A spectacular, though flawed conclusion

The release of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 solidified Star Wars as one of the greatest franchises in motion picture history, as well as one of the most profitable. And with The Empire Strikes Back managing to surpass the quality of its excellent predecessor, expectations were understandably even higher for 1983's Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, which was directed by Richard Marquand while George Lucas co-wrote the screenplay with Empire scribe Lawrence Kasdan. Alas, Return of the Jedi is easily the weakest entry in the original Star Wars trilogy, and anybody who genuinely believes that it's a masterpiece on the same level as its forerunners must be blinded by nostalgia. However, while it's not the knockout conclusion that it should have been, Return of the Jedi is nevertheless a thrilling final chapter which closes the original trilogy on a sufficiently satisfying note.

A few years have elapsed since the events of The Empire Strikes Back, and the Galactic Empire are in the process of constructing a new Death Star under the supervision of Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). Han Solo (Harrison Ford) is still frozen in carbonite and being held at Jabba the Hutt's seedy palace on Tatooine, while Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) is also captive. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) has grown in his Jedi training thanks to the teachings of Yoda (Frank Oz), and spearheads a rescue attempt, enlisting the help of Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and protocol droids C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker). With the new Death Star nearing completion, the Rebel Alliance seek to destroy the space station before it becomes fully functional, with Han leading a strike team on the forest moon of Endor to take out the Death Star's shield generator. Meanwhile, Luke also has unfinished business with Lord Darth Vader (David Prowse).

Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz ended his collaboration with George Lucas after The Empire Strikes Back, as he was concerned that Lucas was too blinded by marketing prospects and toys, with his priorities shifting away from story and character. Screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan also clashed with Lucas, as Kasdan wanted to further explore the themes of Empire, but such a dark tone did not suit Lucas' vision. The original script draft for Return of the Jedi was much darker: it was free of Ewoks, it fulfilled Ford's longstanding wish to kill off Han Solo, and Luke would have walked off alone at the end, "like Clint Eastwood in spaghetti westerns" as Kurtz himself puts it. But none of this appealed to Lucas, who was afraid that this chain of events would harm toy sales.

Ultimately, a lot of Return of the Jedi's flaws do stem from its screenplay, which plays things overly safe and panders to merchandising. The fucking Ewoks are still as irritating as ever and the film has its idiotic moments (Boba Fett's demise is embarrassing, Chewie swings on a vine yelling like Tarzan, and so on), while the ending is far too sappy, saccharine and upbeat. The problems with the Ewoks stretch beyond being simply annoying; it's also not believable that these furry Care Bear lookalikes could fight against armed Imperial stormtroopers and come out on top. And who else finds it a little bit disturbing that the Rebel victory is literally all attributable to Han accidentally stepping on a twig? Furthermore, another assault on the Death Star does carry a bit of a "been there, done that" feeling, an issue that Kurtz even brought up with Lucas in pre-production. But while these issues are bothersome, they are thankfully not enough to sink the entire enterprise.

With The Empire Strikes Back having grossed more than A New Hope at the global box office, another budget increase was permitted for Return of the Jedi, and it's easily the most visually impressive of the original trilogy. The film may be marred by its mediocre script, but this Star Wars instalment really delivers in terms of big-screen entertainment, and it's still downright tremendous in 2015. Marquand reportedly received help from Lucas throughout shooting due to his inexperience with special effects, and the two men reportedly clashed numerous times on set, yet the finished product looks astonishingly assured. As with its predecessor, the practical effects are simply sublime, and the 35mm photography affords a tangible aesthetic that's easily superior to the glossy, digital-looking movies that are produced so often in the 21st Century. Puppets are also used to great effect, with Yoda coming across as a believable, flesh-and-blood character, while Jabba's palace is populated with colourful specimens brought to life through excellent make-up and puppetry. And as per usual, John Williams' enrapturing soundtrack is the cherry on top.

Return of the Jedi received a whole heap of egregious changes courtesy of Lucas, culminating with the borderline unwatchable Blu-ray edition. One of the worst offenders is the addition of a hugely irritating song at Jabba's palace which replaces a far grimier musical number in the theatrical cut. The new song is grating, while the digitally-created singers are hard to look at, especially with the shonky '90s CGI that has dated tremendously. It's also far too upbeat, standing in stark contrast to the unnerving disposition of Jabba's dangerous palace. Worse, Lucas fucks up Vader's epiphany by repeating the "Nooo!" sound-byte from Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (seriously, he must be trolling), on top of changing the celebratory music at the end, adding a shot of Naboo (from The Phantom Menace), and even inserting the ghost of Hayden Christensen, which is one of the biggest betrayals in Star Wars history. Other superfluous CGI shit is added, too, including a bewildering digital extension of the door to Jabba's palace. Ultimately, the original unaltered version is the one and only way to watch Return of the Jedi, for my money.

As with the previous Star Wars pictures, some of the proceedings do border on melodramatic soap opera, especially with Han and Leia's romance, lots of talk about Luke's destiny, and some cheesy dialogue. However, it all comes together nicely thanks to the sincerity of the material and the easily sympathetic characters. And speaking of the characters, it's amazing to witness Luke's character growth across the trilogy, and Hamill sells the transformation magnificently. The Luke Skywalker who battles Lord Vader here is not the same gee-whiz farm boy we first saw in A New Hope, and he has also grown more mature since his reckless actions in The Empire Strikes Back. Equally assured is the perpetually-reliable Harrison Ford, once again an ideal, badass hero as Han Solo, while the rest of the actors hit their respective marks with confidence.

Return of the Jedi undeniably roars to life during its final act, when Luke confronts Vader and Palpatine. The drama throughout the conflict is riveting, and the excitement is amplified by the concurrent battles, as Luke fears for the safety of his friends. And ultimately, the resolution is both satisfying and touching. Return of the Jedi is not a bad movie by any stretch, but it is a tad disappointing when placed alongside the other two entries in the original Star Wars trilogy. Despite the occasionally distracting sense of commercialism, this is still a slick, exciting way to close to the sacred trilogy, and the flaws are overcome by the sheer charm and sense of escapism it manages to generate. And compared to the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Return of the Jedi is perfectly fine.