Though failing to reach the cinematic heights of its predecessors, Return of the Jedi remains an entertaining sci-fi adventure and a fitting end to the classic trilogy.
Audience Consensus
Return of the Jedi is the perfect ending to the original Star Wars trilogy. It’s got everything you could want – epic battles, lovable characters, and a satisfying conclusion to the story of Darth Vader. Sure, there are some nitpicks to be made, but who cares when you’re having this much fun? It’s a bittersweet goodbye to the characters we’ve grown to love, but we couldn’t have asked for a better send-off. May the Force be with you, always.
Storyline
Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia and Chewbacca face attack by the Imperial forces and its AT-AT walkers on the ice planet Hoth. While Han and Leia escape in the Millennium Falcon, Luke travels to Dagobah in search of Yoda. Only with the Jedi Master’s help will Luke survive when the Dark Side of the Force beckons him into the ultimate duel with Darth Vader.
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for sci-fi action violence
Year of Release
1983
Technical Specs
Color:
Color
Sound mix:
Dolby
Aspect ratio:
2.39 : 1
Runtime:
2h 13m
Language(s):
English
Country of origin:
United States
Release date:
Release Date (Theaters): May 25, 1983 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 21, 2004
Genre(s)
Adventure/Action
Keyword(s)
starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, directed by Richard Marquand, written by George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, Adventure, Action, Fantasy, PG, box office gross $309.3M, reviewed by Philip Strick, Michael Blowen, Evan Williams, Rena Andrews, Harper Barnes, Sheila Benson, Brian Eggert, David Gonzalez, Cory Woodroof, Eddie Harrison, Tony Black, George Lucas as writer, Lawrence Kasdan as writer, Howard G Kazanjian as producer, 20th Century Fox as distributor, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo, Surround, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track as sound mix, Scope (2.35:1) as aspect ratio, Star Wars Saga as collection
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $18,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $55,079,238
Production budget ranking: 729
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $29,660,170
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $1,562,665,520
ROI to date (est.): 1,844%
ROI ranking: 53
Cast & Crew
Mark Hamill
Harrison Ford
Carrie Fisher
Billy Dee Williams
Anthony Daniels
Luke Skywalker
Han Solo
Princess Leia
Lando Calrissian
C-3PO
Mark Hamill – Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford – Han Solo
Carrie Fisher – Princess Leia
Billy Dee Williams – Lando Calrissian
Anthony Daniels – C-3PO
Peter Mayhew – Chewbacca
Director – Richard Marquand
Producer – Howard G. Kazanjian
Writers – George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas
Richard Marquand
George Lucas
Howard G. Kazanjian
Director
Writer
Producer
Producer
Producer
Director(s)
Richard Marquand
Writer(s)
George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas
Producer(s)
Howard G. Kazanjian
Film Festivals
Toronto
Awards & Nominations
Won 2 Oscars
25 wins & 20 nominations total
Academy Awards
Top Reviews
Philip Strick
Michael Blowen
Evan Williams
Rena Andrews
Harper Barnes
Sight & Sound
Boston Globe
The Australian
Denver Post
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
STAR WARS: EPISODE VI — RETURN OF THE JEDI
All Critics (98) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (81) | Rotten (17)
If the revels of Star Wars are indeed now ended, Jedi couldn’t have been a better resolution for them.
December 17, 2019
Philip Strick
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
“Return of the Jedi,” the final act of George Lucas’ first “Star Wars” trilogy, is the best one yet.
April 26, 2018
Michael Blowen
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
There are all sorts of hints in the latest escapade (notionally directed by Richard Marquand) that we are meant to be taking it seriously.
December 15, 2015
Evan Williams
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
It’s everything it ought to be — glorious, exhilarating, exciting, absorbing, technically wondrous. But there also is something bittersweet in the knowledge that, with Jedi, we are bidding a fond farewell to all of the characters we got to know so well.
December 15, 2015 | Rating: 4/4
Rena Andrews
Denver Post
TOP CRITIC
The characters and dialogue get lost somewhere between the bug-eyed monsters and the exploding spaceships, but it is all so much fun it probably really does not matter a whole lot.
December 14, 2015
Harper Barnes
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
With this last of the central Star Wars cycle, there is the sense of the closing of a circle, of leaving behind real friends. It is accomplished with a weight and a new maturity that seem entirely fitting, yet the movie has lost none of its sense of fun.
December 14, 2015
Sheila Benson
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Given how well Return of the Jedi was put together from a technical perspective, and how entertaining the whole thing ends up being, it’s difficult not to enjoy the film on very basic levels, but it stands as the original trilogy’s odd man out.
April 23, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
The Return Of The Jedi offers enough moments that is not only a fitting entry into the franchise but what was thought of at the time as a fitting conclusion to it as well.
February 18, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
David Gonzalez
Reel Talk Inc.
Return of the Jedi is easy to nitpick, but its best qualities are simply that it’s got the aura of an original trilogy film.
February 11, 2022
Cory Woodroof
615 Film
…the decline that began in The Empire Strikes Back has becomes a malaise by now, with continuity stretches making nonsense of the narrative…
August 25, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Eddie Harrison
film-authority.com
It’s well constructed, tonally in spirit, and hugely enjoyable, but the Force simply isn’t as strong in this one.
February 16, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Tony Black
Cultural Conversation
An enthralling resolution that brings the epic story of Darth Vader to a close.
September 8, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins…
Plot
Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia and Chewbacca face attack by the Imperial forces and its AT-AT walkers on the ice planet Hoth. While Han and Leia escape in the Millennium Falcon, Luke travels to Dagobah in search of Yoda. Only with the Jedi Master’s help will Luke survive when the Dark Side of the Force beckons him into the ultimate duel with Darth Vader.
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