Not Nearly As Good as the First Two, and a Slightly Disappointing Conclusion...

Rating: 7/10 (9 September 2008)

Star Wars - Episode VI - Return of the Jedi is not nearly as good as the first two, and is a slightly disappointing conclusion to a series that was doing so well. The acting is slightly better this time around, but the story is the major factor in its downfall.
As aforementioned, the acting is much better than A New Hope, but only under-par to The Empire Strikes Back. The moments between Luke and Leia are nicely done, and Harrison Ford steals the show whenever he reappears.
The music by John Williams is also sub-par compared to the first two. Not nearly as emotional as The Empire Strikes Back, nor new in themes, the score for The Return of the Jedi is a real miss.
As always, the special effects are grand, though lackluster from the re-releases. Jabba is cool, and the various set designs are as well. The speeder-bike chase through the jungle is probably one of the best scenes in the franchise.
The screenplay is the ultimate part in this film's disappointment. The character development, while fully realized, is very dull upon completion. To fans, Darth Vader's appearance under the mask will be a disappointment (it wasn't to me). The inclusion of Ewoks, while a nice idea, comes off as a foreshadowing factor for what will become The Phantom Menace. The action is poorly done, making the pace of the film suffer greatly.
Overall, while an immense series, the final conclusion of the Star Wars saga is a minor letdown due to a lack in an exciting story. Some of the revelations are disappointing, and the action is less than engaging. The characters are in dull scenes, though fully developed as characters. I recommend it only to finish up the trilogy/saga, because it is still a well done film, it's just not going to meet expectations.