The Best of the Series

Rating: 10/10 (10 January 2016)

As tends to be the case with a lot of movies for me, I disagree about the majority opinion of "Return of the Jedi". This movie tends to be looked down on as the worst of the original trilogy of Star Wars films. I find it to be just the opposite. This is my favorite movie of the franchise. IMDb ranks "The Empire Strikes Back" above "A New Hope", with "Jedi" coming in a distant third. I'd go in reverse order, arguing "Jedi" and "Hope" are better than "Empire", which to me just feels like an interlude between the two main films in the series.
That little bit of polemics aside, what I love about this film is that unlike "A New Hope", "Jedi" has a lot going on--the story is comparatively complex and fast paced. To me it stands out as the funnest of the three films, and also the best storyline.
But the real thing to love about this movie is the climax--Luke's confrontation with both Darth Vader and the Emperor. That showdown brings the entire six movies into harmony--and dare I say, the Force finally finds the balance that the prophecy foretold of (just through Luke rather than through Anakin--although perhaps Anakin did bring the balance...you could have quite the nerdy discussion about that).
I also like the spaceship battle scene in this movie. It's arguably the best of the original trilogy. And the Ewoks! I know they get criticized, but I think they're cool.
All that said, my scores for the first five Star Wars movies (having watched them all now, in preparation for "The Force Awakens) are: 7, 8, 9, 10, and 7. And, finally, for "Episode VI: Return of the Jedi", I give a perfect 10. It and "A New Hope" are the best. I like them all (although, honestly, seeing those scores, I think I'd even put "Phantom Menace" above "Empire"), but "Return of the Jedi" takes the cake. Bravo, Mr. Lucas. Bravo.