Customer Reviews

Return of the Jedi: The Original Radio Drama

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When NPR's audio adaptation of the first Star Wars film hit the airwaves two decades ago, it was as big a landmark in the history of the Star Wars "universe" as any of the subsequent movies. By stripping the story down to the essentials of character, it proved that the appeal of Star Wars is not merely visual flash, but something more enduring, characters you care about, villains you love to hate and (that oldest of rivalries) good against evil. The writing was excellent and the cast equally good, including as it did Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels as Luke and C3P0 respectively. When NPR produced a radio version of The Empire Strikes Back a few years later, Billy Dee Williams came on board to recreate the role of Lando Calrissian and the producers' winning streak continued.

It would be over a decade before the production team got the chance to complete the trilogy with Return of the Jedi. Sadly, just as Return of the Jedi was the weakest of the original movie trilogy, it is also the weakest of the three radio versions. That is not to say it isn't enjoyable, because it is. Rather it can't quite match the exceptional standards set by the previous two series.

Part of the problem is the casting. Although Anthony Daniels returned to play C3PO, Mark Hamill does not reprise the role of Luke Skywalker. Unfortunately the actor who took the role, Joshua Fardon, does not convey the increased maturity of the character in this part of the story. Fardon's performance has a quality of over-eagerness that seems more suited to the naive farmboy that Luke was when we first encountered him rather than the fully trained Jedi-to-be he is here. Good as the other performances are, especially Brock Peters as Darth Vader and Ann Sachs as Leia, this misguided interpretation of Luke leaves a large hole in the story.

Part of that hole can also be attributed to the writing. Like the previous adapatations, Return of the Jedi was scripted by the late Brian Daley. Daley did a good job of translating what was perhaps the most visual of the three original Star Wars films into the audio medium, but he doesn't open up the story the way the previous two series did. Whereas the radio versions of Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back took the time to show us more about the characters, Return of the Jedi is, for the most part, just what we saw on the movie screen with a handful of extra scenes thrown into the mix.

Those criticisms aside, anyone who is a fan of radio drama in general or Star Wars specifically will enjoy these programs. In the final analysis the producers understood the ways in which sound alone can fire the imagination. Using that knowledge, they have crafted yet another fine way to enjoy the magical world that George Lucas has given us.

I really enjoyed this book. It provided an insight into the thoughts and feelings of the main characters which the movie was unable to. Darth Vader's thoughts in particular, are an amazing revelation. Kahn describes very persuasively the incredible lure that the dark side of the force possesses - the heady exultation and sense of unbelievable power make it seem almost sexy. I began to see how Anakin would have been seduced by the dark side. The best part of the novel is the confrontation between Luke and Vader - it is dealt with in far more detail than in the movie. The scene where Darth Vader dies is poignant, even heartrending because we find out what he is thinking and it is this more than anything else, which made me realise what the title "Return of the Jedi" actually means. The only part of this book which I had a problem with is when Vader is unmasked and he is described by Kahn as an "old man". This perplexed me because according to the starwars timeline, Darth Vader would have been about 45 when he died. Apart from this detail, the novel is well done and much better than the movie - even the Ewoks are less silly and irritating than they are in the movie.
This book has the distinction of being the only starwars novel that has ever made me cry.

You'll never see me cite one Star Wars movie being better than all the others (at least until Episode III comes out, which I'm convinced has the potential to be the best movie of all time), but as far as the novelizations go, Return of the Jedi is by far my favorite.

If you didn't already know it, there are a handful of important details included within this book that didn't make it into the movie. These details alone are reason enough for all Star Wars fans to read this book. When Episode III finally comes around, you will be able to appreciate it much more having read this book.

However, the true strength of this book is the wonderful portrayal of the characters. So much depth was given to them that it just strengthened all of the reasons why I love Star Wars. And the reason I do love Star Wars is because of the characters. While all the sci-fi stuff is really great, it is the story of these characters that has drawn me into this universe. Reading about Luke flaunting with the Dark Side as he faces against Vader and the Emperor is gut wrenchingly incredible.

This is the third part of a three part story. I recommend reading the first two parts first respectively - the third part is a treat you won't regret.

Return of the Jedi has always been my favorite Star Wars movie, both because I like how all the characters matured, (especially Luke) and because it finally delt face to face with the dark side, possibly the best force of evil ever thought of in the realms of fiction. This book exheeded not only my expectations for the book itself (which were very high) but even surpassed the movie in some ways. The author has a deep, highly emotional writing syle which apealed to me greatly, and was so profound that all through the book I truly felt as if was there, a part of the story. Every Star Wars fan should read this at some point, especially those who didn't like Return of the Jedi because they thought it was weaker than the others. I could almost garantee this book would change their minds. Also, the author did a tremendous job on the characters. Just they way they were presented made me truly feel for them, even characters who were previously not my favorites. At times this book had me sitting on the edge of my seat actually wondering if maybe this time it would turn out differently, and the part where Anakin Skywalker dies almost had me in tears. Anyway, I don't think think this book belongs in any particular age range, though probably some of it (in fact a lot of it) would most likely go over the heads of people younger then twelve or so.

A great adaptation of the movie captures a lot of the thrill and excitement of the movie with a bit more insight as can be gained in a novel. You also get a chance to learn several things that you would not have gotten in the movie.

A lot of the feel of some of the dire situations are wonderfully captured and you can easily forget it's a novel you are reading.

A must for any Star Wars collection

This is not a typical novelization. I recommend reading this after you have watched the movie as very important details (you cannot miss this) here are not mentioned at all in the movie. This book is very well written (not as good as Tim Zahn though) and if you're a true SW fan you should read this at least 3 times. Vader's thoughts, Luke's feelings are all written down beautifully and you can really sympathise whith them.

This book tells you that Owen Lars really is Obi-wan's brother, how Anakin turned to Darth Vader (the now well known fact that Ben and Anakin had a duel and Anakin fell into a lava pit, thus scarring and disabling him for life) and other fascinating details you can't possibly miss.

I read this before the ESB novelisation (7 years ago - which was terrible cos I had such high expectations - didn't show Vader's feelings at all) and this is a definite must read.

After having read Star Wars: Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back, I thought Star Wars: Episode 6: Return of the Jedi would also have been written for children. That was not the case at all. It is sophisticated enough in style and substance to satisfy an adult audience.

Kudos to James Kahn for writing a book from a movie that was not just a copy of the script. Kahn adds to the books things we don't see in the movie. Han, especially, has much more depth. Jerjerrod piqued my interest here and I hope to see him in the Expanded Universe. Darth Vader and the Emperor have their own motivations for wanting to recruit Luke and their own plans for what to do with him. There was a lot of emotion in the climactic battle between them, and Vader's death was very moving.

"Return of the Jedi" does read more like an Expanded Universe novel than Empire did. It may be a little too difficult for younger children to read, but older children and adults will enjoy it. I did.

Star Wars
Episode VI
Return of the Jedi
By: John Gampert

Main Characters

Luke Skywalker: kind, hero, strong, skilled, caring, accurate, on the good side, blonde hair, smart, great pilot, good with the force and a light saber.

Han Solo: great with blasters and a fine pilot, self centered, former smuggler, loves money and women, works with Jabba the Hutt, charming, sly, on the good side.

Leia Organa: little patience, brown hair, likes Han, is a senator to the Imperial Senate, smart, great leader, dislikes waiting, good with negotiations, on the good side.

Darth Vader: EVIL! hates good, like seeing other peoples pain, over confident in the force, has a black suit and full helmet because he was burned badly.

Lando Calrissian: owner of a gas mining operation on a planet, he created a city around the operation, he helped destroy the second DeathStar space station. Friends with Has Solo and a professional gambler.

Chewbacca: he's a Wookie! partner of Han Solo, co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon, completely covered in hair and thinks with his stomach. Referred to as "Chewie"
R2D2: Luke Skywalker's astromech droid meaning mechanically inclined. Companion of C3PO, has many useful features that help save the day all the time.

C3PO: Luke Skywalker's protocol droid meaning an interpreter. Critical of R2D2 most of the time, gold plated, very talkative.

Plot
Our story continues on the planet of Tatooine. Luke Skywalker and friends rescue Han Solo from the grasp of Jabba the Hutt. Luke Skywalker flew to see Yoda to finish his Jedi training, but Yoda died. Then he returned to the Rebel Fleet. Luke leads an expedition to destroy the shield generator that protects the DeathStar. Luke is captured and held on the DealthStar. A big fight ensues on Endor between the Ewoks and the Evil Empire. Darth Vader saves Luke from the Emperor and dies. Lando and rebel fleet then destroy the DeathStar by shooting its main reactor. The Ewoks win the big fight.

Setting:
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Themes
Major: War, Hope, Heroism,
Minor: Bravery, Death, Fear, Freedom, The Future, Love, Peace, Pride, Sacrifice.

Like or dislike:
I liked this book because it had many parts I could relate to. Like when the ewoks won the big fight. It had a great climax and closing. It also had pictures from the movie. It is also my favorite genera.

Kahn did a great job in revealing Vader's, Luke's and Palpatine's motivations and thoughts. However, a glaring problem was where Obi-Wan tells Luke about how he took him to live with his BROTHER Owen on Tatooine. I know that was the original backstory, but with the prequels' release, we all know that Owen Lars REALLY IS Luke's step-uncle (since Owen is Anakin's step-brother). Lucas had the time to write that cute little preface in the re-release of this book. He should have bothered to change or at least ommit this inconsistent dialogue from the scene. This is a better storyline anyway, since Obi-Wan wouldn't have known his real brother well, having grown up in the Jedi Temple.

I'm old enough to have watched this movie as a young boy, but I still enjoy reading sci-fi. I've read close to twenty of the Star Wars series - enough to know that the writing quality varies hugely, author to author. Consequently, it's quite possible to finish one series that reads like literature for adults, and then begin another that reads like a comic book for kids. Unfortunately, most of RotJ can be classified in the latter category. What's most strange about this particular book is that the quality of writing changes abruptly, twice. From the beginning of the story up to the end of the Jabba/Tatooine scene, I was very tempted to simply put the book away in favor of something containing more (any) substance. Being the completionist that I am, I persisted in my reading and was shocked to find the narrative quality of the story improve dramatically for most of the rest of the book. Then, after Han, Leia & crew arrive at Endor, the writing quality takes another dive into comic book territory. In fact, I would argue that the narrative used to describe the appearance of the first Ewok may well define a new low for lazy storytelling. I know Lucas has a penchant for "re-doing" the original series, and if there's one glaring low point it would be this book. Though it may be well past relevance now, I'd surely love to read a Return of the Jedi that was written for literate adults.