"
Return of the Jedi"
** (out of ****)
I was greatly looking forward to re-watching the conclusion to the original "Star Wars" trilogy, "Return of the Jedi" (1983) in honor of it's 40th anniversary. I was about 12 years old when I discovered the world (or Galaxy) of the "Star Wars" movies. I loved all three of the original movies and would watch them repeatedly. I expected re-watching "Return of the Jedi" would take me back to my childhood and I could recapture the excitement I experienced when I first saw this movie. Unfortunately, it wasn't so and the experience became an awkward one.
How could a movie that was so special to me as a child and into my teenage years be such a miss for me as an adult? Many movies that I enjoyed in my younger years are still favorites of mine today. I re-watched the first "Star Wars" movie a couple of years ago, "A New Hope" (1977) and still enjoyed it. Was "Return of the Jedi" simply not as good as the other movies in the trilogy? I gave "Return of the Jedi" a fighting chance. I watched it twice before writing this. I watched the original VHS version and the updated "special edition" version Lucas released prior to the release of "The Phantom Menance" (1999). Neither version was able to engage me. I finally had to sadly admit "Return of the Jedi" doesn't hold up for me.
One of the most noticeable issues I had with "Return of the Jedi" was how similar it seemed to "A New Hope". While there are some new elements to "Jedi" and new characters introduced much of the movie feels like a retread with the Rebel Alliance once again attempting to destroy the dreaded Death Star. Been there, done that! In the first movie the mission provided the objective of demonstrating our young Jedi-in-waiting, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) has heroic qualities and much like his unknown father, possesses excellent pilot skills. This mission however doesn't serve the purpose of elevating any character really.
Another noticeable issue is the lack of a strong villain. Yes, Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones) is in this movie but he is not presented as a serious threat anymore. "Return of the Jedi" uses Luke Skywalker and Vader to comment on the internal struggle between good and evil within us. Will Skywalker succumb to the Dark Side? Can Vader find and embrace the goodness within him? Thematically this is an interesting concept but in its presentation it makes Vader look weak. The "main" villain in "Jedi" is The Emperor (Ian McDiarmid), the ruler of the Galactic Empire. This character however lacks the imposing presence of Darth Vader as introduced to us in "A New Hope", where he appeared to be the most powerful character within the movie. This makes "Jedi" operate on an almost philosophical level but at the most amateurish level.
The final thing I noticed was the comedic, childish tone of the movie. Instead of the "Star Wars" series maturing at the same level of its main character, the series was regressing! There is a lot of unnecessary comic relief provided by our favorite droids - R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and the introduction of the infamous Ewoks - whom are never referred to by such a name. They are the "Star Wars" version of Care Bears.
The best creation in "Jedi" is Jabba the Hut - in the original VHS versions, Jabba was first seen in this movie - an imposing, giant looking mafia slug. The first 40 -ish minutes of the movie prominently features Jabba, who still has Han Solo (Harrison Ford) frozen in carbonite. Luke sends R2 and C-3PO to Jabba's palace to negotiate a trade deal - Solo for the two droids. When Jabba refuses it becomes more than evident to the viewer this is all a guise and is really a rescue mission as each member of the Alliance somehow finds themselves in the palace.
While Jabba is a fascinating character to look at, I must admit as I watched my VHS version, Jabba, his guards and the musicians playing in the palace all look like Jim Henson puppets, which I doubt was the look George Lucas and director Richard Marquand had in mind. They all look slightly better in the "special edition" version. Which may be the only positive thing I will say about the "special edition".
After the Jabba scenes, Luke heads back to the planet Dagobah to finish his Jedi training with master Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz). Yoda informs Luke there is nothing more he can do for him. At 900 years old, Yoda feels the end is near. Luke must face Vader to complete his Jedi training. But Luke can't and won't fight and kill his father. Adding a Freudian element to the plot.
Meanwhile Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Han Solo, Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) and the rest of the gang head for the forest moon of Endor to destroy an energy shield protecting the Death Star. If they can lower the shield, they can destroy the Death Star.
With the exception of the moral dilemma Luke finds himself in, none of the other human characters seem to serve much of a purpose and appear to be afterthoughts. I understand the Alliance wants to defeat the Empire but what is personally at stake for these characters? What purpose does Lando serve to this story? Could this story have been told minus that character? I think so. Han Solo was originally presented to us as a kind of Humphrey Bogart character - a tough exterior with a vulnerability underneath it. He says he is only in it for the money but we know he is a hero. In "Jedi" all of Solo's personality is gone. What purpose does the Princess serve? Again I ask, could you have told this story minus that character? None of these characters are driving the story forward. Their only function seems to be to stand here and look there.
Whatever was new, fresh and exciting about the first two "Star Wars" movies is solely missing here. Perhaps the issue wasn't so much the plot and dialogue but the direction. Lucas directed the first movie and Irvin Kershner directed
"The Empire Strikes Back" (1980). Both men had a better visual eye than Marquand. Marquand seems to have zapped the life out of the actors. Everything in "Jedi" has a monotone pacing to it. The action sequences - especially one in a forest involving flying motorbikes - has a video game quality to it - this was before that was even a thing!
I understand what "Star Wars" is suppose to be and the inspirations behind the series. I love movie serials like "Buck Rogers" (1939) and
"Flash Gordon" (1936) but very few things in "Return of the Jedi" are as fun as those movies. Only the Jabba sequence and some of the flying motorbikes sequences would have ever appeared in a movie serial. Only they would have been more thrilling! "Jedi" is kind of glum. Some people refer to "The Empire Strikes Back" as a thematically dark movie, I don't agree but lets assume that is correct, the movie was still full of energy and created an emotional investment for the audience. Watching "Jedi" I kind of felt like "lets just get this over with". They try to tie a bow on this trilogy and explain everything. Marquand directs this movie with a "lets just cross the finish line" mentality.
As someone who constantly talks about film history and its preservation, I naturally must address the issue of the "special editions" of the original trilogy. As I have alluded to, I own the VHS versions of these movies. For many years I refused to watch the newer versions. In fact, I still haven't watched the "special edition" versions of "A New Hope" or "Empire". It is a shame Lucas never allowed those VHS versions to be released on DVD and now is a shame Disney doesn't allow those versions to be available for streaming on their site Disney+. They are purposely erasing film history. Future generations will never be able to see those VHS versions. I may very well be the last person alive that still has a VCR and watches movies on VHS. What will the rest of you do?
And lets talk about the differences between these two versions. One glaring difference that leaped out out me takes place in Jabba's palace. Jabba is seen in a kind of tug of war with a slave. Jabba licks his lips and yanks the chain around her neck and she violently fights for her life. Jabba activates a trap floor which all but plunges the girl to her death. In the new version the band now has a vocalist singing a song while this fight between Jabba and the girl is going on. It serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever! And there are multiple slight differences in camera angles and points-of-view. Again, for no reason at all. These changes in no way enhance the story. I emphatically prefer the VHS version of "Jedi". That is the only version you should watch. Lucas managed to ruin to his own movie!
"Return of the Jedi" was nominated for four Academy Awards and presented with a Special Achievement award. It was the highest grossing movie of the year taking in more than 300 million in the U.S. alone. Reading some contemporary reviews from 1983 - Roger Ebert and Pauline Kael - it seems it was always understood Lucas intended to make "Star Wars" a nine movie series.
I've previously mentioned in other reviews, this year, as I celebrate my 40th birthday, I was going to take a look a various movies that were not only important to me growing up but movies specifically made in 1983, in honor of their own 40th anniversary. With that said, I couldn't have ignored "Return of the Jedi" but what a disappointment!
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