When it comes to the first two Star Wars movies in the original trilogy I can rarely pick faults, I really enjoy both films. However I have to say I don't really enjoy Return of the Jedi as much as the previous two movies. Still enjoy it a hell of a lot more than the prequels but just not as much as A New Hope or the Empire Strikes Back. Don't get me wrong I love a happy ending, and Return of the Jedi is all about tying up all the loose ends and ending the trilogy in a satisfying way. The first movie introduced us to this universe, the second movie turned it on its head, it was the darkest and had the heroes of the story continuously lose. Return of the Jedi basically had to correct the events of The Empire Strikes Back so it wouldn't have as much of an impact. Watching the heroes inevitably win is exciting but it doesn't give you much to talk or think about.
There are some particularly great scenes in the movie for example Jabba's palace, which is such a visually exciting scene it is definitely one my favourite in the entire franchise. There are so many fun and weird references in every shot from creatures and droids to even the music.
There are many fun aspects of this movie and one of them is seeing the entire team hatch a plan together. This is something we haven't really seen since A New Hope and with the team divided in the second movie it's heartwarming to see them reunited after saving Han.
A large part of the movie takes place on Endor and the attack on the Death Star which can get old pretty fast. One of the high points is the speeder bike chase which I still believe holds its own among the CGI of today. However one of the controversial subjects is the Ewoks. If you were young when you first watched Return of the Jedi then chances are, like me you loved the Ewoks. However re-watching the movies now, I've grown to resent them. They are just annoying, frustrating to watch and it seems way too coincidental having a race of cute, cuddly teddy-bear looking creatures save the day. This adorable, feisty species manage to cause a lot of destruction with just rocks and sticks. The addition of the Ewoks was the tip of the iceberg when it came to George Lucas focusing the franchise more towards children. The franchise was already making millions by marketing to all ages, but the Ewoks were designed to appeal to children and make money through merchandise.
There are many touching moments throughout the movie, Leia's reunion with Han, the death of Yoda, C-3PO telling the story to the Ewoks and of course Luke and Darth Vader in the final act of the movie. It's in these scenes that we get to see how the original cast is much more comfortable and confident. In particular Luke's character development from the first movie anchors the entire Star Wars series.
In summary, Return of the Jedi may be the worst in the original trilogy, but that doesn't mean it's a bad movie overall. It is still a great Star Wars movie with amazing ships, aliens, and all the answers fans needed.
Easter Eggs
#1 THX 1138
Of course I couldn't leave out George Lucas' reference to THX 1138 although in Return of the Jedi it is much harder to spot. During the scene where Leia disguises herself as a bounty hunter named Boushh to save Han, you might be ale to get a glimpse of the infamous 1138 painted on the side of Leia's helmet. Most people didn't realise the number was there until 2007 when a 1:6 scale figure of Princess Leia in Boushh disguise was released.
#2 Shoe in space
Being a visual effects artist at ILM can involve creating huge scale battle scenes with X-Wings, TIE Fighters, Star Destroyers and it's not unheard of for artists to sneak some objects into busy scenes like this. During the Battle of Endor among all the chaos, there happens to be a shoe flying around as well as a yogurt pot. The VFX artist, Ken Ralston snuck these objects in as "it was my way of just saying, see what you can get away with?" and he has supposedly snuck them into every battle scene.
#3 Ben Burtt
This is one of the only easter eggs that I didn't know about until doing research for this post. Whilst on Endor and a trap door closes in on the Rebels, an Imperial Officer is seen in the Shield Generator to try and capture the team, however he is murdered by Han Solo. The man who plays him is in fact Ben Burtt, one of the most important members of the Star Wars team. He is the sound designer for all the Star Wars movies and is responsible for making some of the most iconic sound effects. From lightsaber wooshes and blaster pews to R2-D2's bleeps.
#4 Crowd surfing Stormtrooper
During the galactic wide celebrations at the end of Return of the Jedi there are many new additions to the scene since the Special Editions were released, from CGI Jabba the Hut to the blue ghost of Hayden Christensen. We also get to see a montage of planets celebrating the death of the Emperor such as Naboo, Tatooine and Bespin. During a celebration on Coruscant a Stormtrooper being jostled by the crowd. It's unclear whether he is crowdsurfing of it's just an empty suit being waved but either way it's a fun addition to break up the rather repetitive crowd scenes.
#5 Han gropes Leia
Arguably one of the most famous snippets in the Star Wars franchise is the scene of Han groping Leia. During the Endor moon base break in, Han tries to fend off Stormtroopers but Leia gets shot in the arm and collapses. Han rushes to her side and grabs her arm but one of his hands finds its way to her breast.
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