Return of the Jedi: 40 Years and the Force is Still Strong
Luke Skywalker and Emperor Palpatine kicking it in Return of the Jedi. 20th Century Studios (1983).
By Nick M.W.
Episode six in the nine-movie Star Wars saga is an entertaining conclusion to the beloved Original Trilogy.
This isn’t much of a retrospective since I was a wee little one when Return of the Jedi was first released, and I didn’t get to experience what is was like to see the film on its first theatrical run. I love Star Wars, especially the Galactic Civil War era content, and Return of the Jedi is a major piece of that story, so I watch each of these movies a couple of times a year, even the ones I don’t like, so it never feels as though I get far enough away from any of them to have a long-awaited reunion. The simple truth behind my motivation to write this article is that there was no way in Hoth’s cold hell that I would let this 40th anniversary get by me without some sort of commentary.
Gymnastics, the obscure sport that entertains a world audience every four years during the Summer Olympics, teaches us an important life lesson.
It’s not easy to stick the landing.
In that sport, a flawless display of athleticism and grace can be ruined by even the slightest stutter step when both feet hit the mat. Perfection is a difficult endeavor in gymnastics, as it is in other sports, as well as in life, and also in moviemaking.
Of all the movies ever made in the history of film, so few of them can be called “perfect”, and even fewer would be universally regarded as such. Return of the Jedi had the unfortunate luck of following one of the greatest sequels ever made. Making a sequel to that sequel that was better than one of the best sequels ever and expecting that next movie to close out a culture shifting film series in a way that both satisfies its passionate fanbase and honors the characters and the story requires a production that is nothing short of perfect. Follow me?
Return of the Jedi isn’t perfect, so it can’t be better than The Empire Strikes Back. However, it sticks the landing. Ironically, this episode was often considered the worst of the Skywalker saga back when there were only three movies, but, given the six other movies that have been released in the 40 years since Return of the Jedi hit theaters and the fact that many of them have sucked, Episode Six is now (arguably) one of the three best in that saga. Director Richard Marquand and writers George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, and Michael Arndt manage to close the loop for all of the major characters in the Original Trilogy while also leaving the door open for future adventures.
It’s wild that this movie is 40 years old and that Star Wars is still part of the pop culture milieu—although interest in that is waning and may die out completely in another generation. This movie should have been the Skywalker’s Abbey Road: a walk-off hit. Instead, it’s another chapter in a “grander tale” that grew thinner than my hair line the further along it went in either direction, past or future. Return of the Jedi is still beloved, all you have to do is go online and see Admiral Akbar immortalized as a meme or stream an episode of The Book of Boba Fett to see Jabba’s Palace return as a major set piece, or just go out in public anywhere a find people from all walks of life rocking a Return of the Jedi t-shirt.
I don’t need much of a reason to watch Return of the Jedi yet again, but since this month marks its 40th anniversary, I’ve put it on a couple of times to appreciate what we once had with a good Star Wars movie.
The gang’s back for one last boom boom in space. Return of the Jedi. 20th Century Studios (1983).
Okay, so it’s not all great with Return of the Jedi. Let’s address a few things I hate about it before I wrap up with the things I love. Hindsight is what it is.
What I Hate
Some of the damn re-edits.
It happened twice.
In 1997, George Lucas re-released the Original Trilogy in theaters as “Special Edition” versions for the then 20th anniversary of A New Hope. These cuts of the movies had updated colorization, sound, and visual effects. For the most part, these updates were a success. Jabba the Hutt’s appearance in A New Hope didn’t do much to flex Lucasfilm’s CGI prowess, but it made that debt hanging over Han Solo’s head a bit more tangible. Most of the other CGI updated special effects actually enhanced the movies— Rebel Alliance starfighters and bombers flying into attack formation before the Death Star run; seeing the wampa get its arm sliced off; cloud cars flying around Bespin—most of this stuff was cool. But George went too far with it in Return of the Jedi and the updated version of Max Reebo Band’s “Lapti Nek”. I’m a fan of the band’s overall sound; the funk fits in as the soundtrack to Jabba’s menagerie of scum and villainy, but they leaned a bit too hard into this effort and turned the song into a failed comedic bit.
It’s a cringeworthy moment in the movie, but it isn’t the most egregious re-edit in ROTJ. I see your Max Reebo Band, and I raise you one ill-advised “Noooooooooooo!”. In 2011, George Lucas doubled-down on that same line from the end of Revenge of the Sith for the Blu-Ray release of the Original and Prequel Trilogies. That one word drawn out to exasperation by Darth Vader after Palpatine lets him know that he killed Padmé ruined an otherwise somber moment. Dude ruined his life, killed kids as well as some of his friends and mentors, and was tricked into joining up with the absolute worst person in the galaxy because he wanted to save Padmé, only to be the one responsible for her death.
Perhaps it was because of Lucas’ obsession with having things “rhyme” in the Star Wars galaxy that he felt the need to include “Noooooooooo!” again in the final act of a trilogy, in one of Vader’s last scenes in the movie, arguably when he once again turns, but this time from the dark side.
Compare the two scenes below and tell me the re-edit is better. Silence is golden.
Boba Fett’s wack ass “death”.
This lame death was out done only by the wack ass show they made about his moral turn late in life and his failed attempt to peacefully run a township on Tatooine. In ROTJ, a Han Solo, temporarily blinded by a mild case of hibernation sickness, accidentally smacks Boba Fett’s jetpack right in the sweet spot so that it malfunctions and sends him flying into the of Jabba’s Khetanna. He then falls into the Sarlacc pit, where he marinates in slow-burning stomach acid for a few years before making his escape.
Much like the turd Disney+ series, they could’ve given Boba Fett more badass shit to do in that one scene if it was going to be the only scene he was in. Just a little more blaster action. How about his flame thrower? Perhaps a quick hand-to-hand fight with Boba Fett that results in Han Solo purposefully hitting his jet pack so that it malfunctions.
Here’s a chunk of the action from the Dune Sea for your viewing pleasure, or skip to the 1:45 mark to jump off with our original Mandalorian.
Luke and Leia are twins?
Perhaps this is a controversial take. I’ve never really discussed within my circle of nerd friends, but I think this “plot twist” is a poor narrative decision by Lucas, Kasdan, and Arndt. because it binds the future of Star Wars stories to the Skywalker family right up to the present moment were in. I might be alone on an island on this take, but Disney/Lucasfilm can’t seem to truly break away from the Skywalker’s because of the familial dynamic of the Original Trilogy. It seems like they want to expand their content beyond all of the familiar Star Wars things we know—none more familiar the Anakin/Vader, Luke, and Leia.
Why did Leia and Luke have to be related?
In the grand scheme, it didn’t add much to the overall story. Leia could have been just another Force-sensitive person who also happens to be a princess from Alderaan; she still could have been adopted, or she could have even been a Padawan who was rescued from the Jedi Temple by Bail Organa. I don’t think it would have changed much how we feel about her as a character, but it would have allowed the Original Trilogy to expand beyond the Skywalker family so that there wasn’t a narrative cycle that required them to be included in some way. It sure as hell would have made Kenobi a better series (if I may lambast Disney+ programming again). If Luke was an only child, there would be no plotline that involved Obi-Wan leaving Tatooine to go search for a kidnapped Leia, which ruined the show and changed a lot about what already existed in A New Hope.
That show sucked.
There would also be no unspoken, awkward kiss between the siblings.
By the end of ROTJ, during Luke and Vader’s showdown, the thing that put Luke over the edge with rage was Vader threatening to turn Leia to the dark side if Luke wouldn’t surrender himself to it. It’s a powerful moment, but it would have had the same impact on the audience if Leia was just Luke’s good ol’ Rebel Alliance buddy and someone he respected as a leader, who also happened to be Force sensitive. There’s a case that Vader would still want to turn her to the dark side and, perhaps, make her an Inquisitor given that she is a capable leader. And, as it turns out, Ben Kenobi and Yoda were wrong; the Skywalker twins weren’t the galaxy’s only hop. There are still plenty of Jedi out there that they could’ve turned to for help.
What I Love
Lando’s redemption
Lando is a cool gambler and “galactic entrepreneur” who becomes the Baron Administrator of Cloud City (a result of his gambling) and tries to go clean, but the Empire spoils all that shit. Vader puts him in a bad spot but, mercifully, only asks Lando to betray an old friend. Yes, he altered the deal, but it didn’t cost Lando his life, plus it’s not like he wanted to put Han in the carbonite freezer.
Return of the Jedi gives Lando a proper redemption ark. Dude got a job as one of Jabba’s skiff guards and laid low for a minute with those vagrants and thugs in order to help rescue Han. Then, he says, “Fuck this. I’m with it,” and he wholeheartedly commits to joining the Rebellion, not as some regular grunt, but as a general. He volunteers to lead the Rebel Starfleet against the bulk of the Imperial fleet and ends up piloting the Millennium Falcon with his road dog, Nien Nunb, right into the second Death Star, like the “G” that he is.
Lando Calrissian: scoundrel and Hero of the Rebellion.
Jabba’s Palace
The Mos Eisley Spaceport—the cantina, Docking Bay 94, the city streets—was one of my favorite location in A New Hope. It’s a dangerous place, filled with amoral characters from the seediest parts of the galaxy. Everyone is passing through, even if it takes them a few years. You can get shot while sipping blue milk, or perhaps have your arm sliced off by a Jedi. It’s pretty rad.
Jabba’s Palace was a different take on that same aesthetic. It’s chill enough to sip on some Jawa Juice while the Max Reebo Band jams, but you could also get fed to Jabba’s rancor if you piss off the vile gangster. Its design is iconic, and it’s the most exciting location in the Original Trilogy.
Speeder bikes!
If your vehicle has “speeder” in the name, it’s probably bad ass: landspeeder, airspeeder, snowspeeder, Rey’s speeder, Sith speeder, speeder bike. Bad ass.
The speeder bike chase through the forest of Endor inspired many childhood bike races up and down our street. Our Huffy bikes became the 74-Zs that roared around the redwoods in one of ROTJ’s highlights.
The final showdown between the Alliance and the Empire.
Hell yeah.
Emperor Palpatine honey-dicks the Alliance into thinking they had the jump on the Empire and their second Death Star, but Palps doesn’t play. He drew in the full force (no pun intended) of the Rebels Starfleet just so he could destroy them with his fully operational battle station in front of Luke, so that Vader’s son would fall to the dark side (and replace Vader because that’s how it works).
There’s a lot of whizz-bang space combat that is the best of the OT going down in the movie’s final act, and there’s also the final duel between Luke and Vader. It would’ve been dope to see the Sith Lord and the Jedi incorporate their Force powers in this smack-off.
We all know that special effects forty years ago were bad, even in a big budget blockbuster like ROTJ, so to get the type of lightsaber wizardry that we got in Revenge of the Sith back then was impossible. I guess the point was to show us Even with the technological limitations of that era, we were still given a sense of how powerful the Emperor was. Luke, who had just whipped his dad’s ass—the most powerful Sith this side of the Emperor’s backhand—was no match for Palpatine’s Force lightning. Force lighting! How cool is that?
Forty years after its release, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi remains a satisfying conclusion to the best trilogy of the entire saga.
