Best of the Star Wars Trilogy

Rating: 9/10 (9 September 1999)

If you think Star Wars is one of the greatest movies ever made, read no further. If you enjoy well made films of the sci-fi genre as well as other genres, read on.
One of the things I look for in a film is progression. Why are the characters moving from one place to another? How are the characters developing throughout the film.
Star Wars and The Empire Strike Back FAIL on both counts. Yes, they have great special effects but to a person looking beyond the visuals; for plot, character and dialog they are both MAJOR disappointments. Return Of The Jedi succeeds FULLY in plot development and PARTIALLY in terms of character development.
The hero, and by far the most likable character, of this series winds up being Hans Solo. Luke Skywalker is rendered as an ineffectual emotionless cardboard character who accomplishes virtually nothing in both The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi. Star Wars fans hate hearing that Luke Skywalker is useless in this film; they defend him by offering his redemption of his father. Ooh, how original! How many PIRATE films have used this plot device countless times? Darth Vader is a COMPLETE wuss as he is TOTALLY subservient to The Emperor.
Most people argue that the opening sequence is a waste of time and has nothing to do with the main story. Well perhaps, but then the film would have been 20 minutes shorter and everyone would have complained about THAT. I propose that Star Wars has at least 30 minutes of boring footage (Sand dunes, sand dunes, sand dunes. YAWN!) and The Empire Strikes Back should have advertised as "Sci-Fi Fans ONLY Need View".
The Ewoks are fine. Remember, George Lucas had lots of cash to spend and you see it on the screen.