Friday, September 2, 2011

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi Review









Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi


Release Date: 27th October 1983 – Australia


Production Companies
Lucasfilm Ltd.

Distribution
20th Century Fox Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: PG

Runtime: 132 minutes
                 134 minutes
                 (Special Edition)
                 135 minutes (2004
                 Edition)


Budget: $42,700,000

Box Office Gross: $482,366,101 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
After venturing to Tatooine to rescue Han Solo from the notorious crime lord Jabba the Hutt, Luke Skywalker, Han, and Princess Leia travel to the forest moon of Endor to help the Rebels mount a full-scale assault on the Imperial base. Along the way, they gain unexpected allies with a primitive race known as the Ewoks.

Luke must confront Darth Vader and the Emperor as they plan to convert him to the dark side. They were also constructing a second Death Star, which the Rebels intended to destroy.


Cast
Mark Hamill – Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford – Han Solo
Carrie Fisher – Princess
Leia Organa
Billy Dee Williams – Lando
Calrissian
Anthony Daniels – C-3PO
Kenny Baker – R2-D2/Paploo
Peter Mayhew – Chewbacca
David Prowse – Darth Vader
James Earl Jones – Darth Vader (Voice)
Ian McDiarmid – Emperor Palpatine
Sebastian Shaw – Anakin Skywalker
Hayden Christensen – Anakin Skywalker (2004 Edition) (Uncredited)
Alec Guinness – Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi
Frank Oz – Yoda (Voice)
Denis Lawson – Wedge Antilles
Kenneth Colley – Admiral Piett
Michael Pennington – Moff
Jerjerrod
Warwick Davis – Wicket
Jeremy Bulloch – Boba Fett
Larry Ward – Jabba the Hutt
(Voice) (Uncredited)
Tim Rose – Admiral Ackbar
Caroline Blakiston – Mon
Mothma
Dermot Crowley – General Madine
Michael Carter – Bib Fortuna
Erik Bauersfeld – Bib
Fortuna/Admiral Ackbar (Voices)
Femi Taylor – Oola
Annie Arbogast – Sy Snootles
Claire Davenport – Fat Dancer
Jack Purvis – Teebo
Mike Edmonds – Logray
Jane Busby – Chief Chirpa
Malcolm Dixon – Ewok Warrior
Mike Cottrell – Ewok Warrior
Debbie Lee Carrington – Romba Ewok
Nicolas Read – Nicki
Adam Bareham – Stardestroyer Controller #1
Jonathan Oliver – Stardestroyer Controller #2
Pip Miller – Stardestroyer Captain #1
Ton Mannion – Stardestroyer Captain #2
Mike Quinn – Nien Nunb/Ree-Yees/
Sy Snootles/Yoda/Wol Cabbashite (Uncredited)
Pat Welsh – Boushh (Voice) (Uncredited)
Kipsang Rotich – Nien Nunb (Voice)
(Uncredited)
Mark Dodson – Salacious Crumb (Voice)
(Uncredited)
Deep Roy – Droopy McCool (Uncredited)
Maurice Bush – Dengar – The Bounty Hunter
(Uncredited)
Paul Brooke – Malakili – The Rancor Keeper
(Uncredited)
Gerald Home – Tessek/Mon Calamari Officer
(Uncredited)
Simon J. Williamson – Max Rebo (Uncredited)
Don Bies – Barquin D'an/Boba Fett
(Special Edition) (Uncredited)
Nelson Hall – Doda Bodonawieedo/
Boba Fett (Special Edition) (Uncredited)
Sean Crawford – Saelt 'Yak Face' Marae –
Member of Jabba's Gang/Mon Calamari
Officer (Uncredited)
Tim Dry – J'Quille – Jabba's Bounty Hunter/
Tanus Spijek – Jabba's Informat (Uncredited)
Dickey Baer – Barada/Stormtrooper/
Biker Scout (Uncredited)
Alisa Berk – Amanaman – Jabba's Bounty
Hunter (Uncredited)
Philip Herbert – Hermi Odle – Jabba's 2nd
Servant (Uncredited)
John Simpkin – Klaatu (Uncredited)
Corey Dee Williams – Klaatu (Uncredited)
Larry Holt – Taym Dren-garen/Biker Scout/
Sergeant Bruckman (Uncredited)
Hugh Spight – Gamorrean Guard (Uncredited)
Trevor Butterfield – Lieutenant Blount –
Rebel Soldier/Trandoshan – Member of
Jabba's Gang/Stormtrooper/Calamari Warrior/
Giran – Malakili's Assistant (Uncredited)
Richard Bonehill – Nien Numb/
Stormtrooper/Mon Calamari/Ree-Yees/
Mosep/Z-Winged Pilot/Tie Pilot (Uncredited)
Hilton McRae – Arvel Crynyd (Uncredited)
Billy J. Mitchell – Keir Santage (Red Seven)
(Uncredited)
Eiji Kusuhara – Lieutenant Telsij – Grey
Squadron (Uncredited)
Poppy Hands – Rebel Pilot Sila Knott
(Uncredited)
Michael Drew – Jake Farrell – Lead Rebel
A-Wing Pilot
Peter Roy – Major Olander Brit – Rebel
Glyn Baker – Lieutenant Endicott –
Imperial Officer (Uncredited)
Jasper Jacob – Captain Yorr – Imperial
Pilot of ST321 (Uncredited)
Mike Havord – Colonel Jendon – Imperial
Co-Pilot of ST321 (Uncredited)
Barrie Holland – Lt. Renz
Ben Burtt – "Freeze" Officer in Endor Bunker/
Tortured Power Droid (Voice) (Cameo)
(Uncredited)
Richard Marquand – Maj. Marquand –
AT-ST Driver/EV-9D9 (Voice) (Cameo)
(Uncredited)
Robert Watts – Lt. Watts – AT-ST Driver
(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew
Director – Richard Marquand
Story/Screenplay/Executive Producer/
Second Unit Director (Uncredited) 
George Lucas
Screenplay – Lawrence Kazdan
Producers – Howard G. Kazanjian and
Rick McCallum (Special Edition)
Co-Producers – Robert Watts and Jim Bloom
Casting Director – Mary Selway
Choreographer Gillian Gregory
Production Designer – Norman Reynolds
Conceptual Artist – Ralph McQuarrie
Art Directors – Fred Hole and James L. Schoppe
Assistant Art Directors – Richard Dawking,
John Fenner and Michael Lamont
Set Decorators – Michael Ford and Harry Lange
Costume Designers – Aggie Guerard Rodgers
and Nilo Rodis-Jamero
Makeup and Creature Design – Stuart Freeborn
and Phil Tippett
Chief Makeup Artists – Graham Freeborn
and Tom Smith
Makeup Artists – Nick Dudman, Kay Freeborn,
Richard Mills, Peter Robb-King, Karen Bradley
(Uncredited), Alan Brownie (Uncredited) and
Daniel Parker (Uncredited)
Creature Design & Effects (Uncredited)/
Consultant – Chris Walas
Creature Consultant – Jon Berg
Director of Photography – Alan Hume
Director of Photography (Uncredited)/Operating
Cameraman – Alec Mills
Location Director of Photography – James Glennon
Operating Cameramen – Mike Benson
and Thomas Laughridge
Production Supervisor – Douglas Twiddy
Production Coordinator  Lata Ryan
Production Executive – Robert Latham Brown
Production Assistant – Ian Bryce
Unit Production Manager Miki Herman
Assistant Production Manager – Patricia Carr
First Assistant Director/Second Unit Director –
David Tomblin
Second Assistant Directors – Roy Button,
Russell Lodge, Christopher Newman,
Michael E. Steele and Eric Jewett (Uncredited)
Second Unit Director – Roger Christian
(Uncredited)
Helicopter Pilot – Marc Wolff
Stunt Arranger – Peter Diamond
Stunt Co-Coordinator Glenn Randall Jr.
Special Effects Supervisor – Roy Arbogast
Mechanical Effects Supervision – Kit West
Chief Articulation Engineer – Stuart Ziff
Chief Creature Maker (Special Edition) –
Harold Weed
Visual Effects – Dennis Muren, Richard Edlund
and Ken Ralston
Key Sculptor/Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM
(Special Edition) Dave Carson
Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM (Special Edition) –
John Knoll
Visual Effects Producer: ILM (Special Edition)
Tom Kennedy
General Manager: ILM – Thomas G. Smith
Art Director: Visual Effects, ILM – Joe Johnston
Visual Effects Art Director: ILM (Special Edition)
George Hull
Assistant Visual Effects Art Director: ILM
(Special Edition) – Alexander Laurant
Effects Cameramen: ILM – Don Dow, 
Michael J. McAlister, Bill Neil, Scott Farrar,
Selwyn Eddy, Michael Owens, Robert Elswit,
Rick Fichter, Stewart Barbee, Mark Gredell and
David R. Hardberger
Assistant Cameramen: ILM – Pat Sweeney,
Kim Marks, Robert Hill, Ray Gilberti,
Randy Jonsson, Patrick McArdle, Peter Daulton,
Bess Wiley, Maryan Evans, Toby Heindel,
David Fincher and Pete Romano
Production Supervisor: ILM – Patricia Rose Duignan
Chief Model Makers: ILM – Charles Bailey,
Paul Huston, Michael Fulmer and Ease Owyeung
Model Shop Supervisors: ILM – Lorne Peterson
and Steve Gawley
Pyrotechnicians: ILM – Thaine Morris and David Pier
Matte Painting Supervisor: ILM – Michael Pangrazio
Matte Photography: ILM  Craig Barron
and Neil Krepela
Stop Motion Animator: ILM – Tom St. Amand
Optical Photography Supervisor: ILM –
Bruce Nicholson
Supervising Stage Technician: ILM – Ted Moehnke
Stage Technicians: ILM – Lance Brackett,
Dave Childers, Harold Cole, Pat Fitzsimmons,
Joe Fulmer, John McLeod, Merlin Ohnm and
Peter Stolz
Stage Technician/Visual Effects Project
Manager: ILM (Special Edition) – Edward Hirsh
Stage Technician/Visual Effects Gaffer: ILM
(Special Edition) – Bob Finley III
Plate Photographer/Steadicam Operator: ILM –
Garrett Brown
Optical Supervisors (Special Edition)
Chris Bushman and Philip Feiner
Computer Graphics: ILM – William Reeves
and Tom Duff
Computer Graphics Supervisors (Special
Edition) – Tom L. Hutchinson and James Tooley
Editors – Sean Barton, Duwayne Dunham,
Marcia Lucas and T.M. Christopher (Special Edition)
Assistant Film Editors – Conrad Buff IV,
Clive Hartley, Nicholas Hosker,
Debra McDermott, Phil Sanderson and
Steve Starkey
Sound Designer (1983, 1997 & 2004
Editions)/Re-Recording Mixer/
Lyricist: Ewokese – Ben Burtt
Supervising Sound Editor (2004 Edition) –
Matthew Wood (Uncredited)
Supervising Assistant (2004 Edition) –
David Acord (Uncredited)
Sound Effects Editor/Sound Editor (Special &
2004 Editions) – Teresa Eckton
Dialogue Editors – Bonnie Koehler,
Laurel Ladevich, Victoria Rose Sampson
and Curt Schulkey
Production Sound/Re-Recording Mixer –
Randy Thom
Re-Recording Mixer – Gary Summers
Re-Recording Mixer (2004 Edition) –
Tom Myers (Uncredited)
Digital Mix Technician (Special Edition) –
Gary A. Rizzo
Film Restoration Supervisor (Special Edition) –
Pete Comandini
Film Restoration Consultant (Special Edition) –
Leon Briggs
Lyricist: Huttese Annie Arbogast
Music Supervisor – Lionel Newman (Uncredited)
Supervising Music Editor – Kenneth Wannberg
Music – John Williams


Awards

1984 Academy Awards
Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects –
Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston
and Phil Tippett (Won)
---------------
Best Art Direction – Norman Reynolds,
Fred Hole, James L. Schoppe and Michael Ford
(Nominated)
Best Sound Editing – Ben Burtt (Nominated)
Best Original Score – John Williams (Nominated)
Best Sound – Ben Burtt, Gary Summers,
Randy Thom and Tony Dawe (Nominated)


Review
As a kid, my favourite Star Wars movie was RETURN OF THE JEDI. Until I recently found The Empire Strikes Back is a much better instalment. JEDI was good at closing the original trilogy, but unfortunately, the film was too family-friendly due to the presence of the Ewoks. Although I still have great nostalgia for JEDI, I now appreciate the darker and more complex storyline of The Empire Strikes Back. This movie does contain some dark scenes, which may frighten and disturb young viewers. My favourite moments in the feature include the Speeder Bike chase, the space battle on the second Death Star and the final lightsaber duel of Luke vs Darth Vader.

Though far from perfect, JEDI remains an impressive conclusion to a trilogy beloved by many fans. Some people might say that the film is the weakest of them all. It still boasts breathtaking visuals, memorable characters, and an epic storyline that ties up all the loose ends. There was no more Star Wars until The Phantom Menace came out in 1999. Watch the movie and discover that Luke is related to someone other than Vader. Other films in the original trilogy you want to check out include A New Hope and Empire.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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