FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1997. All Rights Reserved.
Remember, get your Ewoks fixed
Triology ends with a good and goofy excuse for digital tinkering
by Robert TarryReturn of the Jedi
directed by Richard Marquand
Starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher
Now playing, Check listingsI'll say it again: the freedom of computer-generated images is a two-edged lightsaber. Har-de-har.
You know what I mean - it's both a blessing and a curse. And of the three Star Wars retreads, Return of the Jedi demonstrates this best, containing both the best "fix" of the special edition trilogy and the worst tweak since New Coke.
More on those later.
First, the original film itself. Not unlike the evolution of the Indiana Jones trilogy, Star Wars' third installment seemed to run out of character development and instead aimed for broad humor. Goofy aliens. Sight gags. Actors mugging shamelessly. No fewer than three belching alien jokes.
And of course, the Teddy Ruxpin factor.
Yes, the Ewoks. Cute as all get-out and downright nauseating on your small TV screen at home. But with the new digitally-enhanced sound (often referred to as "loud") and truly dazzling good-old-fashioned special effects and stunts (remember when stuntmen actually fell off cliffs?), their impact is, ahem, softened.
That's right. With the special edition, Return of the Jedi is better than you remember it. The film's overall goofiness, is, however, increased as well.
Which brings me to the bad news. The computer wizards insert a funky new dance number smack in the middle of the Jabba the Hutt sequence, complete with a hairy, drooling singer resembling a cross between Buster Poindexter and a Fraggle. Jerky, poorly inserted and uncalled for (not to mention really, really lame), it's the worst idea since the Maginot line. You'll just have to cringe your way through it.
Which brings me to the best fix of the trilogy. The original ending, with the Raffi-style celebration song and rather abrupt, unsatisfying conclusion gets a much-needed polish. It's a small thing, really. But it helps.
You see, they took something that was broke and they fixed it.
And that makes all the difference in the universe.
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