Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

A Bright Force In The World

Main Cast: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, David Prowse

Director: Richard Marquand

No review database would be complete without this classic sci-fi story. Not only did it excite the imaginations of countless kids growing up (Me!), it boosted the concept of sci-fi into the general public and broke down some of the negative connotations associated with this rich genre.

To summarize, this is the story of an evil galactic Empire and those brave enough to fight against it… and win. The rebels are led by Luke Skywalker, at the beginning an average kid on a distant desert planet, but one who grows into a master Jedi, a warrior of awesome strength of will and of mastery of the Force. The Force allows the Jedi to manipulate both physical objects and other brains with their mind alone, and it is a potent power. Of course, the Force can be used by good and evil alike, and a great hero would be lost without an equally great villain: Darth Vader fills this role in the first two movies, then the Emperor himself takes center stage in the last episode.

Episode 6 wraps up the trilogy. Luke, Leia, and their friends find Han and rescue him. News of another Death Star brings them all together to find and destroy it, which is half of the story. The other half focuses on the Emperor and Darth Vader, and their search for Luke. Everything comes together in another climatic space battle, but this time Luke is not out among them. He is inside, confronting both Darth and the Emperor.

This is the weakest of the three, in my opinion. We shift focus from Darth to the Emperor, and lose a very good villain. The story isn’t as detailed or rich as the other two, and there are less threads to deal with. There is still action, and very good special effects, but those cannot fill a hole in the story. Good to see the thing conclude, but it could have been done much better.

This series is better than the sum of its parts. It’s a classic sci-fi story, and something everyone should see at least once in their lives.

May the Force be with you!

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