Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)

What do you lose by watching the 1983 version? Dolby Digital 5.1 EX sound, for one thing (only 2.0 Surround here), and digital cleanup. But for home-theater owners, the biggest frustration will be from the non-anamorphic picture. On a widescreen TV, an anamorphically enhanced (16x9) picture at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio will fill the screen with the exception of small black bars on the top and bottom. The original edition of Jedi, however, on a widescreen TV will have large black bars on the top, the bottom, and the sides unless you stretch the picture (and distort it in the process, especially considering the substandard picture quality). If you're watching on a standard square-shaped (4:3) TV, though, you won't notice a difference.

Yes, it's true that serious home-theater lovers who want spectacular sound and anamorphically enhanced picture can always watch the 2004 version of the movie also included in this set. But chances are good that they already picked up the trilogy edition of all three films, so their decision to buy the 2006 two-disc edition depends on how much they want the original film. The official LucasFilm stance is that this is an individual release of the 2004 version of Return of the Jedi, and the 1983 version of the film is merely a "bonus feature." Common speculation is that the only reason the original versions are seeing the official light of day at all is to undercut the booming black market for the laserdisc version. Star Wars fans will have to decide for themselves if that's worth the purchase. --David Horiuchi

Luke returns Tatooine only to rescue his friends from the vile Jabba the Hutt. The Alliance finds that the Empire is constructing a new, more powerful Death Star protected by a an energy shield generated from the moon of Endor. The Alliance conjures up a daring plan to destroy the technological terror while Luke prepares to confont his nemesis-father Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine aboard the half-completed battle station.

Mark Hamill gives a charismatic performance as Luke Skywalker, being more in control and taking charge of the film. Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are suprisingly bland compared to their performances in Empire in contrast to Luke. C-3PO and R2-D2 are once again delightful and the Ewoks are cute and all but are just too silly. Alan Hume's cinematography can't match his last work in Empire but still is well-done. The set designs again can't live up to the designs in Empire but still are eye-filling and ingenious. The set in Jabba's palace is good, but the interior designs of the Death Star are more imaginative and interesting, in my opinion they are the best in the film. The editing and especially the soundwork are excellent, while John Williams contributes a fine score. But here the first improvement over Empire is the truly dazzling special effects. Lucas rounded up the best effects supervisors, (Dennis Muren-9 Oscars, Richard Edlund-6 Oscars, Ken Ralston-5 Oscars, and Phil Tippet-2 Oscars) and they did a fantastic job, using over 15O models along with the even more stunning laser, lightning, and fire effects. The action sequences are the other improvement, boasting of 5 the most breathtaking scenes ever filmed. The space battle and Sarlaac pit fight are in my eyes the highlights, though the speeder bike chase and the lightsaber duel are nothing short of spectacular.

For the special edition, Lucas supervised the introduction of new footage along with remastering the sound and editing, and enhancing the cinematography and visuals with the newest state-of-the-art technologies. Overall, Return of the Jedi is an outstanding film with nice touches of warmth and humor. Though it can't measure up to the first two films, it still excellent. And like the first two, its a dazzling adventure that will leave you breathless.


"Jedi" Triumphs   May 19, 2005
the-gr8shag
12 out of 14 found this review helpful

"Never. I'll never turn to the Dark Side. You've failed your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me."

"So be it. Jedi."

- Luke Skywalker informs The Emperor its a dawning of a new day for the Jedi, but, The Emperor is less than enthusiastic for the "Return of The Jedi"

The "Star Wars" saga comes to a close in this satisfying conclusion to the most popular Sci-fi space opera in film history.

Luke Skywalker, with the help of his friends, returns to his home planet of Tatooine to rescue his friend Han Solo from the gangster Jabba The Hutt.

Luke also travels back to Dagobah to continue his training in the Jedi arts, but, a shocking surprise waits for him.

Across the galaxy, The Galactic Empire is readying its latest weapon - a new Death Star, that is twice as big as the first one, & will spell certain doom to the band of freedom fighters trying to restore peace to the galaxy. When word is found out that both, Darth Vader & The Emperor, are overseeing the construction of this new battle station, The Rebel Alliance band together for a last ditch effort to crush the Empire once & for all.

"Jedi" ties up a lot loose ends, but, is actually the weakest film out of the original trilogy. The problem with the film is its overkill in some sequences. Case in point the Jabba's Palace denizens are all reminiscent of the Cantina sequence in "Star Wars" (I don't acknowledge its "Epiosde IV". Gimme a f**ing break!) & the Death Star battle is a bigger version of the end battle from the first film. The lightsabre battle at the end of "Jedi" can't top the one from "Empire" (the best battle in the entire saga).
That doesn't mean they suck, though. There is plenty of action & its all plain ass good.

As for the Leia/Luke scene, where Leia tells Luke about her real mother, she has got to be talking about her stepmother & not her real mother. This leads one to believe that Leia was never told that she was adopted & I can only assume that Leia might think that mama Organa is mother to both Luke and her, instead of Padme, with Vader being both their father. Leia also tells Luke that she remembers her (adoptive) mother only a little bit, saying that she was beautiful, but, sad. This lead me to believe that Leia's adoptive mother died early in her infancy, taking that dark secret of Leia's real parentage to her grave. With Bail Organa (Leia's adoptive father from Episode III) dying in the destruction of Alderaan in the first "Star Wars" film, Leia will never know who her real mother is.

As for her "knowing" about "The Force" all along, she's probablly referring to the end scene in "Empire" when Luke calls out to Leia to save him.

The differences in "Jedi" in the past 22 years:

The Special Edition release in 1997 excised the "Lapti Nek" musical number from Jabba's Palace (bad) & is replaced with "Jedi Rocks" (a lot of die-hard fans call this "Jedi Sucks"). Overall, no improvement either way.

Also in the S.E. release, the "Yub-Nub" Ewok song is excised and replaced with the more stomachable "Ewok Celebration" with new footage of cities & planets that were used all through the saga including Tatooine (duh!), Cloud City, Naboo, & Coruscant (keep a sharp eye out as a statue of The Emperor is toppled down, Saddam Hussein style, & watch as a few Stormtroopers get lynch mobbed). Overall, likable improvement that at the time gave audiences its first official sneak peek at the prequels.

Sorry, the Ewoks are still here.

One addition is a small pan shot of a herd of Banthas grazing in the desert sands of Tatooine, just before Jabba's sail barge comes cruising over the dune sea.

For this new 2004 DVD release:

Darth Vader's eyebrows get CGI synged, when finally unmasked by Luke & in an oddball CGI move Sebastian Shaw who plays an aged ghost of Anakin Skywalker is replaced by Hayden Christensen from episodes "II" & "III". The only reason I can think of as to why George Lucas would do this, is that when Anakin crossed over to the dark side he did so at a young age. But, that still doesn't explain that if Anakin is redeemed by Luke at such an old age, why doesn't he materialize as part of "The Force" at the age that he was redeemed at? In other words, Lucas got this right the first time around.

"Return Of The Jedi" is presented, best, in the widescreen format with Dolby Digital EX surround & is THX certified to blow you through the back wall of your living room.



Tear-jerking soundtrack...   May 21, 1999
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Normally I am indifferent to movie soundtracks, but Star Wars is an exception, and the music of Return Of The Jedi is definitely the most powerful of the lot. Three minutes and fifty seconds into track seven on disc two, I can actually hear Vader in my head, saying "you cannot hide forever, Luke..." as the most moving piece of classical soundtrack music ever concieved begins. By the time the music for the end of Vader and Luke's duel is finished, it is hard for me not to burst into tears. I grew up with this film and this piece of music, and I feel massively priveleged being able to say that. Williams is the greatest composer of the 20th century, hands down.


Return of the Jedi score soars   September 20, 2003
Alex Diaz-Granados (Miami, FL United States)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

The 1997 Special Edition soundtrack is more than a mere reissue with a new package. Rather, it's the complete score composed by John Williams, with more previously unreleased tracks (including Jabba's Baroque Recital) and two new compositions that replace existing material.

Because Star Wars creator George Lucas made changes to each movie in the trilogy to fit his original vision for the films, composer Williams had to make a few tweaks of his own. For instance, in Episode IV's restored encounter between Han Solo and Jabba the Hutt, Williams borrowed "Jabba's Theme" from Return of the Jedi...perhaps the only time that music for a sequel has been reinserted to the "parent" film. For Jedi's new Jabba's Palace musical sequence, Williams allowed Jerry Hay's "Jedi Rocks" to replace his own "Lapti Nek."

The other major revision comes in the new ending for Return of the Jedi. Instead of the Ewok celebration from the 1983 original version, the Special Edition ends with a Victory Celebration (depicting the festivities on Tatooine, Bespin, and Coruscant, the former throne world of the Empire) with new music. While still using primitive instruments and rhythms, the new music dispenses with the Ewoks' chanting and utilizes new thematic material and vocal performances blended with a virtuoso performance by the London Symphony Orchestra.

Like the previous two soundtrack albums of the Special Edition re-releases, aficionados of the film score genre will find the reorganized tracks are now consistent with the scenes that they appear in, and the liner notes will help both novice and expert Star Wars music lovers keep "track" of things as they listen to this remarkable score.

With the addition of music that was not used in the finished film, the score for Jedi is longer than its celluloid source. Its quality is very good, and in some ways is superior to either the 1983 soundtrack or the expanded edition in the 1993 Star Wars Soundtrack Anthology boxed set. Star Wars fans and/or lovers of symphonic movie scores (or of classical music in general) are well advised to own this two-disc album.


A Dynamic, Complete, and Beautiful Conclusion to the Trilogy   June 21, 1999
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Luke and Leia's theme, although barely used in the movie, IS the reason to buy this soundtrack. This is my favorite Star Wars theme, because it is so beautiful. Not to say it is the only good thing. The emperor's theme is very nicely done, as is the duel music between Vader and Luke. And CD 1 provides you with Jabba's French Horn theme, which is a playful, quirky number similar in style to Superman's March of the Villains, although I like this one more. There is a LOT of action music on these CDs, and a lot of the Ewok theme and their source music, but most of it is enjoyable and specific parts make you remember scenes from the movie. And the listener also gets a very distinguished and serene Force theme during Vader's burial that is appropriate for the end of the movie. But during the final credits one learns that the best piece of music is by far Luke and Leia's theme, which is so dynamic yet so placid. It concludes the trilogy in perfect fashion.