Return Of The Jedi (1983)
The third and last (at the time) instalment of the Star Wars
saga, Return of the Jedi, with a $32.5 million price tag
tied up a lot of loose ends, showed off 942 special effects,
introduced a few new scaly monsters and furry heroes in a variety
of shapes and sizes, and managed to sign off respectably, if
somewhat sentimentally.
Luke and the others return to Tatooine to rescue Han Solo from
the vile clutches of Jabba The Hutt - the slobbering, gelatinous, toadlike creature who rules the intergalactic underworld.
Soon the Rebels unite in one
final stand to fight the Empire's new Death Star, and destroy the
Emperor, who is staying aboard it.
Return of the Jedi is full of shocks. Luke discovers
Darth Vader is really his father (something we had suspected all
along) and, worse still, that Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) is
really his twin sister.
The big question here is: Now that he knows Darth Vader is his
father, what will happen when they finally clash? Will Luke kill
his own father and save the universe? Or will Vader turn him over
to the powerful emperor? Will Luke's anger and fear seduce him
into joining the dark side of the force, the way his father
surrendered years ago?
All in good time . . .
First there's a visit to the land of the Ewoks, a ferocious
tribe of tree creatures that look like cuddly koala's. Then
there's a dizzy chase through giant redwoods on supersonic air
scooters, and a lot of talk about "code clearances" and
"moonshield generators" that must be de-activated before
Solo's Milennium Falcon can attack the Death Star. There is
also an incredible amount of ear-drum shattering noise!
In the final tally, the special effects are neither as daring
nor as innovative as they once were. It is quite a letdown to
reach the inside of the forbidden Death Star, only to discover
that it looks like a giant power plant.
The bombs and explosions seem all too familiar. The miracles
and last-minute reprieves from mutilations and death seem cornier
than ever.
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