Too many silly looking creatures surrounding the extremely ugly Jabba the Hutt (spoofed hysterically by Mel Brooks in "Spaceballs"), a creature who had only appeared briefly in the first "Star Wars " saga. With his appearance, the third entry in the iconic series shrinks to juvenile desperation (obviously to create a massive toy product tie-in), so a good part of the adult audience appeal is diminished. The main story, dealing with the aftermath of Darth Vader's admission, should be the main focus rather than these silly subplots, and while most of film overall is good, the Jabba jam (complete with weird musical number) takes this down a point of no return that makes the film a bit eye rolling, especially the sight of Carrie Fisher in a dominatrix outfit and Pippi Longstocking braids. Surrounding Jabba is a bunch of weird looking Muppet like characters that the kiddies in the audience obviously demanded get once the film is over.
Fortunately, the Jabba jive is over in the first 40 minutes and the adults can relax as the Greek tragedy of Luke and papa Vader is dealt with. There are more dark characters added, and Alec Guennis continues as the spirit Obi-Wan Kanobi, the father Luke should have had. Of the Muppet like characters, only Yoda makes an impression, contributing to the important elements of the story that still have a lot of surprises. It's ironic that one of the new creatures sounds interestingly like Maurice Evans as Dr. Zaius in "Planet of the Apes". Billy Dee Williams, who only appeared in several scenes of "The Empire Strikes Back", gets more to do here, but his character seems hardly necessary at this point.
Not much of an advancement on the special effects front either, but it's still top notch, and the film keeps a steady pace. No movie franchise with more than two films can expected to remain consistently excellent, so it's easy still enjoy this as a good film rather a great one. Ford, now a superstar as a result of "Raiders of the Lost Ark", gets equal treatment to Mark Hamill here, as Hans Solo is more than just the sidekick now even though Luke Skywalker gets the story that ties everything together. But the key to the film's enjoyment is the unique way the film utilizes action, particularly a speedy rocket like ride through the woods. Thankfully the juvenile elements reduce as the film progresses, and during those, the viewer can take bathroom or snack preparation breaks without missing anything substantial.
Fortunately, the Jabba jive is over in the first 40 minutes and the adults can relax as the Greek tragedy of Luke and papa Vader is dealt with. There are more dark characters added, and Alec Guennis continues as the spirit Obi-Wan Kanobi, the father Luke should have had. Of the Muppet like characters, only Yoda makes an impression, contributing to the important elements of the story that still have a lot of surprises. It's ironic that one of the new creatures sounds interestingly like Maurice Evans as Dr. Zaius in "Planet of the Apes". Billy Dee Williams, who only appeared in several scenes of "The Empire Strikes Back", gets more to do here, but his character seems hardly necessary at this point.
Not much of an advancement on the special effects front either, but it's still top notch, and the film keeps a steady pace. No movie franchise with more than two films can expected to remain consistently excellent, so it's easy still enjoy this as a good film rather a great one. Ford, now a superstar as a result of "Raiders of the Lost Ark", gets equal treatment to Mark Hamill here, as Hans Solo is more than just the sidekick now even though Luke Skywalker gets the story that ties everything together. But the key to the film's enjoyment is the unique way the film utilizes action, particularly a speedy rocket like ride through the woods. Thankfully the juvenile elements reduce as the film progresses, and during those, the viewer can take bathroom or snack preparation breaks without missing anything substantial.