Il ritorno dello Jedi

Up until the sixth and last episode of the Star Wars saga, which finally ended in 2005, I had always looked at this 1983 entry as my favorite film of the long-running series. The varied action scenes and really different characters (Jabba The Hut, furry woodland creatures, etc.) made this a particularly appealing movie.

None of the action ever focused too long in one spot, either. The last half hour exemplifies this the most as the scene switches every few minutes from the woods to the battle among space ships to the individual laser-duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.

Another nice characteristic this film had that the two previous did not was the absence of in-fighting between two of the stars. Gone was the incessant bickering between Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford. Finally, everyone was on the same page! It was nice to see.

In the end, this was simply a wonderful adventure tale, more than anything else.

I'm sick of people whining about Ewoks! True, they're not the best thing that ever happened to Star Wars, but they DID happen, so deal with it! Besides, they ARE cute, and I don't care if they're marketable. Yubb Nubb!

This movie always leaves me in tears. It's perfect. The end could not be better. I'm excited for The Phantom Menace because it will suddenly throw the focus of the whole story from Luke to Anakin. I love how he is revealed at the end - it would be too unresolved any other way. So those of you who are complaining that Vader's helmet was removed, take a moment to think about it. It's very effective. Vader, the man who hid behind a mask for 20 years, is finally revealed as a sick-looking man. He is not entirely machine - he's vulnerable.

I don't know how the casting director happened to pick such good actors in A New Hope. They all do so well. They are believable characters. Hamill does an excellent job with his dramatic character development. Fisher does a fine job being a female role model (I mean, come on! She killed Jabba even when so many others had failed!). Harrison Ford - need I say more?

The music is once again brilliant. It's so very touching and significant when you can pick out character themes at different parts of the movie. The best climax is when Luke shouts "NOOO!" and jumps out to fight his father in the Final Battle. John Williams is nothing short of a genius! What an amazing man!

Already, the movie has so much more meaning for me because of Episode I. I can't wait to finally see it in the theatres (CAN I WAIT???) and then watch the original trilogy yet again.

Bravo!

There's a reason why Anakin Skywalker/ Darth Vader is my favorite character of all time. Even after everything he did, he still fulfilled the prophecy and brought balance to the force. The scene where luke takes off his helmet makes me tear up all the time. Poetry.

Not only that, but the story of Luke Skywalker is also told flawlessly. As with obi wan, he was never seduced by the dark side.

Truly an amazing movie. Not as good as Empire, but outstanding nonetheless.

This movie might not be as flawless as the first two but everything involved with those throne room scenes were some of the highest points in the entire saga, the conflict between luke and vader, the emperor himself finally showing up for the first time and he's so good at being this manipulative evil, the final lightsaber battle is just breathtaking with that amazing music by john williams and the beautiful ending of the film that brings everything together, those moments alone makes this one of the most underrated in the whole franchise and in my opinion it's the second best movie behind the empire strikes back.

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) is a movie in my DVD collection that I recently rewatched on Disney+. The storyline follows the Jedi and Luke needing to save their ally, Solo, who even after being saved will need to settle his debt with Jabba the Hutt. Meanwhile, Luke seeks out Yoda to finish his training and the Jedi sets out for one last battle against the evil empire. For them to be successful, Luke will likely need to face his father one last time.

This movie is directed by Richard Marquand (Jagged Edge) and stars Mark Hamill (Sushi Girl), Harrison Ford (Blade Runner), Carrie Fisher (Sorority Row), Billy Dee Williams (Batman), Ian McDiarmid (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and James Earl Jones (Conan the Barbarian).

The entire Jabba the Hutt opening is always one of my favorite sequences in the series and a great way to start the movie. Harrison Ford was hilarious both in his lines and his body language. He couldn't have been better cast. The escape scene in this is everything you could want and every scene on Endor is magic. The chase through the woods opening and the mystery and unveiling of the Ewoks was super cool. The final two battles involving Luke, Vader and the Emperor is classic science fiction gold and a wonderful depiction of the force and the dark side.

Overall this movie doesnt get as much credit for its greatness that it should. I would score this an easy 10/10 and strongly recommend it.