And don't forget, those of you who think the nitpicking on the PT is ridiculous, that many years after the OT was over with yet before the PT came about many of us fond reasons to nitpick the OT (usually directed at ROTJ though). We love the films but we're allowed to watch, re-watch and dissect them over and over in our heads. That's part of the fun of being a geek. And please- anyone who claims they aren't a geek but have registered at this or any other 'fan' site are only deluding yourselves.
Film Threat a few years back (when it was still a on-paper magazine) published a cover story with the headline '50 Reason Why Return of the Jedi Sucks'. You can read the long article here: 50 Reason Why Return Of The Jedi Sucks
Some highlights:
5. [ Painful Lack of Innovation ]
When it comes to scavenging, Lucas could teach even the Jawas a thing or two. Jedi borrows from Wars on levels ranging from conceptual to minute. There's another opening scene with a Star Destroyer (though this time it isn't even permitted to finish its awesome crawl across the top of the screen). There's another Imperial stronghold to infiltrate, and another energy beam to turn off. And of course, there's another Death Star to blow up for the film's climax (though at least the Emperor had enough brains to plug up that pesky exhaust port).
Most of the creatures and droids seen on Tatooine in Wars make background appearances in Jabba's court-even Greedo's alive and well! (Okay, maybe it's a different Rodian. They all look the same to us.) Finally, little thought seems to have been given to developing or maturing any of the main characters in a realistic manner. Han and Threepio suffer most, coming across as catchphrase-spouting caricatures of their previous selves.
6. [ Witty banter ]
Note to writer Lawrence Kasdan: If you must fill your script with witty banter, at least try and make it, well, witty. With one or two exceptions, the humor in Wars and Empire was subtle, based around throwaway lines and the personality quirks of well-written characters. Jedi's overly contrived "humor" too often seems inspired by the setup-to-punchline wordplay found in a typical episode of Three's Company.
In what is probably the film's single most painful moment, Solo requests Threepio do a number of chores. After continually tapping him on the shoulder and preventing him from leaving to complete his duties, Solo quips, "Hurry up, will ya? I haven't got all day." Har-dee-har-har. Based on witticisms like that, it's amazing that Luke never rebuked the Emperor by stating, "Up your nose with a rubber hose."
16. [ Unforgivable Dialogue ]
Threepio approaching Jabba's palace: "I have a bad feeling about this."
Han Solo, when confronted by Ewoks: "I have a bad feeling about this."
Leia, after releasing Solo from carbon freeze: "I gotta get you outta here."
Leia, after being freed from Jabba's chains: "We gotta get outta here."
Leia, after she and an Ewok are ambushed on Endor: "Let's get outta here."
With dialogue like this, it seems Lucas finally put that "million monkeys at a million typewriters" theory to the test.
17. [ Horrible Exposition ]
"Artoo, look! It's Captain Solo-and he's still frozen in carbonite!" Lines like this are for those people who somehow missed the first two movies. Threepio is the main offender throughout, even going so far as to offer a long, Ewokese summary of the Trilogy's plot thus far (with sound effects, no less). Of course, Lucas would probably say that scene was to show "the entrancing magic of storytelling." Call us cynical, but entrancing magic makes us want to puke.
21. [ Terrible, Terrible Post-Production Looping ]
In about half of Jedi's scenes, little attempt is made to match the dialogue with the characters' lip movements-it's almost like watching a Mothra flick. If Lucas were smart, he'd blame this on the film's being dubbed from its original language. You know-the one they spoke a long time ago in that galaxy far, far away.
Etc, etc, etc...
Most of the points are valid. But if any media source would have had the sheer audacity to bring up such points in the early 80s we all probably would have been defending the films as much as AWK is with the prequels. These things come in cycles. But whenever any of us gets too involved in this banter we should stop, take a break, walk around outside a bit and breathe deep the air of real life.... and then come back in, log on and work on those fan edits.