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Return of the Jedi: 22 Years Later Your view on the movie

#1 User is offline   jawaewokgungan Icon

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Posted 15 August 2005 - 04:49 PM

Hi all:

I'm trying to write a short book on the making of "Return of the Jedi." Not really a book, more of an compendium. Just a self published type thing for other fans enjoyment. I want to include a section about the fans views on "Jedi" 22 years after it's release. Based on the IMDB message boards and SW fansites.

Just curious:
"What was your original reaction to "Return of the Jedi" when you first saw it, how ever many years ago? (Whenever it was: 1983, 1995, 1997 or 2004)."

"What's your gut reaction to the film upon seeing it again now?

"How do you feel about the changes made to 'Jed' in 1997 and 2004. Have they changed your overall impression of the film?"

"Have the prequels changed how you feel about "Jedi?"

"And finally, sort of a long question but... Do you see "Jedi" as being a kids film (as Mark Hamill called it) meant for the age 12 and under crowd? And do you think children "get" ROTJ more than any of the original films?"

Thanks for the feedback. I'll post links to the book as soon as I get it assembled.
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#2 User is offline   SithAvenger Icon

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Posted 15 August 2005 - 07:13 PM

1.- I loved it the first time I saw it and I liked Jabba.
2.- Jabba sucks and it could have been better.
3.- Yeah of course.
4.- Prequels have made me hate SW.
5.- Yeah.

Good luck with your book.
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#3 User is offline   Storm Shadow Icon

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Posted 15 August 2005 - 11:37 PM

1. When I was a child I thought it was the best Star Wars film of the three.
2. Now I think it's the 4th best (of the 6). And Jabba kicks all kinds of ass.
3. I hate the changes. Why add tentacles to the sarlacc pit monster? It used to look so much more menacing when it was just a pit with fangs. Now it looks like the plant from Little Shop Of Horrors. And dont get me started on Jedi Rocks....Christ.
4. Not really. I kinda like the prequels for the most part, obviously the story could have been better but I try not to focus on the negative. I do feel that Revenge of the Sith is a great addition to the saga, despite its flaws, and I think its alot better than Return of the Jedi (except every part involving Vader, Palps, and Luke...those are untoppable.)
5. Yeah definitely. If you watch the OT from an adult perspective, you can tell Lucas was going for a dramatic shift in direction after the downer ending of Empire Strikes Back.
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Posted 16 August 2005 - 03:48 AM

As I've got older, my tastes have matured (slightly) and I've become more knowledgeable (even more slightly!). As such, my fondness for ROTJ has declined over the years, which hasn't happened with the other two films.

I still enjoy the sail-barge battle opening and the final Vader/Luke/Emperor showdown is fabulous, but overall the film has become less appealing as a whole recently.

I never liked the bastard ewoks though.
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#5 User is offline   ernesttomlinson Icon

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Posted 17 August 2005 - 12:42 AM

1. I saw ROTJ for the first time all the way through in 1997 and, while I enjoyed the film, I was somewhat disappointed. It just didn't live up to the first two.

2. My gut reaction now is, "Ugh." It's just too consistently silly a film and the few really good scenes in it only highlight the mediocrity of the rest of the movie.

3. I haven't seen the 2004 super special edition and don't plan on ever doing so. The 1997 changes hurt the movie. The musical sequence in Jabba's palace is wretched; the adornments to the Sarlacc are pointless; the Big Stupid Ring added to the Death Star explosion is, well, big and stupid. The new music at the end is OK, I guess.

4. ROTJ now seems a kind of dress-rehearsal in miniature for the prequels. Most of the elements are there: the childishness, the silly names, the action set pieces that abandon logic for spectacle, the ham acting...

5. I don't know what children "get". I guess ROTJ is more of a children's film - but then is the final battle between Luke and Vader and the emperor the stuff of a children's film?
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#6 User is offline   Private Zod Icon

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Posted 24 August 2005 - 09:11 PM

QUOTE (jawaewokgungan @ Aug 15 2005, 04:49 PM)
Hi all:

I'm trying to write a short book on the making of "Return of the Jedi." Not really a book, more of an compendium. Just a self published type thing for other fans enjoyment. I want to include a section about the fans views on "Jedi" 22 years after it's release. Based on the IMDB message boards and SW fansites.

Just curious:
"What was your original reaction to "Return of the Jedi" when you first saw it, how ever many years ago? (Whenever it was: 1983, 1995, 1997 or 2004)."

"What's your gut reaction to the film upon seeing it again now?

"How do you feel about the changes made to 'Jed' in 1997 and 2004. Have they changed your overall impression of the film?"

"Have the prequels changed how you feel about "Jedi?"

"And finally, sort of a long question but... Do you see "Jedi" as being a kids film (as Mark Hamill called it) meant for the age 12 and under crowd? And do you think children "get" ROTJ more than any of the original films?"

Thanks for the feedback. I'll post links to the book as soon as I get it assembled.


1. I saw it in 1983 in the theaters when i was 7. At the time and up until around 1991 or so, it was my favorite of the films. As I kid, I idolized Luke and him appearing as a Powerful jedi in the film was probable the reason. As a kid, the empire defeated and rebels winning made my naive heart happy.

2. Now, I think it caters to kids too much and tries to end the trilogy on a happy note with a big bow on it. Some of the dialogue now is corny at best and horrible at worst. and the end of RoTJ seemed like they tried to take all the huge elements of the previous 2 films (ANH Space battle = RotJ Death Star Sapce Battle, Luke vs. Vader in ESB and Rotj, and the Wooded Ground Battle on endor similar to hoth ground battle) and reproduce them in a jumbled spectacular ending. Now, out of the 6 films, it is firmly 4th behind Empire, ANH and Sith.

3. I had no problems with them cleaning up the film and some of the special effects. I also did not mind the last scene where they showed the other worlds celebrating. I HATED the dance number at Jabba's and there was no need to put Hayden instead of Sebastian Shaw at the end.

4. one thing the prequels did was now make me very much more interested in all the scenes involving Luke, Kenobi, Vader and Yoda...while people bitch about the prequels, it did establish you in taht period and all the history that transpired to lead you to the Original trilogy. Luke and ben's first meeting, ben vs. vader rematch, Yoda's first appearance, Ben explaning to Luke why he lied to him on RotJ, etc. Makes those scenes now have an additional layer of background to them which i enjoy more now.

5. He definately marketed RotJ to kids. Look at the ewoks, everyone and the mother knows what an ewok is...but the word "ewok" was never mentioned once in the film. I would think that kids get Phantom Menace more because of Anakin being 8 and the disaster that was Jar-Jar Binks.
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#7 User is offline   georgelucas4greedo Icon

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Posted 25 August 2005 - 09:16 AM

1. I first saw Jedi as a kid (I still rememeber "Lapti Nak"). Then I saw it again in theaters when it came out in Special Edition. I loved it both times. I loved Lukes flip on the Sail Barge the most. He made a great Jedi.

2. Now seeing the film, I realized that its kind of crappy. I still like Jabba Palace but it does not fit. The Endor battle is so god awful that i skipped. The space battle is ok, not as awesome as I remember. The talking scenes are incredibly boring (e.g. Luke and Yoda, Luke and Leia) whereas the talking scenes in ESB really furthered the story and made you think. (Yoda in ESB saying "You would destroy everything your friends have fought for" really makes you wonder if the Rebels knew that Luke could be a Jedi). The duel between Luke, VAder, Emperor still makes my hair stand up, great battle between good and evil. BTW still love Vader's redemption, but it does not fit with the Vader from ESB. And finally, Super Star Destroyer taken down by an A-Wing = complete crap.

3. ROTJ SE has some of the worst changes. Four words: Jedi Rocks, Pubscent Aiken.

4. I dont view the OT in light of the prequels. I hate the prequels so much that I dont consider them canon.

5. Jedi is a kids film. The muppets in Jabbas Palace, the furry midgets, the goofy alien Rebels are all there to sell toys. No substance to this film.
It seems like everyone is over the nitpicking. Too bad.
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