Easterhay said:

So, I ask, who amongst the original fans...genuinely thought Return Of The Jedi to be a let-down when first released? And, if so, why? Be honest now.

With God as my witness, I genuinely disliked it before it was even over. I'd taken the day off to go to the premier. As soon as I saw the Muppets inside Jabba's palace, I realized this wasn't going to be for me. That stupid band, the lame plot - I knew the bomb-carrying stranger was the princess as soon as they showed her - all of that palace silliness, and particularly Jabba - it was all laughably bad.

It just got worse as it went on. I thought the whole barge scene was poorly done - spectacle without story, I thought the brother sister angle was weak and unnecessary, the second death star was writer's block, the ewoks were Disney, and the emperor shooting lightning bolts out of his hands was almost comedic. But the absolute topper in "oh my God, what have they done to Star Wars?" - was 3PO telling a camp fire story to plush toys. Fucking vile.

I can only remember two viewings in my life. One was that premier day and the other was a few days after I bought the Faces VHS. We used to have Lunchtime Theater where I worked back then. Sort of a serial installment of films type deal. People would bring in movies and we'd watch them in 45 minute segments every day. I brought in the trilogy one time. When Return was playing, I heckled it Mystery Science Theater style.

Star Wars Post 1977 and I officially went our separate ways in May of 1983. I tried to like Empire and bought the Laserdisc around that same time, but it eventually drifted away too.

*edit*
For the record, I was 21 when Return was released.