016

Serving up as many iconic moments as the first two chapters without achieving the same levels of near-perfection, the hugely entertaining Return of the Jedi nonetheless brings the first trilogy to a very satisfying end. Giving way to family-friendly hokeyness (Meet the Ewoks!), the third chapter loses some of its darkness but manages to solidify the father-son story at the center of this galactic knight's tale. So much about this series is about connectivity: dark-light, father-son, sister-brother. For better or worse, Return of the Jedi hits you over the head with it, tying characters and ideas together like a bow on the final package. When the series continues 30 years later with The Force Awakens, in fact, the audience comes expect - and rightly so - that new and old characters will somehow be related through more than grit and spit.

In this PG-rated sci-fi adventure, Han Solo gets rescued from the palace of Jabba the Hutt, the rebels attempt to destroy the second Death Star, and Luke struggles to make Vader return from the dark side of the Force.

The actors never perform better than in this, their final chapter of the first trilogy. Hamill excellently elevates Skywalker from farm boy to Cool hand Luke, Fisher (metallic bikini aside) earns respect as a military leader despite being tossed around between her brother and lover as an object of affection, and Ford remains the most hypnotic presence on-screen throughout. Darth Vader gets a hero's sendoff as well, emerging from the embers of villainy as a complex dark horse who never stopped loving his son. Sure, the clowning of cub-like Widget the Ewok alone brings the tone into a more comedic realm but the action - from the desert prisonbreak of Solo from Club Fett to the speeder bike chase on Endor - makes for indelible fist-pumping thrills.

Bottom line: Rebel Yell.