"I am a Jedi..., like my father before me."

Rating: 9/10 (10 June 2007)

I recall the controversy some time prior to the original theatrical release regarding the title. "Revenge of the Jedi" was scrapped because it was deemed too harsh for mainstream movie audiences and didn't fit in with the noble character of the Jedi Knights. I couldn't quite understand that argument considering all the country had gone through after Watergate and Vietnam, and since movies and other forms of entertainment were getting more and more outrageous. Still, "Return Of The Jedi" works pretty well to convey the essence of the story, as Luke Skywalker stays true to his promise to avoid falling to the peril of the Dark Side of the Force.
As I watched the film today, I wondered about the chronology and aging of the principal characters against the progress of the story, so I managed to dig up a Star Wars time line as published in one of the Dark Horse Comics from 2000. Even though "The Empire Strikes Back" occurs three years following "A New Hope", 'Return' occurs only one year later. It appeared that Mark Hamill aged considerably more than his co-stars in the intervening years between the first and third movie, a period of six years. Maybe it's just me, but since it was noticeable, I thought I'd mention it.
Though I found 'Return' as compelling and entertaining as the rest of the series, a couple of things did bother me back in the day, and those thoughts still linger. After the destruction of the original Death Star in the first film, I thought it was a little lazy to return to the same concept with an attack strategy that was fairly similar the first time around. The Ewok population on Endor may have distracted from that scenario, but the resolution was basically the same.
The other thing, given the huge popularity he achieved after brief appearances in the films, it was somewhat disappointing to see how easily Boba Fett was taken out during the battle at the Sarlacc Pit, given his vaunted reputation as a fearsome galaxy bounty hunter. With the back story created for Boba Fett in "Attack Of The Clones", I wonder if Lucas would have offed him so unceremoniously if Episodes IV, V, and VI were made chronologically following I, II, and III. Something to think about, considering how much more was written about Boba Fett in comics and books after his death in 'Return'.
Say, did anyone else notice that Lucas cleverly reversed the "I love you"/"I know" responses between Han and Leia as he prepares to join the battle on Endor? I only managed to catch that because I watched the films back to back over a couple of days. Not that I'm a huge Star Wars fan, but that's something that stood out.
With the original trilogy completed in 1983, it would be a long wait until "The Phantom Menace" appeared to begin the story of Anakin Skywalker some sixteen years later. Yet it only seems like yesterday that all the episodes burst on the scene to create the greatest sci-fi adventure ever. The Force will be around for generations to come to thrill and entertain as they did from the very start.