Return of the Jedi
(1983)

Rated: PG
Runtime: 2 Hours and 14 Minutes

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Reviewer: Erik
Grade: A

"Return Of The Jedi" isn't the best of the Star Wars trilogy, but it's a fine installment that ties everything together. True, maybe things end up TOO perfectly, but hey, Lucas has dazzled us for so long, maybe we should cut the guy some slack.

The story is, well, simple. Han is rescued, a second Death Star has been assembled, Han and Leia end up trying to blow up a shield generator on the forest moon of Endor and Luke has no choice but to face Vader again. Not exactly high on originality.

But that's not the point. This movie is fun all over again. Han's rescue from Jabba's palace ranks high among Star Wars moments. The Emperor provides a chilling presence, upstaging even Darth Vader in terms of pure evil. The assault on the second Death Star requires a more claustrophobic approach, and a Star Destroyer unexpectedly serves as a weapon against the new Death Star.

Then there's the Ewoks on the forest moon of Endor. They provide for a lot of funny moments, and I didn't have as much of a problem believing they could defeat a battalion of scout troopers. Some people really hate these furry guys, but they never come off as annoying. Cute, sure. Annoying, no.

Anyways, things wrap up with a couple of big surprises, and everybody pretty much parties down at the end. This movie has a storyline even more basic than "A New Hope", but it pulls together nicely.

As a kid, I loved this film. As an adult...nothing has changed. It's not the best of the trilogy, but it's not chopped liver. When you compare three classic movies, someone's gotta end up in third place. And that's not meant as a slight, either.