This is also where the list gets a little bit dicey…

The Empire Strikes Back left fans speechless. Up until that point, sequels had commonly been nothing more than money-grabs. They would follow roughly the same plot with the same characters, and they got away with it because executives knew people would flock to see something that was familiar to them. Episode V, on the other hand, was completely different than what fans had become familiar with in its predecessor. The movie was unexpected and, above all, powerful; it only intensified the love that so many held for ‘Star Wars’. And somehow, it managed to top A New Hope in popularity, which was absurd considering A New Hope had taken the world by storm just three years prior. There was a shared expectation amongst fans when Return of the Jedi was about to hit theaters in May of 1983. New Hope was amazing, Empire was even better, and now it was time for Return of the Jedi to take over as the best movie in the ‘Star Wars’ saga. But it did not do that, in the slightest. It sure had the potential to be the best, but then the Ewoks happened. Let’s get right into it.

Story: 8

It’s pretty solid. My favorite part of this movie is getting to see the Emperor and his plan to bring Luke Skywalker to the Dark Side. That entire dynamic between those two characters, along with Darth Vader, is a big standout for me in this film. That’s really the core of the story—Luke’s struggle between the Light and Dark Side of the Force—and it works tremendously well. I just wish we could’ve spent more time in this area rather than having to care about Ewok Independence. I also take issue with the opening part of the movie when the gang goes to save Han from Jabba’s palace. The whole sub-plot takes up roughly 30 minutes, and it feels as if it’s a prequel to the actual meat of the story. That’s my biggest and, for the most part, only gripe with the story. It was a bit unoriginal at times with the whole Second Death Star story beat, but I didn’t mind it too much.

Characters: 8

At the time, this was the best Luke Skywalker we had ever seen. He was super whiny in A New Hope. He was weak and unprepared in The Empire Strikes Back. We finally get to see him as a full-out Jedi Knight in this film. However, this does not mean he is not still struggling with some internal conflict. Yes, he may be a badass with a lightsaber, but he is still trying to endure very human issues. Outside of Luke, Jabba the Hutt is amazing as a secondary character. But Han, Lando, and Leia aren’t developed a whole lot in this film. They were highly appealing in Episode V, but they were just kinda there in this one. Sure, Princess Leia rocked a metal bikini on Tatooine. I’m still not digging her character as much in this movie, though.

Locations: 8

Endor is one of my favorite planets in the Star Wars Universe. I just love the overall look and feel of the planet. We do get to see a different side of Tatooine with Jabba’s Palace, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Again, I just wish this part of the movie was executed better. And the Second Death Star gives us one of the most iconic set pieces in all of ‘Star Wars’—the Emperor’s Throne Room. The reason I take off points, however, is because Endor is the only original place we go to. We’ve been to Tatooine. We’ve been on a Death Star. I loved the new things showcased in these locations, but they are still places we are quite familiar with. That’s why I can’t give the locations more points, even though I’d like to.

Endor

Tatooine

Second Death Star (Throne Room)

Humor: 8

It’s classic ‘Star Wars’ humor in the sense that it all stems from the characters. They had been together for two whole movies at this point, and it appears George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan took advantage of that when writing the screenplay. They all have such rich chemistry on screen together, and this allows for a number of jokes and digs to land well with the audience. There isn’t one laugh-out-loud scene, in particular; it’s just consistently funny throughout. Here is a compilation of some of the subtle, yet effective jokes from the film.

Score: 8

It’s not John Williams’ best work in the trilogy, but it still produces a pretty fair amount of memorable themes. And these memorable themes enhance the quality of their scenes to a significant degree. “Luke and Leia” has become quite a well-known riff amongst Star Wars fans, and it was even brought back in The Last Jedi this past year. The biggest standout on the soundtrack, though, is “The Final Duel”. It comes into play during Luke and Vader’s confrontation in the Throne Room, and the theme, coupled with the intense action sequence, creates a moment of pure movie magic.

Pacing: 7

The pacing takes a bit of a dip in this category solely because of the “Saving Han” sub-plot. It’s just jammed in there, and it throws so much of the movie off. Although, once we leave Tatooine, everything flows quite nicely. It just takes so long to get to that point.

Dialogue: 7

There aren’t a whole lot of beloved lines or phrases in this movie aside from “It’s a trap”. When you compare this script to the scripts for The Empire Strikes Back or A New Hope, I find it to be more poorly written. The dialogue in the Throne Room, for example, could’ve been a whole lot better. It seemed as if the words “Dark Side” were used to finish off almost every sentence. ‘Family Guy’ actually spoofed the dialogue of these scenes in one of their episodes years ago.

Action: 8

The action is phenomenal. The lightsaber battle between Luke and Vader is by far the best in the trilogy and one of the most powerful moments in the entire saga. The space battle above Endor is riveting and far superior to the space battle in Episode IV. It Is obvious that the technology had advanced and their wallets were a bit bigger heading into post-production. I also think the movie does a good job of sprinkling in minor action sequences to keep things interesting, while also moving the plot forward in a way; the Speeder Chase is a perfect example of that. However, I am not a fan of the Ewoks in combat at all. The fact that they can take down an army of stormtroopers with sticks and rocks is absurd. I know George Lucas was drawing inspiration from the Vietcong, but the Vietcong were not cuddly teddy bears going up against full grown men in complete armor. It’s obvious Lucas had his mind more focused on merchandise and toys in regards to the Ewoks.

Cinematography: 9

While George Lucas ended up being incredibly overbearing during the film’s production, I think director Richard Marquand was still able to leave his stamp on the movie in a positive way. He produces some iconic shots in this movie, and he captures the action of the film in a very effective manner.

Moments: 9

This is a big movie when it comes to ‘Star Wars’ moments. For starters, you have the Space Battle of Endor. You have the lightsaber duel between Luke and Vader. You have the Emperor’s death. You have Vader’s death. You have the reveal earlier in the film that Luke and Leia are brother and sister. These are all incredibly remarkable moments in ‘Star Wars’, and they’re all jam-packed into this movie. Another moment that I find to be overlooked is Darth Vader’s funeral. It gets me emotional every time I watch it, and it stands for so much symbolically. I would definitely classify this pyre of the galaxy’s biggest villain as an iconic ‘Star Wars’ moment.

 

Overall Score: 80