I’ve decided to rewatch ROTJ (2004 DVD) and note some of the things that jump out at me. Mostly I’m just going to list things that bother me. I’m not going to try to come up with a specific fix for each of them. Some of them are definitely unfixable.

I doubt there will be a whole lot of original or insightful content in this, but what the heck, I want to participate in the process, so I’m going to post my thoughts, and hope people will read them.

THREEPIO: Lando Calrissian and poor Chewbacca never returned from this awful place.
1) It’s unnecessary exposition. (Sometime between TESB and ROTJ, GL apparently fell in love with unnecessary exposition.)

The power droid being tortured with hot irons on its feet, and screaming in pain. I don’t know whether this is supposed to be frightening, funny, or both, but it’s neither.
Jedi Rocks with lots of CG aliens. I prefer the Lapti Nek version of this scene.
Oola in the Rancor pit. I’m not sure why this bugs me. Maybe it’s just because I’m more used to the other version. I don’t think this clip adds anything to the film. If anything, the Rancor pit is scarier if we just see her drop in and hear her scream, and don’t know what’s down there. GL has enough restraint not to show us the actual Rancor at this point, but he does show us part of the pit, and I think it works better without that.
The burping frog. This film is rife with failed attempts at humor. Here’s one.
Luke using the force choke. That’s kind of a Dark Side power, isn’t it? I would expect a Jedi to use a less violent method of dealing with the guards.
Luke, while in the Rancor pit, grabbing the bars of a “window” and shaking around as if trying to pull the bars out of the way and exit. This just looks silly, and an intense scene like this is a bad time for unintended laughs.
LUKE: That’s the last mistake you’ll ever make.
I don’t like this line. What is Luke trying to accomplish by saying this? Villains like to say things like this to revel in the misfortune they are about to inflict on their victims, but Jedi don’t. Luke doesn’t appear to have any delusions that saying something like this is going to make Jabba realize the mistake he’s making and change his mind, so he just comes across as Snidely Whiplash gloating over what he’s going to do. (I don’t have the same problem with, “Jabba, this is your last chance: free us or die.” It’s right to give him one more chance. But that’s not what’s happening with the “last mistake” line.)
On the way to the Sarlacc pit: something doesn’t look right about the shadows cast on the dunes by the barge and skiffs. There are also a lot of obvious bluescreen effects. (And Luke pronouncing “Lando” and “Landau,” but I guess that’s no worse than General Dodanna pronouncing “Leia” as “Lee-a.”)
The CG Sarlacc: I prefer the 1983 Sarlaac. The original Sarlacc looks like a force of nature, while the SE Sarlacc looks like a (relatively speaking) more ordinary animal. The original is more frightening, IMO.
Lando nodding at Luke before Luke is dropped into the pit. Could Lando possibly be any more obvious?
A lot of things in the ensuing action sequence happen much too slowly.

The first is Luke standing and waiting a few seconds for the lightsaber to drop into his hand. During this time, nobody reacts. It would be nice if it could be reedited so that he grabs the lightsaber the moment he lands on the skiff. Or even before he lands on the skiff.

Boba Fett wraps up Luke in a cable, then just stands there and waits for a stray laser bolt to shake the skiff, and loses his balance rather easily.

“Boba Fett? Boba Fett? Where?” “AAAAAIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” «burp» Yet another failed attempt at humor, and an inappropriate end for Boba Fett. This too is plagued by the “too slow” problem. Boba Fett raises his weapon very, very slowly, then just waits. This movement is unnaturally slow for anybody, and way beyond ridiculous for one of the galaxy’s best bounty hunters. The only reason he moves so slowly is to give Han enough time for his “hilarious” bobafettbobafettwhere routine.

Force Kick!

Nobody seems to notice or care that Leia is strangling Jabba.

Han, Chewie, and Lando are stationary and wide out in the open for a long time and nobody picks them off. I realize that Luke is demanding a lot of attention, but with all the bad guys and all the area they cover, nobody could spare a half a second to get rid of these three? Somebody inexplicably (really, really, really bad aim?) takes a few shots at the opposite end of the skiff instead of shooting our three heroes.

It bugs me that Lando’s entire role in the rescue consists of falling into the pit so that Han and Chewie can spend the next couple of minutes rescuing him.
LUKE: That’s right, Artoo, we’re going to the Dagobah system.
Does Luke really need to tell Artoo what Artoo just said? I’d cut out the “That’s right, Artoo” part, so it just looks like Artoo is asking where they’re going, and Luke answers, “We’re going to the Dagobah system.”
Random note: Darth Vader is a lot taller in the OT than in his introduction in ROTS. Of course, this is something that should be corrected in ROTS, not in the OT.
EMPEROR: Everything is proceeded as I have foreseen. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
That laugh really annoys me. And it’s too early to telegraph the fact that the rebels are walking into a trap orchestrated by the Emperor.
LUKE: Yoda spoke of another.

BEN: The other he spoke of is your twin sister.

LUKE: But I have no sister.

BEN: To protect you both from the Emperor, you were hidden from your father when you were born. The Emperor knew, as I did, if Anakin were to have any offspring, they would be a threat to him. That is the reason why your sister remains safely anonymous.

LUKE: Leia! Leia’s my sister.BEN: Your insight serves you well.
I’ve posted about this before. I don’t like the idea that Luke was hidden from Vader by placing him with the Larses. Yes, that was GL’s intent, but I don’t like it. Leia may have been hidden, but not Luke. So I’d like to remove the reference to hiding Luke. Maybe something like this:
LUKE: Yoda spoke of another.

BEN: The other he spoke of is your twin sister.

LUKE: But I have no sister.

[BEN sits silently. LUKE has a flashback to the end of TESB, when he used the Force to call out to Leia and she heard him.]

LUKE: Leia! Leia’s my sister.

BEN: Your insight serves you well.
General Solo. When Han left Hoth, he was a Captain. He has spent the bulk of his time since then encased in carbonite. Somehow, while encased in carbonite, he skipped right over Major and Colonel and became a General.
General Calrissian. Even more ridiculous. On Cloud City, he made a deal with the Empire and betrayed his friends in the Rebellion. When the Empire broke the deal and it became clear that he would be really screwed if he stayed, he rescued Leia and Chewie, who were the only ones who could give him a safe place to go. Now this weasel is a General in the Rebellion. Ugh. It’s like the Star Trek thing where everybody becomes an Admiral when they get old enough.
When Admiral Ackbar addresses the assembly, the movement of his mouth does not sync well with his words.
LEIA: Wonder who they found to pull that off?
She can’t think of anybody? Like there aren’t a lot of brave, capable officers in the Rebellion?
HAN: My team’s ready. I don’t have a command crew for the shuttle.

CHEWIE: «growl»

HAN: It’s gonna be rough, pal. I didn’t want to speak for you.

CHEWIE: «growl»

HAN: That’s one.
Han didn’t talk to Chewie about this before the meeting?
HAN: I just got a funny feeling, like I’m not gonna see her again.
False foreshadowing.

That’s all for now. More another day.