Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi poster & wallpaper
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Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels ... see more see more... , Peter Mayhew , Ian McDiarmid , David Prowse , James Earl Jones , Alec Guinness , Frank Oz , Sebastian Shaw , Kenny Baker , Michael Pennington , Kenneth Colley , Michael Carter , Denis Lawson , Tim Rose , Dermot Crowley , David Barclay , Adam Bareham , Caroline Blakiston , Jeremy Bulloch , Debbie Lee Carrington , Tony Cox , Claire Davenport , Warwick Davis , Malcolm Dixon , Phil Fondacaro , Peter Mandell , Pip Miller , Toby Philpott , Jack Purvis , Kiran Shah , Felix Silla , Femi Taylor , Alan Bennett , Michael Edmonds , Ray Armstrong , Danny Blackner , Peter Burroughs , Margarita Fernandez , Paul Grant , Lars Green , Andrew Herd , Katie Purvis , Nicholas Read , Linda Spriggs , Bill Lytle , Dave Emann , Mary Selway , Annie Arbogast , Mike Cottrell , Dan Frishman , John Pedrick , Daniel Rodgers , Trevor Jones , Tom Mannion , Richard Jones , Kevin Thompson , Michael Gilden , J.J. Jackson , Sadie Corre , Carrier Fisher , Mark Hamil

In the final episode of the Star Wars saga, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) emerges intact from the carbonite casing in which he'd been sealed in The Empire Strikes Back. The bad news is that Solo, together ... read more read more...with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), is prisoner to the grotesque Jabba the Hutt. But with the help of the charismatic Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), our heroes and our heroine manage to escape. The next task is to rid the galaxy of Darth Vader (body by David Prowse, voice by James Earl Jones) and the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid), now in command of a new, under-construction Death Star. On the forest moon Endor, the good guys enlist the help of a feisty bunch of bear-like creatures called the Ewoks in their battle against the Empire. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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908,515 ratings

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67 critics

PG, 2 hr. 13 min.

Directed by: Richard Marquand

Release Date: May 25, 1983

Keywords: action, sci-fi, starwars, final, old, media

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DVD Release Date: September 12, 2006

Stats: 45,596 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (45,596)

  • fb733768972
    April 28, 2013
    fb733768972
    Fresh off two fantastic films, comes "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi," an overlong, yet satisfying finish to a great trilogy. It drags out the story a little too much, before reaching the climax that is worth waiting for, but having a film that is longer than the first ... read moretwo, while not as good, is kind of a let down in some aspects. With some dumb humor and odd new characters, the third installment in the original "Star Wars" trilogy is good for the fans, but it will not gain any new viewers. I found myself resting my head through this film, waiting for the excitement to happen, and when it does, it really does, but that's all. Well directed, well acted, and well written, it's memorable for many reasons, but is the least enjoyable in this trilogy.
  • YodaMasterJedi
    February 19, 2013
    YodaMasterJedi
    four and a half stars!!
  • jlewis07
    December 31, 2012
    jlewis07
    A surprisingly inferior motion picture compared to the previous two, but still a worthwhile ending despite not quite living up to expectations. The movie is definitely lighter in tone and content than its predecessors. The ewoks are clearly aimed at kids and really just don't fit... read more in with the more mature aspects of the main story. It's subplots are just subpar and kind of boring. I just wanted them to get on with it. The special effects are still pretty good and better than the previous two, while the acting is about the same: not spectacular, but it does the job. Come for the satisfying ending to the main story, suffer through the weak elements of the film that did not exist in the previous two.
  • mumby1988
    November 8, 2012
    mumby1988
    Like many of its fellow threequels, Return of the Jedi is commonly regarded as the runt of the litter. It's received the harshest treatment of any Star Wars film before the prequels, with Kevin Smith's character in Clerks going so far as to brand it "Muppets in space". But while ... read moreyou'd have good cause for feeling disappointed by Spider-Man 3, Superman III or Evil Dead 3, Return of the Jedi is a relatively strong third instalment, being as good if not marginally better than A New Hope.

    It's widely documented that George Lucas had greater influence over the story of Jedi than he had with The Empire Strikes Back - an influence which many blame for its perceived inferiority. It's certainly easy to view the film in hindsight, seeing the Ewoks as the harbinger of Jar Jar Binks and Lucas as a man increasingly concerned with merchandising rather than filmmaking. But if Lucas was so keen to regain control, and so cynical in his intentions, why not just direct the film himself? The success of Star Wars gave no-one cause to stop him, just as it was with the prequels.

    Instead, Lucas turned to Richard Marquand, who had recently garnered acclaim for Eye of the Needle. Marquand only came into contention after both David Cronenberg and David Lynch turned Lucas down; in an interview with the Hudson Union Society, Lynch recalled that the longer he spent in Lucas' company, the worse his headache got. Lucas and Marquand had a love-hate relationship, with Marquand describing the experience as "like trying to direct King Lear, with Shakespeare in the next room".

    Because of Lucas' stronger presence behind the camera, Return of the Jedi is much closer to the spirit of A New Hope. It is much more of a broad pantomime, making less effort to question or blur the boundaries between good and evil. And there is a greater emphasis on spectacle, with the first film's many meetings being replaced by the tying-up of loose ends. But Marquand's compositions and camerawork are better Lucas' work on Star Wars, particularly in the panning shots on Endor and the scenes in the throne room. With this is mind you could say that Jedi suffers from the same problems as the first film, but is more refined and amenable in certain ways.

    The film's opening act is really strong, complimenting the uncertain ending of Empire. Our protagonists are slowly revealed as all being in some kind of peril, Han and Leia's love is renewed only for them to be separated, and the story arc begins to come full circle with Luke returning to Tatooine. The musical number may feel like we have wandered into the Jim Henson workshop, but that's a hardly a bad thing. The scenes with the band are pleasantly diverting and the sheer number of different species on screen gives the impression of an expansive universe.

    Not only is the opening narratively strong, but the set-piece at the Sarlac pit is well-orchestrated. For once Luke gets the chance to shine, showing the development of his character: the young naïve upstart, once hasty and foolish, has now become a bona fide hero. This section is well-paced to allow for humour and catharsis at the characters' escape and Jabba the Hutt's death. Some have complained about Boba Fett's demise being poorly handled, but it kind of makes sense for a character so murky and mysterious to be dispatched with such ironic flippancy.

    After this opening act, however, Return of the Jedi begins to settle down into the familiar patterns of the Star Wars saga. From this point on, it's less a case of bringing something new to the table, and more about replicating the feel of the first film, albeit with better direction and improved effects. As a result, it's much easier to spot the swathes of exposition, and the film's tendency to flip between set-pieces and characters standing around talking. Alec Guinness does the best he can with his scene, but it's still essentially an exposition dump. The same goes for the speech before the battle, parodied to great effect in To Boldly Flee.

    Not only is the exposition easier to spot, but the plot contrivances stand out a lot more. How is it that Leia can pilot a speeder when she hasn't done any flying in the previous films? How could the command team all find each other so quickly, having got separated in a forest that covers the whole planet? We can accept the idea of the Ewoks defeating the Empire, on the grounds that they fit with Lucas' running theme of the underdogs or 'little guys' winning the day. But why would the Eworks, who have never seen people before, have a dress that fits Leia perfectly? And if they could just sew something together, why is it far more detailed than their own clothes?

    In my Flash Gordon review, I discussed the resemblances that Jedi bears to Mike Hodges' film. To some extent this is a coincidence, since Star Wars was greatly inspired by the original comics, but it's worth reiterating just how close the resemblances are. Both films have heroes in forest communities, both feature a beak-shaped monster with tentacles (in the Special Edition), and both boast imperial guards dressed in red with gas mask-style helmets. Flash Gordon was not a financial success in the USA, but considering its huge cult following and the popularity of Queen, it's fair to presume that Lucas saw the film, and was inspired by it to a generous extent.

    In a way, the close resemblance to Flash Gordon also illuminates the central problem with the film. Flash Gordon got away with being so silly because it embraced its source material and was self-contained. But Jedi has the problem of needing to follow up and expand on the darkness of Empire, while also giving the audience plenty of good action and a happy ending. In the end it partially manages both, but also feels distracted and uncertain.

    The core of the film - the darkest, most interesting part - is the conflict between Luke and Darth Vader before the Emperor. Not only do we get what is arguably the best lightsaber fight in the series, but these scenes rest on an interesting moral dilemma that picks up where Empire left off. Luke knows that in confronting Vader he risks giving in to anger and surrendering to the Emperor - but if he does nothing, he and all his friends will die. He is torn between repressing his feelings or using them to fight, in full knowledge that either choice could lead to his death. The fight keeps stopping and start to reflect his indecision, and the cutting between the robotic hands of father and son is a good symbol of what Luke threatens to become.

    On its own, this scene or series of scenes is really well-played, well-acted and has a great deal of emotional tension. But this tension is undermined when Lucas surrounds it with two bigger, sillier conflicts, both fun to watch in their own way but on too big a scale to enhance the claustrophobia of Luke's conflict. It becomes a case of Marquand cutting every time a particular battle has run out of steam or reached a passingly dramatic line. Even if there was no other way to tie up the story, this third act could have been edited a little more sharply.

    The performances in Jedi are all pretty likeable. Harrison Ford is particularly good, showing just how far Han Solo has come. The wide eyes he gives when Leia reveals Luke is her brother sum up the character, being both a cocksure signal of "she's mine!" and a genuine sign of his heart. Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher are both entertaining, with the former making a believable hero and the latter an interesting sex symbol. Best of all, though, is Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine. Like Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing before him, McDiarmid is fully conscious of the silliness around him, fully enjoying himself and entertain us in the process.

    Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi is a flawed but enjoyable final instalment to the original trilogy. It doesn't break any new ground or develop the darker moments of Empire with any great success, but it avoids seeming hollow or perfunctory by refining all the good aspects of the first film and feeling all together better-assembled. Whatever the future holds for Star Wars, with Disney or whoever else, this remains a good way to bid farewell to the characters. If nothing else, there's a damn sight more to it than "Muppets in space."
  • samoriley
    August 21, 2012
    samoriley
    Not the strongest out of the orignal trilogy, but far stronger than the prequels combined. To me, the Ewoks didn't do very much to help the story in Episode VI, but there is still plenty of action, emotion and some more mysteries between characters are revealed.
  • fb1442511448
    August 11, 2012
    fb1442511448
    The final film of the original trilogy brings the story to a well-deserved ending, regardless of its wandering plot. From its continuous visual expansion to the well-made chemistry of its stars, 'Jedi' still amazes in more ways than one. 4/5
  • fb100002384654145
    March 17, 2012
    fb100002384654145
    A perfect ending to one of the greatest film trilogies of all time. It is not quite as great as the previous two, but that is like saying a cheeseburger is not as delicious as the other two. Even the weakest entry in the original Star Wars trilogy is still an epic piece of cine... read morematic awesomeness. The rescue of Han Solo starts the movie off with plenty of momentum and the space battle over Endor is one of the best battles in the series. I personally did not mind the Ewoks, although I will admit it was a little ridiculous seeing the "Emperors best troops" getting defeated by them. If the Emperors best troops can be defeated by life-sized teddy bears, than stormtroopers really are one of the weakest henchmen of all time. Aside from that, "Return of the Jedi" still delivers both the great action and the grandeur that we have come to expect from the original Star Wars trilogy.
  • aquateen2
    February 20, 2012
    aquateen2
    Return of the Jedi is a fantastic finale to the saga. I believe it has an ultimate cinematic presence despite others saying its the least memorable of the orignal classic trilogy. It is still a classic film, the ultimate, tenseful ending between Vader and Luke is enough to call t... read morehis one the grandest and largest scale endings to any film franchise.
  • fb100000716838411
    February 19, 2012
    fb100000716838411
    Despite this film being the weakest of the original trilogy, it's still a great film. Luke Skywalker is now a Jedi Knight and he has to help rescue Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, the fattest monster to ever be put on the big screen. (Next to Rosie O'Donnell.) Luke ... read moreChewbacca, Leia, Lando Calrissian and the droids rescue Han in a pretty good action scene. But my problem with that scene is how they killed Boba Fett, an extremely bad-ass bounty hunter. He appears on-screen for a few seconds, he gets launched in the air accidentally by Han and he falls into the Scarlacc Pit to be devoured. It doesn't sound so bad, but watching it makes you think "Wow, what a pathetic way to get rid of an awesome character." Meanwhile, the Empire is building a new Death Star and we see that Darth Vader is now Lord Sidious's Puppet. So the Rebels plan to destory the Death Star, but also have to destory it's shield generator, which is located on the forest moon of Endor. After a really epic speeder bike chase scene, Luke and the group come across one of the worst things to ever happen to Star Wars: Those f***ing Ewoks. Those little bear creatures were only in this movie for the sake of being merchandising for little children to buy so Lucas could make more money. This is the first time Lucas would ever put more focus on money and special effects rather than story. If ever you would talk to a girl about Star Wars, 90% of them would say "OMG! I like the one with the cute little bears!" NO! Those little bastards almost killed this movie!....Moving on. Luke decides he has to face Vader and tries to convert him from the Dark side because he feels the good in his father. Eventually a three part battle ensues, Lando leading a space battle to destroy the second Death Star, Han leading the rebels and (Shudders) Ewoks to destory the shield generator and Luke dueling Vader in front of the Emperor. During a brief cease in battle, Vader begins to taunt Luke about converting his sister to the Dark side. It is there that Luke realizes Leia is his sister. ( Which is gross because they totally made out in Empire Strikes Back.) That sets Luke off and he chops off Vader's hand, like Vader did to him in the previous movie. Then one off the most epic endings in movie history happens....but I won't spoil it. All in all, this movie isn't as good as the first two in the original trilogy, but it still stands on its own and delivers a very entertaining end to the saga.
  • spielberg00
    February 10, 2012
    spielberg00
    RETURN OF THE JEDI, originally under the working title Revenge of the Jedi, was a notable step down from the previous two films. That does not, however, say that it wasn't a good film.

    Ever heard of an Ewok? Or have you ever been compared to an Ewok when you lo... read moreok disheveled, ugly, and all over the place? Ewoks come from this film. And they're cute, but tricky!

    I found that this, because of that and a few other things, was a little jump toward cute and cuddly rather than visually stunning. This is also a definite creature feature, too. Jabba, that thing in the pit, and those skin-flashing dancing people. For those who aren't into the inhumanity of science fiction, skip it. For anybody and everybody else, see it.

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Critic Reviews

August 13, 2008
TIME Magazine

It is not as exciting as Star Wars itself, which had the advantage of novelty. But it is better and more satisfying than The Empire Strikes Back... Full Review

Variety Staff
June 6, 2007
Variety Staff, Variety

Reasonably fast paced for its 133-minute length, a visual treat throughout. Full Review

Dave Kehr
June 6, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

With its feints at horror and pathos, the third Star Wars film is the most Disney-esque in its emotional outline, yet that outline is buried beneath an obnoxiously hyped-up pace that reduces the emoti... Full Review

Geoff Andrew
February 9, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

In scope and ambition, Jediresembles nothing so much as the next level of a computer game, with a new environment, new gadgets and new creatures. Full Review

Peter Stack
June 18, 2002
Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle

Though it looks almost too polished, a handful of eye-smacking action scenes were breakthroughs in precomputer cinematic graphics. And when the film moves, it does so with blazing energy and awesome n... Full Review

Bruce Westbrook
January 1, 2000
Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle

Jedi may not be George Lucas's crown jewel, but his trilogy as a whole is as good as film fantasy gets.

Vincent Canby
January 1, 2000
Vincent Canby, New York Times

The old Star Wars gang are back doing what they've done before, but this time with a certain evident boredom. Full Review

Joe Baltake
January 1, 2000
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

Has twice as many visual effects than the original first film. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Marvelous! Full Review

Gary Arnold
January 1, 2000
Gary Arnold, Washington Post

Jedi couldn't end the Star Wars trilogy on a happier note! Full Review

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    • Darth Vader: The Death Star will completed on schedule, my master.
    • Emperor Palpatine: You have done well, Lord Vader. And now I sense you wish to continue your search for young Skywalker.
    • Darth Vader: Yes, my master.
    • Emperor Palpatine: Patience. Soon, he will seek you out and when he does, you must bring him before me. He has grown strong, only together can we turn him to the dark side of the Force.
    • Darth Vader: As you wish.
    • Emperor Palpatine: Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen. [laughs]
    • Emperor Palpatine: Strike me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!
    • Luke Skywalker: Jabba, this is your last chance. Free us... or die!
    • Yoda: When 900 year old you reach, look as good you will not.
    • Luke Skywalker: No, I'll never turn to the dark side. You've failed your Highness. I'm a Jedi, like my father before me.
    • Emperor Palpatine: So be it, Jedi!
    • Darth Vader: You cannot hide forever, Luke.
    • Luke Skywalker: I will not fight you.
    • Darth Vader: Give yourself to the Dark Side. It is the only way you can save your friends. Yes, your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong. Especially for...sister. So, you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the Dark Side, then perhaps she will.
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Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi Trivia

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