Star Wars - Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), the third film in the original three-episode series, completes the cycle started back in 1977. The story has come full circle; in fact, it even repeats the basic premise of the first feature, Episode IV: A New Hope - in this case, with the rebuilding of a larger, more destructive, and "fully operational" battle station and the Rebel forces allied to combat it.
The opening scroll makes the case from the start: Luke Skywalker has gone back to his home planet of Tatooine in order to rescue Han Solo from the evil clutches of Jabba the Hutt. In the meantime, the Galactic Empire has been beefing up its defenses against further attack. Their plan? To counter any future assaults with another "secret" weapon: an impenetrable new Death Star. Big and bad, that's all they care about.
On the one hand, the Empire must be stopped at all costs. And on the other, the epic confrontation between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker must take place. In their prior encounter ( Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back), Luke lost a limb and almost his life, just as Yoda and Obi-Wan had predicted, to Vader's lightsaber. But the circle must be closed. The two must meet each other again to finish what had been started.
Before all this can take place, however, Han Solo must be freed from his carbonite confines. And to that end, producer George Lucas decided to divide his picture into three distinct parts, mirroring the three decisive issues at stake: 1) the rescue of Han and his budding relationship with Princess Leia; 2) the Rebel Alliance's clash with the Galactic Empire (to involve the furry Ewoks); and 3) Luke and Vader's duel to the death.
If notions of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings ring any bells with readers, that's because the mythological constructs present in the Star Wars trilogy have been etched in higher relief with this, the final installment of Lucas' space opera.
Originally titled Revenge of the Jedi (until Lucas correctly surmised that Jedi do not seek retribution against their foes), Return of the Jedi starts off with a display of the Empire's awesome arsenal. The images are large in proportion to their surroundings, and the Battle Cruisers are massive in their scale. Indeed, there are more FX shots throughout this feature than in the other two films combined.
In time to his gravely portentous theme music (i.e., the Imperial March), Lord Vader arrives at the new Death Star's docking bay to deliver a brief "pep" talk to the Commander in charge, Tiaan Jerjerrod. The Emperor is displeased with the lack of progress, Vader hints, hence the reason he's been sent ahead: to (ahem) speed things up. Placing a gloved hand in the commander's kisser (gulp!), Vader warns that His Excellency will soon make a personal appearance to inspect the end results. Oh, joy!
A quick wipe takes us to Tatooine, where C-3PO and R2-D2 grouse at each other about their latest mission. Grumbling and complaining every step of the way, Threepio knocks timidly at the gate of Jabba the Hutt's palace. Relieved that no one has answered, he's about to scurry off in the other direction, when suddenly a mechanical arm pops out to probe the intruders. Threepio states his case: they need to see Jabba. The mechanical arm retracts.
Thinking they won't be led in, Threepio and Artoo are startled when the huge gate opens to permit their entry. They're greeted by the red-eyed Bib Fortuna, Jabba's adviser, and some pig-like Gamorrean guards. Jabbering in makeshift "Huttese" (a composite of Central African and/or Asian Pacific dialects), Threepio claims to have a message for Mr. The Hutt, as well as a gift.
"Gift? What gift?" questions Threepio. Artoo beeps out a response. No matter, they are escorted directly to Jabba's throne room.
At the throne room, viewers are greeted with all manner of intergalactic beings. Among the assorted aliens are smugglers, thieves, scoundrels, and lowlife types, specifically the bounty hunter Boba Fett and a disguised Lando Calrissian (he's wearing a helmet with four protruding ring tusks emerging from either side). In the revised version of this sequence, new digital creations appear to be milling about, mixed in with old-fashioned puppetry and dozens of rubber-masked extras.
Lucas was never pleased with this sequence to begin with. And true to his ever-shifting nature, he couldn't help fiddling around with it a good 20 or so years after the fact. By that, we mean filling in and touching up the empty spaces and dark corners with computer-generated hookers, dancers and what-have-you. Speaking of which, he replaced Max Rebo's bouncy mood music with a most unmemorable number, along with deleting puppet pop star Sy Snootles - mostly to the scene's detriment and the fans' eternal enmity.
So much of the original's charm has been lost because of these foolish "makeovers." Personally, I find Lucas' so-called enhancements to be unappealing and devoid of inspiration. They've been tossed into the salad more to please the producer's whims. In addition, they detract from the main story line, one of which has to do with Han Solo's reawakening from his forced "slumber" to his rebirth as a freedom fighter. The other involves Master Luke's growing maturity in the adult world, where taking responsibility for one's actions has severe and long-lasting consequences.
The sad part is that Lucas did not stop there. Much to everyone's dismay, he went on to tinker with practically every special effect sequence he could find, all the way to the end. Although his gratuitous meddling did not affect the other two features to the extent that was perpetrated in Return of the Jedi, the "damage" that was inflicted has taken their toll on this production. (Oh, sigh...)
A Fun Time is Had By AllFortunately, curvaceous Oola and the birdlike Salacious Crumb were spared the iniquity. Crumb's hideous cackle was, and still is, a highpoint of Jabba's court. Speaking of which, Threepio and Artoo are brought before the disgusting slug. Artoo plays a recorded message of Luke offering the two droids to Jabba as a goodwill gesture. Threepio is appalled at the prospect. Regardless, he and Artoo are taken to the boiler room where they're inducted into the Hutt's service.
Meanwhile, Oola does an enticing dance, but Jabba wants more from her. She hesitates (bad move!). Tugging at Oola's chain, Jabba throws open a trap door which causes the dancer to fall into a pit - a pit that houses the monstrous Rancor beast. Her terrified screams fill the throne room, while Threepio looks squeamishly away.
Just then, a disturbance is heard as a strange little alien appears with the mighty Chewbacca on a leash. The alien asks for a stratospheric amount as bounty, which throws Jabba into a rage; so much so that he knocks poor Threepio to the floor. The Hutt's counteroffer is accepted as Chewie is led off to prison. Boba Fett, who knows a thing or two about bounties, eyes the little alien with suspicion.
Later that night, while most of Jabba's cronies are asleep, the tiny alien is spotted making its way toward where the frozen figure of Han Solo. The alien lowers the figure onto the floor with a powerful thud. Adjusting the controls on the carbonite's outer hull, the structure slowly gives way until the unfrozen form of Solo emerges. Han falls to the floor and is cradled in the alien's arms. As you may have guessed, the alien is none other than Princess Leia in disguise.
Han is blinded by hibernation sickness, but the alien/Leia assures him it will wear off in time. "Who are you"? he asks. "Someone who loves you," she replies, to the tune of their love motif. At that point, Jabba's bawdy chuckle is heard, along with those of the other no-good-nicks. A protesting Han is taken away, but Leia is forced to take Oola's place by Jabba's side (yuck). He flicks his lustful tongue at her in anticipation. Again, Threepio looks the other way in disgust.
Transitioning to the jail cell where Chewie has been held, the eight-foot-tall walking carpet greets old buddy Han with a warm bear hug of recognition. The disbelieving Han is happy to "see" (more like "feel") his old companion, but is astonished to learn that Luke is now a Jedi knight and will be arriving soon to free them from their bonds. Yeah, right...
There's Safety in NumbersWe can assume that some time has elapsed before we're back at the gate. The heavy steel doors open with a metallic clang (great room-rattling sound effects!) as the Gamorrean guards are mysteriously brushed aside to allow a hooded stranger safe passage. It's Luke, of course, doing his best Obi-Wan imitation (or is it Lawrence of Arabia?). He easily manipulates the susceptible Bib Fortuna into taking him to Jabba.
Upon entering the throne room, we see that Leia has taken Oola's place as the trophy dancer alongside Jabba the horny Hutt. How do we know this? Why, she's dressed (or, rather, UN-dressed) in a skimpy outfit - and she's wearing Oola's chain about her neck. Nice touch, that!
Threepio is thrilled to see Master Luke, but Jabba is furious with Bib, who gets smacked down in short order. Jabba is unimpressed by Luke's calm, Jedi-like demeanor. In no time, Luke grabs hold of a weapon, but Jabba beats him to the punch.
Both Luke and a Gamorrean guard drop through the floor (bet you knew THAT was coming!) and into the Rancor's lair. The court gathers around the opening to watch Luke and the guard struggle to escape the huge Rancor's grasp - second time's the charm? Maybe not! The Rancor, an actual Muppet blown up to cinematic proportions, makes short work of the guard. Next, it turns on Luke, who scrambles about the pit looking for any kind of weapon to beat the monster to a pulp.
Their battle has its ups and downs (for the time, it's actually quite impressive). Using his catlike reflexes, Luke ducks his way into a corner and notices that the Rancor is about to pass under a gate. Thinking quickly, Luke grabs hold of a handy skull and tosses it in the direction of a switch. Crash! The gate comes down on the poor, unsuspecting creature, killing it instantly. The watching throng gasps in disbelief while Jabba throws another shit-fit.
It's at this point that Lucas and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan (executed by director Richard Marquand) add what the late movie critic Roger Ebert termed "a small moment ... that extra level of detail that makes the Star Wars pictures much more than just space operas." To wit, they have the Rancor's keeper, in particular a burly, overweight bloke, break down and cry at the sight of the mangled beast. "Everybody loves somebody," wrote Roger. Ain't it the truth?
Ah, but the fun's only getting started! Luke and Han are brought before the enraged Hutt, who has Threepio translate his orders: they are both to walk the plank and suffer a thousand years of agony as (quote) "they are cast into the pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlacc." Oh, my! The prisoners (what, again???) are dragged away. Meanwhile, Chewie and Leia (according to the script) "exchange concerned looks." Concerned did you say? Heaven forbid!
In the Belly of the BeastThe scene changes to the Tatooine desert (filmed in Yuma, Arizona) where the gruesome Sarlacc resides. There is another of those extraneous bits, this one involving the buffalo-like Banthas (courtesy of Industrial Light and Magic, or ILM). Jabba's barge hovers close by, along with two nearby skiffs. Luke and Han are aboard one of them. To ease the tension, the duo trades some light-hearted banter. Switching to the barge, Threepio bumps into Artoo who is serving drinks to the invited guests; back at the Sarlacc, everything is made ready for the coming execution.
Threepio delivers a short speech about begging Jabba for mercy. You'll notice that Lando has moved into position, while Luke gives him and others a look of recognition. Without warning, Luke does a reasonable imitation of Olympic gold-medalist Greg Louganis as he high dives off the gang plank to turn himself around. Artoo shoots off Master Luke's lightsaber which signals to everyone to get into fight mode.
General mayhem ensues, with guards and other standbys, including possibly Lando and Han, plunging headlong into the Sarlacc's gaping jaws of death (digitally enhanced, to be precise, to make it look as if Audrey II, the "mean green mother from outer space" from The Little Shop of Horrors, had rented living space inside). Another needless expansion features an added bit with Boba Fett for no other reason than to capitalize on the subsequent popularity of this minor character. There's no point to these irrelevant supplements except to drag out the action to interminable lengths.
One charming sequence, though, occurs at the barge, where Leia, taking advantage of the confusion, wraps her chain around Jabba's neck and chokes the living daylights out of him. With eyes bulging and slimy tongue protruding, the infamous Hutt meets a fitting end as his thick tail rattles away. His demise should be greeted with thunderous applause, but the danger is not yet over for our intrepid heroes.
Han and Lando dangle precariously for dear life (and exchange comedic barbs at one another), while Luke continues to slice his way through to eventually reach Leia. A wounded Chewie does his best to keep it together, but is saved from annihilation when Luke overwhelms the gunners. Meanwhile, Artoo relieves Leia of her bondage; at the same time, the little droid takes potshots at the mischievous Salacious Crumb, who's busy picking at one of Threepio's metallic eyelids. (Ew, don't you hate it when that happens?)
With Luke and Leia in command of the barge, Artoo and Threepio abandon ship. After they plunge head-first into the hot desert sand, Luke grabs Leia in another of those Tarzan swings (one he's perfected since Episode IV: A New Hope) and kicks the deck gun into high gear. As a result, the barge explodes into a gazillion pieces.
Luke and Leia land safely onto the skiff which, as luck would have it, contains Chewie and Lando and the nearly sightless Han. Off they go, but not before they pick up Threepio and Artoo. Note: The sight of C-3PO's spindly metallic legs sticking out like golden antennae always provokes a gale of laughter.
(End Part Eight)
To be continued....
Transcript of dialogue from the original screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas, and taken from the novel by Lucas Copyright © 2019 by Josmar F. Lopes
