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Return of the Jedi Appreciation Thread

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A place to voice respect and fondness for the black sheep of the Star Wars Trilogy. Try to keep the hate to a minimum and focus on the good things about Jedi. 

The Person in Question

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ROTJ is obviously the best Star Wars film, but we all already agreed on that in this thread...

ROTJ is the best Star Wars film... discuss!

VIZ TOP TIPS! - PARENTS. Impress your children by showing them a floppy disk and telling them it’s a 3D model of a save icon.

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I was 12 when it came out in the Cinemas and it was my favourite of the trilogy, by about 15 I preferred Empire. So for 3 years it was my favourite film of all time until my tastes matured . As an adult I can see what is wrong with it and what it lacked in hindsight, but at the time it seemedthe perfect ending to the trilogy.

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I like Return of the Jedi well enough. Jabba and the Emperor really sell it with their attitudes. Not often you get two memorable villains in a single film. The space battle scenes are still some of the best in a movie.

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I've been downright harsh on ROTJ lately. I guess this is as good a time as any to atone by listing things from the movie I actually like.

In no particular order:

  • Luke's black outfit
  • Luke's green lightsaber
  • John Williams' score
  • Vader's redemption
  • The duel between Luke and Vader
  • The original ending with "Yub Nub" and Sebastian Shaw
  • Ian McDiarmid's performance
  • Jabba
  • Jabba's palace and the miscellaneous creatures therein
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Being born in 1978, Jedi was the only SW movie I got to experience in the original theatrical run, and it was the only one I had ever seen for years afterward.  I definitely prefer the other two but I have a lot of fond memories of Jedi and there's a lot of things I love about the film itself.

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Ryan McAvoy said:

ROTJ is obviously the best Star Wars film, but we all already agreed on that in this thread...

ROTJ is the best Star Wars film... discuss!

 I wasn't aware of the existence of that thread. I tried to look around and make sure that this thread wasn't going to be redundant, but that doesn't always work out. 

The Person in Question

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The skiff battle is awesome. I'm still stoked to see whiny Luke from SW finally G-up. 

Vader taunting Luke in the shadows under the Empy's throne is still chilling. 

And I love Ewoks! 

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The death of the Emperor is brilliant. It is very unique as well. Not the usual stupid showdown battle. It comes unexpectedly and it is crude, simple and swift.

真実

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buddy-x-wing said:

I was 12 when it came out in the Cinemas and it was my favourite of the trilogy, by about 15 I preferred Empire. So for 3 years it was my favourite film of all time until my tastes matured . As an adult I can see what is wrong with it and what it lacked in hindsight, but at the time it seemedthe perfect ending to the trilogy.

 You just described my experience as a kid.

I saw ROTJ when I was 11 years old, and I LOVED it as it was my favorite of the trilogy in 1983.  I would say around late 80's/early 90's the Trilogy started coming on SyFy Network as a marathon for the first time, and I started to realize how great Empire was and how inferior Jedi was.  

The irony about Jedi is as a kid I loved the Jabba part, and didn't mind the Ewoks, and thought the Throne Rooms Scenes were OK.  As I got older I thought the Jabba part dragged, the Ewoks were lame, and now I love the Throne Room Scenes.

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moviefreakedmind said:

Ryan McAvoy said:

ROTJ is obviously the best Star Wars film, but we all already agreed on that in this thread...

ROTJ is the best Star Wars film... discuss!

 I wasn't aware of the existence of that thread. I tried to look around and make sure that this thread wasn't going to be redundant, but that doesn't always work out. 

 Usually a Google search helps.

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TV's Frink said:

moviefreakedmind said:

Ryan McAvoy said:

ROTJ is obviously the best Star Wars film, but we all already agreed on that in this thread...

ROTJ is the best Star Wars film... discuss!

 I wasn't aware of the existence of that thread. I tried to look around and make sure that this thread wasn't going to be redundant, but that doesn't always work out. 

 Usually a Google search helps.

 

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Luke's Lightsaber design.

Nilo's costumes.

Kasdan's script.

Williams Music.

Hamill's acting, the maturity he brings to the role. Although i hear he hated the script and direction by Marquand

The overall design sense created by Ralph McQuarrie.

The beautiful Matte paintings though they are not quite as good in my opinion as those in Empire strikes back.

I too like the Skiff fight with exceptions the lightsaber does not cut anything and the effects are dodgy it looks like Luke has a baseball bat.

“Always loved Vader’s wordless self sacrifice. Another shitty, clueless, revision like Greedo and young Anakin’s ghost. What a fucking shame.” -Simon Pegg.

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My favorite Star Wars movie! Luke's outfit was miles above anything that came before. Ian McDiarmid was excellent! Better than anything he has done in the prequel movies!. The real sense of danger, as it seems the Emperor actually new everything in advance! Jabba's palace was amazing! Boba Fet! Lando! The newly constructede Death Star! What's not to like!

All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.

T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia)

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I like many things about RotJ. The ewoks are tolerable, but annoying, and there are some other minor problems with it, but over all I think it's a pretty good movie. I've always loved the space battle, particularly the beginning with the approaching TIEs and the dive into the Death Star; Ian McDiarmid's acting (I hope I spelled his name correctly); Jabba and his palace; and a lot of little things, like Luke's reveal. I'm sure I'm forgetting other things, since I haven't seen it in some time, but those are the main ones.

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TV's Frink said:

moviefreakedmind said:

Ryan McAvoy said:

ROTJ is obviously the best Star Wars film, but we all already agreed on that in this thread...

ROTJ is the best Star Wars film... discuss!

 I wasn't aware of the existence of that thread. I tried to look around and make sure that this thread wasn't going to be redundant, but that doesn't always work out. 

 Usually a Google search helps.

 I did that

The Person in Question

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You used site:originaltrilogy.com/forum right?

Nobody sang The Bunny Song in years…

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Danfun128 said:

You used site:originaltrilogy.com/forum right?

 Yes, I think the reason the other thread didn't come up was because the title was ROTJ rather than Return of the Jedi. 

The Person in Question

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TheBoost said:

TV's Frink said:

moviefreakedmind said:

Ryan McAvoy said:

ROTJ is obviously the best Star Wars film, but we all already agreed on that in this thread...

ROTJ is the best Star Wars film... discuss!

 I wasn't aware of the existence of that thread. I tried to look around and make sure that this thread wasn't going to be redundant, but that doesn't always work out. 

 Usually a Google search helps.

 

 You're using it wrong.

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I actually watch Jedi more often than Empire. And I like the Ewoks.  

Ewok pride baby!

It seems like people are really embracing the new characters. In fact, the big question people ask me now about Star Wars is, “Are Finn and Poe gay lovers?” And really how the f*ck would I know? My second husband left me for a man, so my gaydar isn’t exactly what you’d call Death Star level quality. ----Carrie Fisher

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lovelikewinter said:

I like the Ewoks.

I like Ewoks, too.

Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Yum, num!

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Characters... Jabba is a great gangster, the Emperor is an awesome evil villain.  Great characters make up for all the plot holes.  It also has one major advantage over ESB, in that it is less claustrophobic.  ESB, although it is "better", takes place primarily in cramped, small places.  Whereas ROTJ manages to ressurrect the more expansive feel of the universe we experienced in SW.

"Close the blast doors!"
Puggo’s website | Rescuing Star Wars

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I'm rather vocal about my problems with Jedi however the build up of tension in the first act is well orchestrated even if Luke's plan makes zero sense. The moment the saber lands in Luke's hand was and is one of the most thrilling moments in the whole saga.

Ian is brilliant, a bit of a let down after spookyape ladyman but he doesn't drop the ball for a second. Imagine a showdown between him and Jean Marsh's character in Willow.

The space battle was years ahead of it's time. It looks a bit ropey in places but we have access to home cinema and can spot the flaws. Back in 1983 I was astonished by what they achieved even though I wasn't really digging the story.

The most impressive thing for me about ROTJ is Mark Hamill. This is where he shines the most. Partly because Harrison and Carrie seem to be waiting for the paycheck but mostly because he had grown as an actor and took the role seriously enough to add little details which deliberately evoke Alec Guinness' performance in the first film. You really get the impression of a student who has surpassed his mentor's expectations. He deserved to be a big star from that moment on but sadly that hasn't happened yet.