Return of the Jedi, Birth of the Video Games !

Rating: 6/10 (5 May 2010)

The whole first sequence of Jabba's palace was so poor and done in tight limits as a TV sketch; it elucidated the standard of the non-impressive directing in this sequel. The supposed special moments (Yoda's death, Obi-Wan's surprise about Leia's hidden fact, Luke's confession to Leia that she's his sister..) weren't portrayed especially at all. There wasn't much of a drama, romance or relief. And it had a certain sense of boredom all over it. The movie is divided into 2 halves; the first is an adventure one that reminded me of Tarzan's movies in the 1940s, and the second was a pure war of a movie, running semi-randomly and uninterestingly for most of the time (20 years later, The Matrix Revolution would fall in the same mistake). And by the way, hasn't Deathstar been destroyed in the first movie (Star Wars)? Where were the creativity and the imagination for God's sake?!!
The Ewok are proofed to be the most dull and unattractive creatures ever appeared in movies (Did you see their plastic dead eyes?!!). John Williams's music wasn't as memorably impassioned as it always is; in fact, it was silly and weak. This is surely one of the worst movies Harrison Ford had to do; unlike the first 2 movies, he got nothing respectful, or only nothing, to do! Mark Hamill is now a better actor, but sorrowfully with nearly no emotional stuff to perform. Carrie Fisher looked 20 years older, and putting her in skimpy clothes was wrong, JUST WRONG! And why I felt that the face of Sebastian Shaw, as Darth Vader's real one, was so laughable, fitting more a shaved Santa Clause!
Except the Hayden Christensen's appearance as the good Anakin at the last shot, the added CGI was a bad-taste joke, being distracting and made by Lucas for Lucas. For instance, the music act in the Jabba's palace was completely re-cut and altered.. so what?!! Watching things like this made me think that Lucas has an inferiority complex, whereas he got once not enough money to fulfill his dreams, then now he avenges on these days BADLY! I'm afraid that after the "Special Edition" in 1997, then the other new version of "the DVD release" in 2004, one day Lucas would give us the "Special Edition of the DVD release" where we find ourselves seeing Hayden Christenson in older makeup as Darth Vader in the unmasked scene, modified CGI shots for the Ewok's eyes, then a never seen moments having C-3PO going to the bathroom or maybe Jabba singing to Leia!
Despite the fights, the explosions, and the big bucks it made in 1983, (Return of the Jedi) is the least important movie in the old trilogy of (Star Wars). Something is hasty, cheap, and lifeless about it. I believe Lucas was satisfied with having just a large battle and happy end, making an empty spectacle that lacked being human along the way. It's where the movies began relinquishing being movies anymore, and approached being a frank video games. So as a movie, I rank (Blue Thunder), (Uncommon Valor), and (Christine), from the same year, over it. Simply, they got more exciting characters, places, and events.
Finally, for the sake of saying something good, compared to ALL the next trilogy of prequels, (Return of the Jedi) is nice piece of entertainment; at least here the CGI, the chatter, and (Ian McDiarmid) aren't given much on-screen time!