RETURN OF THE JEDI

* * ½

STARRING: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew

1983, 133 Minutes, Directed by: Richard Marquand

Third and final movie in the original 1970s/1980s Star Wars Trilogy. As the now familiar John Williams score blasts through the theatre and with the text recounting the story until now receding off into space, audiences find themselves in familiar surroundings.

Alas, too familiar. The series seem to have exhausted itself and except for a well-made and exciting chase on hover bikes through a dense forest, Return of the Jedi has little new to offer. The climactic duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader isn't anywhere as exciting as the one in The Empire Strikes Back and the attack on a half-finished Death Star is dated - after all, we've first seen it in Star Wars. It's as if the screenplay writers had nothing better to think up than "Let's have the Empire build another huge Death Star and have the rebellion attack it again - like in the first movie!"

Audiences will be excused for experiencing a severe case of deja vu while watching this one. Let's hope that the new Star Wars films being planned by Lucas are better than this one; then he might as well not have bothered.

This movie also has to carry the blame for foisting the Ewoks unto the world. Later on the Ewoks, unbearably cute real life Care Bear clones, were to have their own movies and even television show. Yuck!
 

• Read our review of the Star Wars Trilogy on VCD.
• Read an extensive retrospective.
• Read a book review of George Lucas: A Biography by John Baxter.
• Read the script.
• Watch the trailer.