"There's only one return, you f*****g morons, and it's not 'of the King,' it's 'of the Jedi!'" - Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson), in "Clerks II" (2006)

Rating: 10/10 (19 July 2013)

As far as I'm concerned, I think Randal's right. There's really only one "Return" that I prefer to watch over & over again and that's "Return of the Jedi," directed in 1983 by the late Richard Marquand and is the final film in the original "Star Wars" trilogy. We should all know by now that Kevin Smith is a staunch "Star Wars" loyalist, so I won't fault him there.
I honestly have nothing personal against the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy that was so meticulously constructed by Peter Jackson from J.R.R. Tolkien's landmark fantasy novels; it's just that I'm a life-long "Star Wars" geek and Jackson had it comparatively easier in trying to get those movies made, not to mention a deeply entrenched fan-base supporting his efforts. "Star Wars" creator George Lucas had to start from scratch and fight an uphill battle almost every step of the way to get "Star Wars" (1977) and its sequels to the screen, with little help or backing from the studio and most of all, almost no one believed in his story or vision, creativity or ingenuity.
And only now, more than a quarter of a century later, do people finally "get" the significance of "Star Wars" and what Lucas achieved in 1977.
"Return of the Jedi," for the longest time, was probably my favorite of the original trilogy; astute readers will realize "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) is my favorite "Star Wars" film all around (2005's "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" is the best from the prequel trilogy, in my opinion). At different times, I've considered all the original films a "favorite," but a long while ago I realized the towering achievement and perfection that was "The Empire Strikes Back."
Like everyone else, I'll mostly agree that "Return of the Jedi" is by far the weakest of the original trilogy. But that does not mean it's bad or even remotely disappointing. In fact, it's actually very good and very much a thrilling science fiction adventure film from start to finish. I guess the primary reason "Return" suffers in comparison is because it appears to be somewhat of a step down in terms of what was achieved in "Star Wars" and "The Empire Strikes Back." A lot of people seem to criticize the lighter, more family-friendly root that Lucas's story took in this film, most notably with the inclusion of the cute & cuddly Ewoks of forest-moon Endor (which aren't nearly as bad as some people would make them out to be and they do provide some light comic relief during the otherwise intense battle scenes toward the end) and the cleaner resolution for the overall saga. This was a swift change considering the darker story and direction that George Lucas decided to take with "The Empire Strikes Back."
The film still flies high on its revolutionary special effects - which, 30 years later, still knock most of the CGI-laden spectacles of 2013 Hollywood out of the water - captivating story, entrenched multi-dimensional characters, and brilliant action sequences. "Return of the Jedi" is still a first-degree special effects spectacle.
10/10