Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Director:

Richard Marquand

Writers:

George Lucas (story)
Lawrence Kasdan (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

25 May 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Coming May 25, 1983 to your galaxy. [Second Advance poster]

Plot:

After rescuing Han Solo from the palace of Jabba the Hutt, the Rebels attempt to destroy the Second Death Star, while Luke Skywalker tries to bring his father back to the Light Side of the Force.

Plot Keywords:

Rebel | Death Star | Empire | Princess | Jabba The Hutt

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Mark Hamill	...	Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford	...	Han Solo
Carrie Fisher	...	Princess Leia
Billy Dee Williams	...	Lando Calrissian
Anthony Daniels	...	C-3PO
Peter Mayhew	...	Chewbacca
Sebastian Shaw	...	Anakin Skywalker
Ian McDiarmid	...	The Emperor
Frank Oz	...	Yoda (voice)
James Earl Jones	...	Voice of Darth Vader (voice)
David Prowse	...	Darth Vader
Alec Guinness	...	Ben 'Obi-Wan' Kenobi
Kenny Baker	...	R2-D2 / Paploo
Michael Pennington	...	Moff Jerjerrod
Kenneth Colley	...	Admiral Piett

Also Known As:

Blue Harvest (USA) (fake working title)
Revenge of the Jedi (USA) (working title)
Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi (USA) (video box title)
Star Wars: Episode VI - Revenge of the Jedi (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for sci-fi action violence. (special edition, DVD version)

Runtime:

134 min | 135 min (special edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | DTS (special edition) | Dolby Digital (special edition) | Dolby (35 mm prints) | SDDS (special edition)

Certification:

Iceland:L (original rating) | Malaysia:U | Iceland:10 (special edition) | Iceland:12 (special edition) (video release) | Canada:G (British Columbia/Quebec) | South Korea:All | Brazil:Livre | Hong Kong:I | South Africa:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) (special edition) | Chile:TE | Denmark:11 (special edition) | Denmark:12 (original rating) | Finland:K-12 (original rating) | Finland:K-8 (special edition) | France:U | Ireland:G | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:PG | Norway:11 (re-rating) | Norway:12 (original rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG (special edition) | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:U | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Buttercup Valley, California, USA

Company:

Lucasfilm

Trivia:

Carrie Fisher's birthmark (near the small of her back) is visible in the desert scene where she turns her back to the camera to swing around a mounted laser gun.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Lando Calrissian requests all wings to report, the leader of the B Wing squadron does not respond. Also the B Wings do not appear in the battle - they are never to be seen again after the formation flight before the battle.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Shuttle captain: Command station, this is ST321, code clearance blue. We're starting our approach; deactivate the security shield.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: (#22.24)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Lapti Nek

Fitting closure to the 'Star Wars' series, now out on DVD.

My five children were growing up but all still at home when 'Return of the Jedi' came to the theater. While there had been other Sci-Fi movies with a theme of conflict in outer space, the 'Star Wars' trilogy filled our imaginations like no other movies before them. The fantastic, strange worlds were presented almost like we were there too. Aliens sitting around a tavern, enjoying drinks and speaking in all sorts of languages. Nothing before had approached the sheer size of the space ships depicted here, huge cities traveling all over the galaxy. And how about the jump to hyper speed, then disappearing from the screen as the speed exceeds light speed! And the light sabres of the Jedi Knights. The Jedi Knights, a striking parallel to the Japanese Samurai.

After the fantastic 'Star Wars' and 'Empire Strikes Back' (now called parts IV and V on DVD), the last episode 'Return of the Jedi' was bound to be somewhat of a let down, but not much of one. It was made to achieve resolution. Of the rebels' battle with the evil Empire. The relationship between Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and the Princess, and her relationship with Han Solo. We witness Luke's Jedi training at the hands of Yoda, as Luke becomes the Last Samurai, I mean Jedi. The DVDs finally came out last month, and they are near perfect, as we should expect from Lucas Films and THX. The bit rate is high, and the picture is nothing short of superb. As is the Dolby EX surround track.

My wife and I watched all three of the movies on DVD this week -- Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi (now on DVD called parts IV, V, and VI) -- compliments of our local public library. It was an appropriate reminder how good these movies are, and still ahead of their time. Nothing else has been made to compare to them.