Star Wars Episode 6: Return Of the Jedi
Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny
Summary:
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi begins where Episode V left off. Han is still frozen, but now he is in the possession of Jabba The Hutt. After getting everyone captured, and nearly killed, Luke manages to free Han. With Han no longer frozen, the group of unlikely friends sets out to help The Rebellion destroy the Empire and Darth Vader once and for all.
Characters:
Luke has grown as a Jedi since his confrontation with Vader. He is a more calm and resolute man who has learnt to control the force though there is anger he is trying to control. Leia is trying to be the leader the rebellion needs as they head towards their most important battle yet. She also begins to notice a connection she has with Luke. Darth Vader is trying to show the Emperor his loyalty by finding Luke and converting him to the dark side though there is some hesitation for Vader.
Sebastian: 9.7/10
The movie that wraps up the original trilogy maintains the quality of the rest of the series. With this being another film on my top 20 film list I can say that this film is highly enjoyable. From the surprisingly long yet very fun intro at Jabba’s palace, we get an exciting rescue scene that is very memorable with fun characters like Jabba and his crew. Though this scene does bring us the pathetic death of Boba Fett. We are then basically blasted into the final battle where we go to the moon of Endor. I love the way that this movie is basically one long battle which I have seen other movies do before and I like it in most cases. My favourite part of the film is the Luke and Vader side of the story as the tensions and fights between the two are amazing. What stands this battle apart from the other lightsaber duels is that the emotional stakes are at their highest with all the emotions on Luke’s part being brought front and centre. The way that the tension of the battle rises and its resolution is quite satisfying and a high point of the whole series for me. The space battle here is the best in Star Wars with so much going on and a lot of stakes as well with Lando being there to guide the audience through. The ground assault has plenty of memorable moments and characters such as the cute Ewoks who are the native creatures of Endor and who help the rebels. The characters each get conclusions that feel earned and the correct path for their arcs. I think this film’s stakes feel earned and it does a great job balancing the dark and the humour throughout. Though I didn’t mention it in my last review John Williams’ continues to deliver an iconic score for each entry in the trilogy and here the music is used greatly with the “Force Theme” being my favourite Star Wars theme.
All in all, this is a fantastic finale to a fantastic trilogy that I highly recommend you check out whether for the first or 10th time! So hop on Disney+ and go on to that galaxy far far away.
Austin: 9.4/10
First of all, what a movie. The cast of characters was developed so well in the first two that it left the door open for an action scene that was literally over half the movie long. The plot provides a satisfying close to the trilogy, and it closes the book on most of the characters we have grown to love or hate from the first two movies.
Luke, Leia, and Han are great characters for a third straight movie. These three bounce off of each other, and although we don’t see a ton of character development, it isn’t needed. We have spent two movies watching our cast of characters grow, this movie is more about their potential coming to the surface. That being said, there are a couple of surprise reveals thrown into this movie that adds a bit of depth to a few events that occur in the first two movies. R2-D2 and C-3PO are once again very entertaining, and the Ewoks are a cute and funny addition. The teddy bear-like warriors provide a bit of comedic relief to the very long action scene.
The plot is impeccable. It is a very resounding close to the trilogy, and an entertaining one at that. We get a few more new locations, which always look amazing, and we also get more than one boss fight. The opening is awesome, and it writes our characters back together. The next hour and a half is remarkable. Outside of a bit of conversation, it is full-on action for the entire time. The emotion and tension is so high for almost the entire movie, it’s impossible to tear your eyes away from it. The different types of combat, intertwined together, makes for more than just brainless action. Every minute of the big battle is both fun to watch and important to the structure of the movie. That is what sets Episode VI apart from a few other epic action movies for me. The action, like most Star Wars projects, serves a purpose in the movie, either for plot or for characters.
This is a really good movie and a wonderful finale to the Original Trilogy. The characters are awesome, the action is really good, and the way the plot settles itself is the high point. If you haven’t seen any of the Original Trilogy movies, it’s time. Go check them out, you won’t be disappointed.
Nathanyal: 9.3/10
Star Wars Episode 6: Return of the Jedi, is the conclusion of the original trilogy and boy does it deliver. Featuring the same characters, with some new faces, this movie captures the magic of this world and wraps up the series in a nice bow. Now, similar to my other reviews, this movie has it all once more. Great characters, wonderful music, strong plot. There’s a reason this movie is a classic.
For one, I really enjoyed the plot of this movie and the pacing flowed pretty smoothly. The pacing felt pretty consistent and there was an even balance of high tension and low tension. The fight scenes were great, and action packed. The fights flowed smoothly, and the pacing was good. The suspense was on point and the power balance seemed fair. The one fight I really enjoyed was the duel involving Luke. Once again, Luke wasn’t some overpowered character that won through strength. He won by abiding to his teachings and his Jedi ways. Besides the fights, I enjoyed seeing the Ewoks in action. The one scene that I didn’t enjoy as much was the scene with Jabba and the escape. I thought Boba Fett would play a more prominent role and not just get poked accidentally.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie as much as the second. The characters were great, music was phenomenal, and the plot was strong. I enjoyed seeing the different fights and the character development. For those who haven’t seen the original trilogy, definitely recommend giving this a watch. You won’t be disappointed.
