Return of the Jedi: things that were quite good:

• “The emperor is not as forgiving as I am.” Way to go making them both even MORE terrifying.
• I still like the costume progression for Luke.
• The CGI band at Jabba’s is… I’m conflicted. I like the music! BUT.
• Leia saves Han. WIN.
• OMG “I’m all right pal; I’m all right” Han and Chewbacca SO CUTE.
• Han.
• The PAIN of the beastkeeper. You made one of the supposed baddies grieve so poignantly!
• The whole rescue from Jabba is basically a heist plot. I love it.
• The imperial guard. Dead awesome.
• Yoda is the most compassionate and benevolent puppet ever in the history of puppets.
• GENERAL Solo. Heh.
• The speed bike chase is very awesome.
• Ewoks: conflicted. Cute! Resourceful!
• “It’s against my programming to impersonate a deity.”
• Han’s nobility: he apologises to Leia!
• The conflict within Vader is made genuinely more complex with deeper backstory.
• Another great gift to modern culture: “It’s a trap!”

What were you thinking, George?

• The CGI band at Jabba’s… the animation is horrid and so unnecessary.
• Also unnecessary: Jabba’s treatment of women. Ugh. Lazy writing, George. It’s not like we can be under the impression that he’s a good guy.
• Torturing droids, George? Really?
• What an ignominious end for Boba.
• “FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW,” George? You’re making Obi-Wan a relativist? a post-modernist?? Just no.
• Also: Luke’s feelings for Leia “do him credit”?!? How on earth do you figure that?! Ew.
  • James: NO, not ew, Obi-Wan is talking about Luke having brotherly feelings towards his sister! Not anything bad!
  • Alex: whoa. That’s thirty-odd years of grossed-out-ness being turned on its head.
• George. Look, George. Tax collectors, George? No one liked the Trade Federation in Phantom Menace, George, and the idea that they ought to appear on the bridge in this film? No. That’s the worst retconning yet.
  • Apparently I imagined that this was retconning! They’ve always been there and I had either not noticed (possible) or I was assuming George was being evil because prequels! Sorry George. My mistake.
• Ewoks: conflicted. Little bit too much like you’re going with Noble Savages. Some of the markings etc are a bit too much like stereotypes of some earth cultures. Made me queasy.
• I cannot adequately express, George, how annoyed I am at the retconning of the funeral. The idea that it is young Anakin who appears with Obi-Wan and Yoda is just wrong. If he has genuinely been redeemed by Luke’s actions, then his old self ought to represent that. Otherwise, you are dismissing the genuineness of his return to the side of Light. And that’s not fair.

I AM SO READY for The Force Awakens.