Sluggo said:
If it is different, then it isn't Star Wars.

But look how different Empire is compared to the rest of the saga. It really stands out. Return of the Jedi felt more like a direct sequel to A New Hope than Empire Strikes Back. Return Of The Jedi was supposed to be when the shit hit the fan. The end to a wonderful saga. This is the (at least in film) Last battle. The final show down between the oppressed rebels and the evil Empire. They needed to make this far darker than any of the movies. Luke is supposed to be standing on the razors edge fighting with the dark side. They didn't do that. It was a happy film and to me this movie didn't need to be happy.