Saved the Best for Last

I am aware that most serious Star Wars fans are slightly embarrassed by this final portion of the trilogy, in large part due to the Ewoks, but I stand by my opinion of this movie as the best of the three. It includes that incredible scene in Jabba the Hutt's palace, wherein Leia melts Han, Luke defeats the disgusting creature in Jabba's pit, Leia strangles Jabba, and Luke and Han escape their sentence of being slowly digested by a gigantic creature with a thousand teeth.

Luke returns to Yoda to find that his mentor is dying, and he learns the truth of his father's identity. While talking with the spirit of Obi, he discovers that he has a twin sister. One of the most powerful moments in the movie occurs when he finally tells Leia of their connection, saying, "The force is strong in my family. My father had it, I have it, and my...sister has it."

Family becomes a major part of the end of this epic. Luke and Leia discover that the love they have for one another is familial rather than romantic, though no less profound. Now Leia can love both Han and Luke without guilt. I love the little scene at the end when Han reluctantly tells Leia she should be with Luke because she loves him and Leia replies that Luke is her brother and proceeds to kiss him. That look of befuddlement molding into a "hey, this worked out really great!" expression is priceless.

And, of course, the relationship between Luke and his father. In the end, Darth Vader is a sympathetic character. Luke's assessment that there is still good in him is correct. Luke loves his father and is unable to destroy him, and Vader, in turn, is moved to become Annakin Skywalker once more in order to save his son and overthrow the emperor whom he had served for such a long time. He knows he cannot survive as Annakin any longer, but he dies happily, having finally been returned to the light side.

The most entertaining aspect of The Return of the Jedi was the antics of the Ewoks who populate the lush planet of Endor. These playful creatures are mostly peaceful but prove to be formidable allies for the Rebels --once they decide not to eat them. The teddy bear-like beings live in elaborate treehouses and speak in a very strange and ancient language. They provide a good deal of comic relief but also are shown in moments of sadness as some of their numbers fall to forces of the Empire.

In the end, of course, the Death Star is destroyed and the most dominant evil entity in the universe has been eradicated. Everything ends happily for our heroes, and we are left with a rich feeling of fulfillment that all is now right with the cosmos.