Star Wars: Episode VI-Return of the Jedi (1983) Review

Star Wars: Episode VI-Return of the Jedi (1983)

Return of the Jedi follows Luke Skywalker, who, after rescuing Han and Leia from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, leads the rebels to the forest moon of Endor, where they will make one last stand against the Empire. 

I’ve always viewed Return of the Jedi as the Last Crusade of Star Wars movies; lighter in tone, with a renewed sense of wonder that harkened back to the original, while still pulling off an emotionally charged third act that has made this whole journey worth it. From it’s mysterious little heist opening though, there is immediately something different. Our characters are not the same as we left them. Han and Leia are integral leaders in the rebellion, Luke is a fully former Jedi, having matured well beyond his years, and even Vader to some extent, is left with a slightly altered outlook and a sense of conflict that we’ve never quite seen before. Sure, most of the film following Han’s rescue is nothing more than buildup for the third act, but isn’t that the purpose? 

And it’s that third act that Star Wars is arguably never better, waging war on multiple fronts, from Endor, to space and the Death Star II, and finally to the throne room, where we finally get the Emperor in all of his glory, goading Luke into one final battle with his father. It’s here that John Williams lays down one of his most haunting and passionate scores of the entire franchise, as Luke stems with hate and anger, destined to take Vader’s place, only to see their similarities and pull back. It’s so raw and emotionally driven, and it’s only made better by Vader’s betrayal of the Emperor in defense of his son, finally bringing Anakin’s arc full circle. 

Episode VI features another great cast as well, starring Sebastian Shaw, Kenny Baker, Frank Oz, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, David Prowse, Ian McDiarmid, James Earl Jones, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill. Once again, Hamill delivers in strides, this time giving us a mature but still emotionally reckless Luke, a performance only made possible by way of Prowse/Jones and McDiarmid’s always chilling portrayal of the evil Emperor. 

Return of the Jedi, directed by Richard Marquand, certainly has it’s flaws, at times simply feeling like an avenue for George Lucas to introduce more toys, but it’s it’s emotional arc of redemption and victory that allows this “final” chapter to stick the landing as well as it does. 

9.2/10