This One Needs To Be Watched Last...Period

Rating: 9/10 (11 March 2017)

Among the Star Wars community, the endless argument persists regarding the proper viewing order of all six films. After watching this installment just recently, however, it become very clear to me that "Return of the Jedi" needs to be in that sixth slot due to the fact that it provides such a proper ending to the saga.
For a basic plot summary, "Jedi" focuses on two primary plots: the final "all in" battle between the Rebels and the Empire, and the epic confrontation between father (Darth Vader) and son (Luke Skywalker).
To be sure, there are some things that this movie struggles at: the Ewok characters are an odd choice, the Rebel battle is utterly predictable, and none of the auxiliary characters get much development. However, the Vader/Luke/Emperor scenes are so emotionally gripping and intense that they more than make up for any lag elsewhere. I consider those scenes to be the best of the entire saga (and that includes the incredible ending of "Revenge of the Sith"). You will be cheering, crying, thinking, and remembering all in the span of minutes.
Thus, I firmly believe that "Return of the Jedi" is the film that definitively ends the epic saga. Everything comes together in an emotionally gripping finale that closes out perhaps the most incredible film series ever created. George Lucas makes a few questionable moves here and there, but what he does right far outdoes anything else.