Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - Movie Review

In celebration of the release of the new 'Star Wars' movie this December 17, we look back the previous installments of the franchise leading up to 'The Force Awakens', the seventh installment of the saga. To read our coverage, click here.
Who actually returns in ‘Return of the Jedi’? The moment we see Luke for the first time in the film, there is no assurance of whether he is actually now a Jedi or not. Sure, he fought one of the greatest warriors on galaxy in the form of his father Darth Vader, but like Yoda said before dying, the training is not yet complete. Luke is still in the midst of weighing in if he’ll actually become a Jedi or eventually tempt into the dark side. The film, although focuses a lot on Luke, is mainly about the return of Anakin Skywalker. The Jedi he was once before becoming Darth Vader was back, but only for a short period of time. You can see it in his eyes how completely wrecked his life has become, and a small part in him that wants to let go of being the Sith lord he was.

The realization of his past wrongdoings can be seen upon seeing Luke for the first time without the mask. The inner conflict of whether he should stop Palpatine electrocuting his son or not at one point, and looking back and forth to Luke and the emperor is a striking moment. And as soon as he throws Palpatine away, Darth Vader is no more. What we see here is the death of a Sith and the return of a Jedi, something that is presented multiple times not on him alone but to other characters as well.

In some ways, a person can be a Jedi of their own. Without all the training, the will to become a hero of one’s own self and to do it without all the hate and anger is where we can see a person become someone unwilling to delve in the dark side. The perfect example of a non-Jedi Jedi is Han Solo. As a bounty hunter who initially do things for the sake of money and believe the Force is but sheer luck, and eventually profess a completely different personality in the end. Also, it’s fascinating how Harrison Ford is able to sneak his inner-Han Solo cockiness despite the noticeable heroic transformation of his character.

With the death of both Yoda and Anakin, ‘Return of the Jedi’ confirms Luke is the new most powerful Jedi in the galaxy. He bravely fought his Vader for the last time, albeit knowing it his father, and his death technically makes his circle of training complete—and thus, he is a Jedi by the end. His ability to see and feel the presence of Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Yoda through ghost visions during the Ewoks party validates it even more.

Ewoks—say what you say about how adorable they look—should’ve been executed better than making them appear cute on-screen. I personally don’t find them unnecessary to the action. They indeed helped the rebellion through Home Alone-like booby traps. These are species who isn’t stopping until they defeated those who opposed them, it even comes to the point of trying to eat them. Perhaps the reason why a lot of people despise them is due to how the filmmakers approach them as being too child-friendly and for the sake of making toys (and a movie) dedicated to them. Now, imagine Ewoks the same way they presented Chewbacca as semi-serious individuals—that would possibly change everyone’s perception toward them.

Despite being the weakest entry to the original trilogy, one must acknowledge of how ‘Return of the Jedi’ improved in terms of character development to the extent of changing its own characters completely. This is the perfect way to cap-off a terrific story introduced by George Lucas. Luke finally completes his training, Han and Leia wins over Jabba and the empire, C3-PO and R2-D2 are in good shape, Yoda died satisfied, Lando justifies his position as a leader. In short, everyone wins. But the dark side of the force is lurking somewhere, and a separate story will have to deal with that.

The geek rates it 9.5/10!

Thank you for joining me in this review series. Return tomorrow for my review of 'The Force Awakens'. May the force be with you!