‎Return of the Jedi (1983) directed by Richard Marquand • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd

Return of the Jedi

1983 Directed by Richard Marquand

The Empire Falls...

As Rebel leaders map their strategy for an all-out attack on the Emperor's newer, bigger Death Star. Han Solo remains frozen in the cavernous desert fortress of Jabba the Hutt, the most loathsome outlaw in the universe, who is also keeping Princess Leia as a slave girl. Now a master of the Force, Luke Skywalker rescues his friends, but he cannot become a true Jedi Knight until he wages his own crucial battle against Darth Vader, who has sworn to win Luke over to the dark side of the Force.

Mark Hamill Harrison Ford Carrie Fisher Billy Dee Williams Anthony Daniels David Prowse Kenny Baker Peter Mayhew Frank Oz Ian McDiarmid James Earl Jones Sebastian Shaw Alec Guinness Warwick Davis Caroline Blakiston Michael Pennington Kenneth Colley Michael Carter Denis Lawson Tim Rose Dermot Crowley Jeremy Bulloch Femi Taylor Annie Arbogast Claire Davenport Jack Purvis Mike Edmonds Jane Busby Malcolm Dixon Show All…

135 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Matt Singer ★★★ 6

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

At the end of the Special Special Edition, when Hayden Christensen’s ghost shows up with Yoda and Alec Guinness, there’s a shot where Ghost Hayden looks right into the camera and basically gives the viewer his hardest come hither stare.

A ghost. Eye-fucking the audience. I’m not even kidding.

And then Star Wars ended for 15 years.
Review by Todd Gaines ★★★½ 55

Luke has severe daddy issues. Han is frozen with nowhere to go. Leia is more mature. Chewie is still the motherfucker. Yoda is old as fuck. Lando is as smooth as a 6-pack of Colt 45. The droids are still droiding along. Vader still breathes heavy. All of these characters play a pivotal role in the final chapter of the only Star Wars trilogy that matters unless JJ & Disney don't fuck shit up and Episode 7 is the motherfucker. SPACESHIP! Shrek's uncle. R2's stubbornness. Fuck you 1998 Godzilla! Jabba the Hutt is the real king beast. 3PO's linguistic skills. Groovy jazzy funky house band. Boba's lighting-quick reflexes. Defrost Han. Concubine Leia. Wookie hug. Gladiator games. Plank walk. Green lightsabers are…
Review by SilentDawn ★★★★★ 22

Viewed Despecialized Edition

Fuck it, this deserves five stars. While The Empire Strikes Back was the equivalent of an open wound, Return of the Jedi is reminiscent of an eulogy or a half-remembered memory. Our beloved characters settle their problems and everything comes together, culminating in an operatic and masterful conclusion to the STAR WARS trilogy.

The opening sequence at Jabba's palace is STAR WARS in miniature, utilizing real sets, striking puppets, grimy atmosphere, crazy creatures, and epic action into an opening half-hour that is absolutely riveting. The iconic moments are endless, with every scene on Endor being on another scale of awesomeness, particularly with the Speeder-Bike chase. And yet, the film never loses the emotional connection between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. It's simply a beautiful ode to the enduring bonds of father/son relationships, and by the end, I'm always in a state of bittersweet weeping.

"Luke.... help me take this mask off"

Must. Stop. Crying.
Review by DirkH ★★★★★ 11

Part of Dastardly Difficult December: film nr.50

This review is for the super duper latest special edition Blu-ray thing

Dear Mr. Lucas,

Stop treating your Star Wars franchise like it's a scab that needs to be picked at.

You are painting a moustache on the Mona Lisa.

Stop it.

Please.

Yours sincerely,

Me.
Review by brat pitt ★★★★½

the moment when leia strangles jabba is literally the birth of feminism
Review by Naughty aka Juli Norwood ★★★★ 22

I feel like I'm about to discover what Frankenstein's monster felt like once the villagers lit their torches and gave chase! I absolutely, positively hated and vehemently despised the Ewoks! There I said it! And I'm not the only one who feels this way! Season 5 Episode 13 of LOST Hurley reveals his own displeasure with the Ewok's when he says "Let's face it, the the Ewoks suck dude!" And I my fellow dudes and dudettes heartily concur!

What in the Sam Hell were they thinking! To think of the tremendous expense that went to providing spectacular special effects that would send the jaws of audience members to the floor and then they have the audacity to cut corners and…

Recent reviews

Review by samlove22 ★★★★

Generally Star Wars is great. Getting to know this galaxy and characters for three movies makes you truly care for some of these characters. The Original Trilogy is more than several space movies. It’s an underdog trilogy, good and evil and family. Through these three movies it was paced to perfection. Not knowing Darth Vader is Luke’s father until the end of Empire is perfect. It all makes sense like what makes this kid from a desert planet special?Why does Ben want him? Why must he face Vader? And it’s such a internal conflict with Luke that no one else can understand. Vader has to shut off all emotional feeling for Luke for the better of the Empire. No one…
Review by Bryson Speer ★★★★

Jootoo jootoo solo
Review by greysizemore ★★★★½

I go back and forth between this and Empire. Which one is better? Although I believe there are individual moments in Jedi that outshine those in Empire, ultimately top to bottom, I believe Empire to be a more solid film. I wish that the sequences on Endor (Ewoks) were handled better. With the being said, still one of my top 3 films in the franchise.
Review by Jeremy Reviews Entertainment ★★★★

After the opening 35 minutes of Return of the Jedi, which are absolutely riveting, the film is laboriously paced, and it stalls in certain scenes, but as a whole, I still kind of love this movie as both the biggest Star Wars fan I know and a film fan. It has its problems for sure, but it's such a great ending to the trilogy, and it's a very satisfying one at that.
GRADE: B+
Review by Kevin Reynolds ★★★½

I always forget how this film grinds to a complete halt in the middle act. In retrospect, this isn’t too far away from George’s vision for the prequels.
Review by ani ★★★★½ 1

tag yourself i'm max rebo
Review by Ernesto Luna ★★★★

Not as good as the first two, but concludes the end of the original trilogy. Another classic.
Review by Hellfish ★★★★

After rewatch this movie is solid but has a few issues. Ewoks wernt that annoying this time around, im not sure what changed. The lightsaber battle is badass but its so damn short compared to Empire.
Review by Dirty Mike ★★★★★

Once the ewoks are introduced the pacing went out the fucking window. That's my one negative.

I laughed when Hayden Christensen appeared as a force ghost next to Yoda and Old Obi Wan