#91 Return of the Jedi

Star Wars Episode VI-Return of the Jedi

Position: #91

Directed By: Richard Marquand

Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher

Empire's Star Rating: 4

When I originally saw this film at about 6 or 7 i thought it was the best of the Star Wars series, however as i've gone on I realise that it doesn't match the originality of A New Hope, or provide the action that The Empire Strikes Back does. Picking up a few months after the end of the last film, we are initially shown an unknown figure free Han Solo of his Carbonite bonds, a tense opener which is quickly followed by a showdown with a Rancor and a desert battle. This opening half an hour showed a lot of promise but it rapidly descended into slow dialogues with Yoda and the laying of the battle plans. Around an hour of the movie is dedicated to talking about the impending battle, which when it arrives is a little dissapointing. In space the action jumps around too much and stays true to the usual cliches, on Endor a promising fight is quickly brought to an end before a sneak attack rapidly turns the tide. Although it may seem enticing the lack of actual fighting is minimal, if one side wasn't being calmly led away whilst remaining unarmed then the others were. It jut didn't seem to work on an aesthetic level. A nice speeder chase was thrown in but that was repeatedly undermined by the native teddy bears' screen time.

The acting remains solid as per usual with Lucas. We really feel for Luke at the end when he says goodbye to his father, he plays the conflicted youth well, but again Harrison Ford steals the show. His witty quips and bromance with Chewie is touching and sweet, his charisma improves any scene he's in and his love for Leia is never questioned. Having said that the rebel command lacks any flare when in battle they seem devoid of emotion and their attempts to convey a sense of danger is laughable at times. All that in mind the main focus of the story is told well by the necessary actors, it's easy to criticise the backgroud characters that only serve to add a little authenticity but they aren't particularly important.

Lucas' previous films in the series were spectacular and my dissapointment in this is glossed over by his previous attempts however it was odd that his storytelling is what let the film down. The middle of the film was too dialogue heavy, and the integration with the Ewok culture seemed an unnecessary tangent. The run time could've been cut down significantly to facilitate a more compact plot, it isn't too difficult to follow as such but some of it appears to have been put in their to fill time. The special effects as always with Star Wars is superb especially for its time, and despite the lack of action in the middle when it does arrive, the set plays are something to be marvelled at. The technology on display is sophisticated enough to make it believable but simple enough to work out what it is. The general feel of the movie maintains its integrity, we thoroughly feel as if we are there in this futuristic (but somehow in the past) world or that some day this is what life will be like(or was?).

So Episode 6 ties up the loose ends nicely, there are some touching moments and the special effects are marvellous as always. The battles are a little one dimensional (with the exclusion of the opening one) and there are numerous parts that just don't need to be there. We are thoroughly made to believe we are there, but it seems that what we find is a little bit boring.

72/100
Drags on in parts and lots of unnecessary fluff. But a strong cast and believability go some way to make up for this. A pretty good conlcusion to the Star Wars saga.