Not Great, But Still an Exciting Adventure in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Rating: 8/10 (10 October 2019)

"Return of the Jedi" is widely considered the weakest of the Original "Star Wars" Trilogy, and I agree. "Jedi" lacks the breakneck pace and narrative focus of the first two, and its famous climax is essentially a less interesting remake of the Death Star sequence from "A New Hope." But despite its flaws, "Return of the JedI" is still a fun space opera with some of the best moments in the entire "Star Wars" saga.
What I love most about "Jedi" is the character development: Luke finally accomplishes his goal of avenging his father and becoming a Jedi knight, while Vader's redemptive self-sacrifice is one of the most satisfying conclusions to a villain's story in movie history. The lightsaber duel between Luke and Vader is my favorite in all the "Star Wars" films by far. Ian McDiarmid's performance as Emperor Palpatine is a major highlight of the franchise, and one of the most memorable pieces of acting in any science-fiction movie.
The action sequences are spectacular and the special effects are so good you don't even notice that they're just special effects. But I will criticize the Ewok costumes, which are obviously fake and seem out of place in an otherwise sophisticated movie. While the beginning and end of "Jedi" are terrific, the movie suffers from a slow and tonally uneven second act. I also don't like that the filmmakers decided to bring back the Death Star - the final battle makes for a great action sequence, but couldn't they have done something more original? Regardless, while it's not as good as the first two "Return of the Jedi" is an entertaining and moving conclusion to the original trilogy. 8/10.