Wow...what a nostalgic journey this has been, eh? Pouring over these 6
Star Wars films has been immense fun, and really taken me back to the old days. The digitized nonsense of the prequel trilogy -
Phantom with its stupid story,
Clones with its atrocious acting, and the relative resplendence of
Sith - was a
huge part of my childhood. (So too was discovering that they're all sub-par.) But the original trilogy? My cinematic compass.
A New Hope taught me the importance of imagination, showing me fantastic creatures and outrageous settings.
The Empire Strikes Back proved that pulpy sci-fi didn't have to appeal to everyone, that it could be dark and introspective. And the final entry in the series,
Return of the Jedi? What did
that teach me?
Let's save that until the end. For now, I'd like to simply give you my impressions, and tell you my personal experience with
Episode VI. Let's dig in...
 |
| Our heroes embark on a final mission... |
My sharpest memories of the original trilogy all revolve around
Jedi. As a 7-year-old, I recall sitting in the theater seeing it for the first time, squirming and squealing at all the right moments (I hated Jabba the Hutt, cried when Yoda faded away in the dark, and cheered when Vader decided to save his dying son). The following weekend, I attended a friend's birthday party, and we all went to see it again. The novelty retained its freshness. I played the Super Nintendo game (
Super RETURN OF THE JEDI) until my fingers were numb and my eyesight blurred. I talked for hours with my neighbor down the street: Why did Jabba want to keep Han so badly? How come the Emperor's face is all screwed up? After the Death Star is destroyed and the galaxy finally set free, what happens next?
Yeah, as maybe you can tell,
Return of the Jedi was my favorite
Star Wars film, my gold standard for years. Why wouldn't it be? It somehow managed to exceed
Hope in terms of action and spectacle, yet still explored character motivations and themes like
Empire. As a kid, I was in awe of this movie. I laughed at Han, cheered for Lando, was nervous for Luke, and fell in love with Leia. It was everything I wanted and more.
 |
| Gotta love the Emperor. Gotta. |
But as the years zipped by, I grew tired of it. In my high school days, when it seemed like every blockbuster was suddenly serious and somber (from
Batman Begins to
Casino Royale), I became less interested in
Jedi. Jabba and his desert palace seemed so silly; the Ewoks and their cuddly last stand so stupid. Even the great Han Solo, with his unending quips and cartoonish faces, annoyed me. Why wasn't this film as brooding as its predecessor? Although I always loved the scenes on the Death Star, in which Luke squares off against ultimate evil, I grew to hate the rest. Even in college, when a resurgence of
Star Wars love settled into my bones, I never again warmed to
Jedi. It was the flagship of my childhood, the royal sail barge of my former obsession, and could never again be anything else. It was the
Back to the Future Part III, even the
Godfather Part III of the original trilogy. I tolerated it. That was all.
And then a funny thing happened. Somehow the smoke cleared, and I was able to rewatch
Return of the Jedi with an ounce of objectivity. And you know what? It's terrific. Really, truly terrific. As a twenty-six year-old adult, I have somehow come full circle. While it's not my favorite entry in the series (that honor still rests comfortably with
A New Hope), I can nonetheless say that
Jedi is far from disappointing. It is excellent.
On the surface of everything, it has incredible special effects, production design, and sound. Even with all its craziness, you buy into Jabba's palace because of its detail and authenticity: the way dust settles across the ground, how the various aliens move and bustle and breathe. The scream and squelch of lightsaber combat has never been more dramatic - the blades cackle, sizzle, slide. And the space battle? Great. While it lacks intimacy, it excels at pure pop fun.
 |
| Hands down, my favorite duel in the entire saga. |
Beneath all that, the film has its best quality: the final curve of each character's story arc. Han is now a loving, albeit rough-around-the-edges general of the rebel alliance. Leia is the definition of confidence, free from sardonic quips, finally ready for love. Luke becomes a Jedi, overcoming his fear and anger and doubt, to become a guardian of peace and justice that Ben Kenobi once spoke of. And Vader? He ceases to exist, instead becoming what Luke hoped for all along - a good man, one who sees through the cloudy dark side and crawls back to the light. Luke doesn't just herald the return of the Jedi, but Anakin returns to
being a Jedi. For these reasons alone, the argument can be made that this is the best episode overall. The characters no longer seem like characters at all. They're real.
Jedi taught me this: when it comes to storytelling, characters should always come first.
And what about those Ewoks? They seem to be everyone's major complaint. It's George Lucas giving in to his greed, right? Thrusting those adorable little teddy bears center stage so he can sell toys and market to the kiddies? Well, I don't see things that cynically. For me, Ewoks represent the ultimate rebellion against the Empire - a seemingly harmless, oafish band of ragtag warriors who stand together and fight. They throw rocks, roll logs, and hurl spears at the technologically superior stormtroopers, and somehow do enough damage for the trained rebels to get things done. From an autobiographical standpoint, I can't help but think they're symbolic of George Lucas's artistic struggle against big studios. He wanted freedom from oppressive cinematic standards, and armed with only a slingshot and unending bravery, persevered against an empire of big money. I like that.
Return of the Jedi is yet another terrific
Star Wars film. Its grand operatic razzle-dazzle pairs perfectly with climactic characterization. At times campy, at times silly, it nonetheless ends the trilogy on a very,
very high note. While this movie perfectly completes the series, rounding out our characters and tying up every loose end, it still leaves us aching for more. I simply can't wait.
Final Grade: B+
No comments:
Post a Comment