RETURN OF THE JEDI: SPECIAL EDITION

SYNOPSIS:
The forces of evil, led by Darth Vader and the Emperor, are at it again - creating a second, even bigger, deadlier Death Star. Freelance space pilot Han Solo is still frozen in carbonite and now on display at the fortress hangout of Jabba the Hutt. Luke Skywalker, who’s on the verge of becoming a true Jedi knight, Princess Leia, Lando Calrissian, C-3P and R2-D2 take off for the planet of Tatooine to save Han. This enterprise leads up to a bigger confrontation between the heroic rebels and Vader’s mighty army. While Lando and the rebels conduct an aerial attack on the Death Star, Han, Luke, Leia et al land on the forested planet of Endor - source of the Death Star’s protective force field, and residence of those helpful, fuzzy Ewoks. Luke confronts his father, Darth Vader, and meets the Emperor for a final showdown.

Andrew L. Urban:
Slower, longer and less powerful than Episodes IV and V, Return of the Jedi closes this extraordinary trilogy more with a whimper than a bang, its ending rather too corny for my liking. There is also a distracting flaw in the FX work on the ghostly Alec Guiness as Obi-Wan which is at odds with the rest of the film’s high quality renovation. On the positive side, the forest chases are magnificent, exhilarating and inventive, as is the big battle scene that closes the dark days of the Empire. But my greatest pleasure, as always in this trilogy, is the collection of creatures of the galaxy, their gizmos and musical instruments.