Return of the Jedi (1983) (Stephenverse)

Return of the Jedi (also known as Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi) is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas from a story by Lucas, who was also the executive producer. It is the third and final installment of the original Star Wars trilogy, the third film to be produced, and the sixth film in the "Skywalker saga". It takes place one year after The Empire Strikes Back. The film stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, and Frank Oz. 
In the film, the heroes were on a mission to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, the Galactic Empire, under the direction of the Emperor, is constructing a second Death Star in order to crush the Rebel Alliance once and for all, while the Rebels were on a dispatch to Endor to destroy the second Death Star. Meanwhile, Luke struggles to help Darth Vader back from the dark side without falling into the Emperor's trap. Meanwhile, Luke struggles to help Darth Vader back from the dark side without falling into the Emperor's trap.
The film premiered on December 19, 1983, in Los Angles and it was released in theaters worldwide on December 23, 1983, receiving critical acclaim from critics and moviegoers. It grossed $995.4 billion during its initial theatrical run, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1983. It is now hailed by many as the third greatest film in the Star Wars saga and one of the greatest films ever made. In 2021, the film was selected for preservation in the United States' National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
==Plot==
A year after Han Solo's capture, C-3PO and R2-D2 are sent to crime lord Jabba the Hutt's palace on Tatooine in a trade bargain made by Luke Skywalker to rescue Han. Disguised as the bounty hunter Boushh, Princess Leia infiltrates the palace under the pretense of collecting the bounty on Chewbacca and unfreezes Han but is caught and enslaved. Luke soon arrives to bargain for his friends' release, but Jabba drops him through a trapdoor to be eaten by rancor. After Luke kills it, Jabba sentences him, Han, and Chewbacca to death by being fed to the Sarlacc, a deadly beast entombed in the desert floor. Having hidden his new lightsaber inside R2-D2, Luke frees himself and his friends, and they battle Jabba's men. During the chaos, Boba Fett falls into the Sarlacc after Han inadvertently damages his jetpack, and Leia strangles Jabba to death with her chains. The group destroy Jabba's sail barge and escape. As the others rendezvous with the Rebel Alliance, Luke returns to Dagobah to complete his Jedi training with Yoda, whom he discovers is dying. Yoda confirms that Darth Vader, once the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, is Luke's father, and reveals that there is another Skywalker, before vanishing and becoming one with the Force. Obi-Wan Kenobi's Force ghost then tells Luke that Leia is his twin sister and that he must face Vader again to finish his training and defeat the Empire.
The Alliance learns that the Empire has been constructing a second Death Star under the supervision of the Emperor. As the station is protected by an energy shield, Han leads a strike team which includes Luke, Leia, and Chewbacca to destroy the shield generator on the forest moon of Endor; doing so will allow the Rebel Fleet to destroy the Death Star. The team uses a stolen Imperial shuttle to arrive undetected, and encounters a tribe of Ewoks, gaining their trust after an initial conflict. Later, Luke tells Leia that she is his sister, Vader is their father, and that he must confront him. Surrendering to Imperial troops, he is brought before Vader and fails to convince him to reject the dark side of the Force. Vader takes Luke to meet the Emperor, who intends to turn him to the dark side and reveals that his friends and the Rebel Fleet are headed into a trap. On Endor, Han's team is captured by Imperial forces, but a counterattack by the Ewoks allows the Rebels to infiltrate the shield generator. Meanwhile, Lando Calrissian in the Millennium Falcon and Admiral Ackbar lead the rebel assault on the second Death Star, finding its shield still active, and the Imperial fleet waiting for them.
The Emperor reveals to Luke that the Death Star is fully operational and orders the firing of its super laser, destroying a Rebel starship. He tempts Luke to give in to his anger. Luke attempts to attack him, but Vader intervenes and the two engage in a lightsaber duel. Vader senses that Luke has a sister and threatens to turn her to the dark side if he does not. Enraged, Luke defeats Vader, severing his prosthetic hand. The Emperor entreats Luke to kill Vader and take his place, but Luke refuses, declaring himself a Jedi like his father before him. Furious, the Emperor tortures Luke with Force lightning. Unwilling to let his son die, Vader, betrays the Emperor and throws him down a reactor shaft to his death, but is mortally electrocuted in the process. At his last request, Luke removes Vader's mask, and the redeemed Anakin Skywalker dies. After the strike team destroys the shield generator, Lando leads Rebel fighters into the Death Star's core. While the Rebel fleet destroys the Imperial capital ship, the Executor, Lando and X-wing fighter pilot Wedge Antilles destroy the Death Star's main reactor and escape before the station explodes. Luke escapes in a shuttle with his father's body. On Endor, Leia reveals to Han that Luke is her brother. Luke cremates his father's body on a pyre and reunites with his friends. As the Rebels and the galaxy celebrate the Empire's defeat, Luke sees the spirits of Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Anakin watching over him.
==Reception==
The film received positive to critical acclaim from both critics and fans of the Star Wars series, It has a 82% critical rating and a 96% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 8.12/10, based on 96 reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 58/100 based on 24 reviews from mainstream critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". 
In 1983, film critic Roger Ebert gave the film four stars out of four, calling it "a complete entertainment, a feast for the eyes and a delight for the fancy. It's a little amazing how Lucas and his associates keep topping themselves." Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune also gave the film four stars out of four and wrote, "From the moment that the familiar Star Wars introductory words begin to crawl up the screen, Return of the Jedi is a childlike delight. It's the best video game around. And for professional moviegoers, it is particularly enjoyable to watch every facet of filmmaking at its best.
==Difference compared to real-life release==
*All of the deleted scenes in the theatrical cut, except the sandstorm scene
**Though It has fan-made scenes throughout the movie.
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* The ending scene with "Yub-Nub" song wasn't used, instead it was used the "Victory Celebration" song, and with scenes around the galaxy were celebrating the defeat of the Empire in the theatrical cut.
==Comments==
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Category:Films
Category:Films in Stephenverse
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