10 Problems Nobody Wants To Admit About The Original Star Wars Trilogy

1. Return Of The Jedi Is Actually A Bit Naff

So here it is. The one thing that most Star Wars fans seem afraid to admit to themselves. If you haven't done so already, then, go back and take a look at Return of the Jedi and try to watch it without rose-tinted glasses. What you'll find, really, is a movie that works better in your memory than it actually does on-screen: for the most part, Return of the Jedi is messy, unfocused fantasy fare - nothing seems "honed" in the way that the dialogue, camera work, and narrative seemed to be in Empire. It all feels a bit half-assed.

The best section of the film, of course, is the opening: Luke Skywalker and friends attempt to rescue Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt; it's tense, dramatic, creative and also features one of the best set-pieces in the entire saga, as Luke Skywalker - now clutching a green lightsaber - battles Jabba and his cronies over the dreaded Sarlacc pit.

Also: Princess Leia in that golden bikini. Still, even this epic sequence can't save the rest of the movie, which is - generally speaking - slow and kind of boring. Especially the bits with Ewoks. There's a sort of resigned feeling that clouds most Return of the Jedi: almost as if everyone involved felt like moving onto different things, but were forced by contractual obligation to return.

Even the plot itself feels like a rehash of successful elements from previous episodes (namely the Death Star II business - c'mon, guys). There are a few iconic moments, and some memorable action scenes, sure, but nostalgia seems to give Return of the Jedi a lot more credit than it deserves: in actuality, it's worse than Revenge of the Sith.