A Fitting End to What May Be the Greatest Trilogy of All Time

Rating: 10/10 (19 February 2012)

While "Star Wars" laid the ground work and "The Empire Strikes Back" flipped the formula on its head, the final chapter of the epic Star Wars Trilogy brings everything full circle, at long last tying up the cliffhangers from the end of "Empire" in a perfectly satisfying conclusion to a truly remarkable series. Following an exhilarating rescue on Tattooine, the Rebels find themselves up against a Second Death Star. While the assault ensues, Luke Skywalker must confront his fate at long last, and face off against the evil Darth Vader, as well as the long-awaited appearance of the sadistic, tyrannical Emperor.
As with the previous films, "Return of the Jedi" is a great movie. While it isn't nearly as dark as "Empire," it doesn't have to be. It does its job just fine, wrapping up the trilogy in the most excellent way possible. The sequences in Jabba's palace and the speeder bike chase are some of the most enjoyable in the entire series, again showing how far technology advances from film to film. This is by far the most action-packed entry in the series, a high-energy movie that never leaves you bored.
What makes this movie for me, however, is the climax. The three overarching battles are incredibly engaging, and a complete thrill to watch. The battle on Endor is a very enjoyable action sequence, the dogfight with the Death Star is the best space battle of the series, and the scenes in the Emperor's throne room are simply captivating, completely commanding your attention whenever they are on screen.
"Return of the Jedi," while a bit lighter in terms of its tone, still retains that incredible level of "Star Wars" magic that its predecessors had, wrapping everything up in a simply perfect way. I consider it to be one of my favorite movies, along with the rest. "Return of the Jedi" confirms the Star Wars series as one of the greatest trilogies of all time. A perfect ending to a spellbinding series.