Episode 6 rehashes the same content of the previous two with little energy or intrigue

Rating: 5/10 (17 June 2019)

Return of the Jedi is a fun and pleasant movie, but adds little to the Star Wars universe in the way of novel ideas or character investment (arguably Anakin aside). The movie runs along two storylines: the darker Luke storyline of him becoming a Jedi and confronting his father, and the lighter storyline of Han and Leia continuing to be in love and work with the Ewok. The latter storyline was cute, but utterly uneventful. Nothing new happens with Han or Leia, and the Ewoks are given far too much screentime for their one-dimensionality as just cute and somewhat strong things, so that storyline ended up being rather boring. The Luke one definitely held more tension - the late scenes with him, Vader, and Palpatine were exciting and built well to the climax. Unfortunately, that climax was quite a disappointment, for several reasons. First, unlike the previous one, we get little in the way of Luke's character development and have little reason to be invested in or root for him. Second, Luke's ability to hold his own with Vader and Palpatine was unrealistic - why not pout some physical restrictions on him until he agrees to serve you? But the biggest frustration is what the plot hinges on: Vader's transition to help Luke. Luke doesn't really do or say anything novel, and Vader is a smart guy who has thought about this issue long and hard, and yet Luke being there is enough to just get him to switch? Vader is so deeply established and has been working as a head of the Empire for years, a conviction that should not be so easily shaken. He didn't raise his son but left him at birth, so there's hardly even a huge familial connection. We aren't given anything to latch on to in explaining Vader's monumental shift. Between the lack of interest in the other storylines and the disappointment in the way the climax is resolved, the pleasant effects, acting, and other peripherals present in all three are not enough to save Return of the Jedi from fun but easily forgettable mediocrity.