10 Aspects of Return of the Jedi That Haven't Aged Well
Return of the Jedi holds a special place in Star Wars history, but some elements of the film are outdated. Each film in the original Star Wars trilogy is a timeless classic that changed cinema and created a new legend for the modern age. However, Return of the Jedi is often considered the weakest of the original films, meaning it hasn’t aged as well as A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. There are a number of reasons why audiences view Return of the Jedi this way. Some aspects are repetitive, the filmmaking is a step back from The Empire Strikes Back and there is a greater effort to appeal to children. It’s reasonable that a 40-year-old film might not hold up perfectly to modern standards, but whatever the reason, there are 10 specific elements of Return of the Jedi that have aged very well.
The Second Death Star
Star Wars: The Force Awakens may have been criticized for creating another superweapon, but this trend began with Return of the Jedi. The opening crawl states that the Empire is building “a new armored space station even more powerful than the first dreaded Death Star,” only to reveal that it’s nothing more than an incomplete copy. This space station could have at least had a new design or a different kind of weapon to distinguish itself, raising the stakes from A New Hope. Unfortunately, the second Death Star represents a lack of imagination, and it seems odd for the Empire to invest more resources in repeating its worst mistake.
The Visuals And Special Effects
Most of Return of the Jedi’s visuals and special effects are groundbreaking, but some scenes still haven’t aged well. Setting tends to be the most notable issue, from the landscape of Tatooine when Luke Skywalker tells Han Solo of the plan to the matte painting of the Millennium Falcon when Lando Calrissian promises to take care of the ship. The chase on Endor is fun action, but it’s clear the actors are standing in front of a green screen. Return of the Jedi is still a technically impressive film, but is clearly a step down from The Empire Strikes Back, which was exceptionally crafted with polished visual effects.
The Jabba’s Palace Scenes
The scenes at Jabba’s Palace and the sarlacc pit contain some of the most entertaining moments in Star Wars, but they also go on way too long. Return of the Jedi had to resolve cliffhangers and tie up the trilogy’s Jabba the Hutt subplot, but the writers could have done so more efficiently. Luke’s Return of the Jedi plan makes no sense, as it’s unnecessarily complicated and only worked out because the script needed it to. Thirty-five minutes have passed by the time the heroes leave Tatooine, and Luke still has to talk to Yoda and Obi-Wan before the main plot can continue.
The Special Edition Changes
The first two Star Wars films had bad Special Edition changes, but George Lucas’ changes hurt Return of the Jedi the most. The “Jedi Rocks” musical number in Jabba’s Palace is an awful new song that clashes with the scene’s tone, and the CGI characters are out of place in a movie from the 1980s. Distracting CGI plagues other moments in the film, such as the new sarlacc pit and the blinking Ewoks. Some changes ruin crucial moments, particularly Darth Vader screaming “No!” when he saves Luke. Not all the Special Edition changes are bad, but none were necessary, and several of them hurt Return of the Jedi.
The Slave Leia Costume
Carrie Fisher could look stunning in her Slave Leia costume, but it would never work if a Star Wars director asked an actress to do it today. Audiences increasingly expect more from the way female characters are treated on screen, so Star Wars would likely cause controversy if a movie or TV show called for someone like Rey, Ahsoka Tano or Hera Syndulla wears such revealing outfits. This is especially awkward when Leia, the only significant female character in the original trilogy, is forced to wear a skimpy outfit while her male counterparts don’t. Slave Leia’s costume is certainly iconic but still hasn’t aged well by modern standards.
Obi-Wan’s Explanation For Lying To Luke
Obi-Wan Kenobi had good reason to lie to Luke, and “From a certain perspective” became an iconic Star Wars line, but that doesn’t change the fact that the explanation Obi-Wan’s was lacking. Instead of apologizing or trying to make Luke understand his reasons, Obi-Wan presents his lie as the truth from a different perspective, even though he intentionally misleads Luke. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith helps audiences understand Obi-Wan’s predicament but makes his explanation more confusing. Obi-Wan was right that one’s opinion mattered, but that wasn’t the explanation Luke needed.
The Action Sequences On Endor
The Battle of Endor contains some of Star Wars’ best moments, but some of the action scenes aren’t very good. This is especially true when the Ewoks join the fight, as it looks unconvincing when the small teddy bear-like creatures are taking down armored stormtroopers. Other dated moments include a guard falling for Han’s obvious trick, Leia knocking out a stormtrooper with a stick, and not enough focus on the rebel soldiers in the third act.
The Ewoks
The Ewoks have always been one of the most divisive aspects of Return of the Jedi, and for good reason. Aside from their action scenes looking unconvincing, there’s too much focus on how cute and silly they are, which was likely meant to appeal to kids. Lucas considered having Wookiees instead, which would have worked better and given Chewbacca a more meaningful role in the film.
Han’s Jealousy Over Luke & Leia
Although Leia declared her love for Han as soon as she freed him from carbonite, Return of the Jedi created a love triangle midway through. Not only is this unnecessary, but it also seems strange considering the audience already knows Luke and Leia are siblings. It feels like this was pushed since Han doesn’t have much of a character arc this time around, but it’s a subplot that ultimately adds nothing to the film.
Leia Remembering Her Mother
Although it’s not Return of the Jedi’s fault, the scene where Leia remembers her mother no longer lingers. That’s thanks to Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith revealing that Padmé Amidala died shortly after giving birth to Luke and Leia. It makes no sense for Leia to remember her mother. So, even though this scene is well-written and beautifully shot, it is no longer part of the Star Wars canon. Return of the Jedi was a satisfying conclusion to the original trilogy, but after 40 years of new Star Wars stories and changes in filmmaking, it’s not surprising that some elements have aged well. is reasonable.