RETURN OF THE JEDI

   Film (1983). Lucasfilm/20th Century-Fox. Executive prod George LUCAS. Dir Richard Marquand, starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Ian McDiarmid, David Prowse. Screenplay Lawrence Kasdan, Lucas, based on a story by Lucas. 132 mins. Colour.

   Crisp and entertaining for the most part, with dazzling special effects, ROTJ still seems weaker than its predecessors, STAR WARS (1977) and The EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980), perhaps because it is more sentimental. Han Solo (Ford) is rescued from literally toadlike Jabba the Hutt in the bravura opening sequence, and then the democratic rebels are pitted once again against a Death Star fortress as part of their galactic struggle against the totalitarian Empire. The Emperor (a cleverly obscene performance from McDiarmid) is an evenstronger incarnation of the Dark Side of the Force than Darth Vader (Prowse), who finally turns good, saves his son Luke, is unmasked and isthen given a Viking's funeral. The forest world of Endor, populated by Ewoks (teddy-bear lookalikes), is the venue for stirring battles. Theappalling cuteness of the Ewoks and the harmless rubbery appearance of the monsters are surely Lucasfilm's acknowledgement, in this finale to the cycle (the threat of 6 further episodes having evaporated), that young children were now the series' main audience: even the potentially painful father-son conflict is more soap opera than oedipal myth. The Ewoks later resurfaced in 2 made-for-tv films, The EWOK ADVENTURE (1984) and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985).The novelization is Star Wars: Return of theJedi * (1983) by James KAHN.

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   See also: CINEMA; HUGO.