I think ESB is the best, but I don't really have any huge gripes with ROTJ. I think its a great movie too, though I do agree that the Cutsey stuff was pushed a little too far. Someone else compared Irvin Kershner and Richard Marquand, and the control they had over the movies; you were absolutely right. ESB was the best because of Kershner. All the character development we saw was because of Kershner, and it was great because of Kershner. ROTJ didn't have any character development, excepting Vader, and it felt very Lucas-ish to me. But I think I like ROTJ just as much as ANH. I think ROTJ has some very metqaphorical stuff in it too--For example, the ewoks are not an advanced civilization, yet they beat the force of the empire with stones and sticks. Not because they are more powerful, but because they have the will power for it, and this them mirrors itself in the other storyline going on at the moment: Luke Vs. Vader and Emperor. Luke is not stronger than them, but his will to find good in his father overcomes hatred and evil and brings down the emporer once and for all.

I do, however, agree that they could have found something better than Death Star number 2.