I can't believe you guys are thrashing a pretty good film like Return of the Jedi while there are others Lucas films that deserve it far more like the star wars prequels and Indiana Jones Kingdom of the Crystal numbskull.
Sure it is not as good as star wars or empire strikes back, but it is the closing chapter of three films and has to tie up the plot threads and angles from the last film empire strikes back.
As a giddy happy go lucky kids movie that makes you smile and as a swashbuckler it does fine, plus there are the darker moments towards the end. The film deals with Redemption, and Love. The need to fight to be free or be enslaved.
Was empire scripted and directed better on all counts. Still Return of the Jedi is still my favorite film of the trilogy, not from critical appraisal but because i had a heck of a good time seeing it on the screen in 1985. I cannot be rescued from that nostalgia nor would i want to be. As a kid used to seeing cartoons on tv like Masters of the universe and Transformers return of the jedi was a revelation. I suddenly wanted to be a jedi like luke skywalker and wield a green bladed lightsaber,lol.
You want to know what i thought of Empire Strikes Back as a kid i thought it was slow and boring, the same with the first half of star wars. Of course years later i realized how slow Jedi starts out but as a child i was facinated by jabbas palace and all the creatures and muppets. In fact it was probably the first time i had experienced another world being created right before my eyes on the big screen.
As action adventure swashbuckling films star wars and return of the jedi are heads above the slow and plodding empire strikes back. They recall the pirate films and errol flynn films of yesteryear as well as the old saturday matinee serials and are just plain fun to watch. Empire works almost like a stage play which is its strength, i mean you take out the fantastic walker piece at the beginning and the duel and its mainly a character piece. Which is funny because star trek's empire strikes back is the Wrath of Khan. Though not nearly as good.
When they were originally released jedi made more than empire, and lucas was proven right to go more in a kid friendly direction in the future to make more money. I think empire is as much for kids as it is for adults, the film does not talk down to children. Reminds me of the uncut and uncensored grimm's fairy tales in that way.
I also realize that as much as i like Jedi it was the beginning of the end, but ewoks as annoying as they are were worlds away from Jar Jar. Jedi's success allowed Lucas ten years later to begin planning his destruction of star wars. That same year in 1993 the definitive collection was released on laserdisc. A year after that in nov 1994 he wrote the first outline for the phantom menace. 2-3 years after that the original camera negatives were permanently altered for the original trilogy and greedo shot first. 2 years after that Jar JAr stepped in poo. The end began.