Retro-Review: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Back to my Star Wars reviews... 

The conclusion of the original trilogy!

After the bit of a downer end of ESB, we find our heroes rescuing their friend Han from the clutches of Jabba the Hut. As with the entirety of the original trilogy, the practical effects, the puppetry, and the shooting locations help ground this movie in a way that to many modern movies and shows fail at.

One thing I'd specifically like to take a moment to comment on is Slave Leia, or, most appropriately, Hut Slayer Leia!! Carrie Fisher does such a wonderful job in her role as Princess Leia. I really love how over the years she embraced the fandom, in spite of her own difficulties. She really did become the space mom we all need, flipping off the haters, and spreading love and glitter wherever she went.

RotJ does suffer a little, coming after the powerful ESB, but it makes the best of it, hitting all of the powerful beats it needed to. Luke going off to confront his father and the emperor, the struggle in the throne room as he watches his friends fighting and dying, the moment of temptation as he reaches for his lightsaber in anger, and of course the redemption of Anakin Skywalker.

Then there's the ewoks. I get that they aren't the most impressive things in the universe, but they are kinda impressive in not only how they helped to take down the empire, but in how they had so many traps ready for the fight!

The original celebration on the forest moon of Endor is added to in the new version that shows celebrations on planets all over the galaxy. While I appreciate them showing it that way, it fails to blend in as seamlessly as I'd like.  

All in all this is a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. 

Next up: The Force Awakens!