The Great Movie Re-Watch

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)

Director:

Richard Marquand

Writers:

Lawrence Kasdan

George Lucas

Starring:

Mark Hamill

Harrison Ford

Carrie Fisher

Billy Dee Williams

Ian McDiarmid

Blurb:

After a daring mission to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, the Rebels dispatch to Endor to destroy the second Death Star. Meanwhile, Luke struggles to help Darth Vader back from the dark side without falling into the Emperor’s trap.

Thoughts:

The changes that George Lucas has made to Return of the Jedi have made it almost unwatchable. The musicians in Jabba’s palace are so bad that I can’t even look at the screen when they’re on. Changing the music at the end means that I end the trilogy without that nostalgia hit that brings back all the happy memories from my youth. Not to mention the new song is just plain boring when compared to the old one. Then there’s the replacement of Sebastian Shaw’s Anakin with Hayden Christensen. It is all infuriating.

I had never seen these new changes until the blu-rays. When the six movie box set was released on blu-ray, my husband and I watched it straight through one day. Ending the series without listening to “Yub Nub” left a fun experience on a sour note. Return used to be my favorite Star Wars movie as a child, and now I couldn’t tell you the last time I watched it. I get angry just thinking about all that was done to it.

Once again, I will be there on day one when they release non-fucked up versions of this film. My husband has a theory that George Lucas made a deal when he sold Lucas Film that Disney couldn’t release the original cuts in his lifetime. If that’s the case…

Anyway, this was the end of one of the most influential series of my childhood. It makes me sad that I couldn’t enjoy my re-watch.