The Star Wars temporarily comes to an end with the ultimate showdown between the Alliance and the Empire.
After being cryogenically frozen, Han Solo is taken to the desert planet of Tatooine as the prisoner of his arch-nemesis, Jabba the Hutt. Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca, and the Droids C-3PO and R2-D2 have set in plan a motion to rescue him. However, despite things not going as planned, Luke and the team do eventually make their escape with Han. However, Luke has other things on his mind, especially learning that Darth Vader is in fact, his father.
Upon returning to Dagomah, Luke learns Yoda is dying. However, on his deathbed, Luke receives the official confirmation that Darth Vader is in fact Anakin Skywalker. Luke also learns that he has a twin sister and he soon learns it is Princess Leia herself. Meanwhile, Leia and Han receive help from the Ewok clan on Endor when they learn that the Emperor has is in the midst of creating another Death Star. Soon, the ultimate showdown between the Alliance and the Empire is going to be set in motion.
The moment everyone had been waiting for many years ago has arrived as the Star Wars saga was thought to have come to an end. This sixth episode is given input by series creator George Lucas as he co-wrote the screenplay with Empire Strikes Back co-writer Lawrence Kasdan. Here, we see the Jedi knight Luke Skywalker fully mature as he comes to face to face with the evil Darth Vader once and for all but not for what one would expect.
Mark Hamill brings Luke Skywalker as a near-fully trained Jedi knight, decked out in a black suit while many will probably remember this film as “the one where Princess Leia wears a bikini”. This is in the first act during the rescue of Han Solo. Once again, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford show that romantic spark as the couple, but Han may see the romance threatened by Luke but of course, it is not what it seems. Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian brings a bit of the humor Ford brings as Han Solo while the comic relief again goes to the Droids, reprised by Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker. Warwick Davis, the future star of the Leprechaun horror film series, makes his film debut as the lovable Wicket the Ewok.
The film, like its predecessors, have exciting action sequences. From the rescue mission to the chase scene on Endor, it all leads up to the final conflict between the Alliance and the Empire, or more specifically Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader with the former attempting to help the latter return to the Force and abandon the Dark Side, all in the name of family. Once again, the Japanese samurai influence comes in the lightsaber duel pitting them, but it is the twist that brings this saga full circle.
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a fitting end to one of the greatest sci-fi sagas in history…until the saga is once again restarted just a few weeks ago with the release of The Force Awakens.
WFG RATING: A+
20th Century Fox presents a LucasFilm Ltd. production. Director: Richard Marquand. Producer: Howard Kazanjian. Writers: George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. Cinematography: Paul Hume. Editing: Sean Barton, Duwayne Dunham, and Marcia Lucas.
Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Alec Guinness, David Prowse, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Frank Oz, Ian McDiarmid, Warwick Davis.
WorldFilmGeek 