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Parents' Guide to

Star Wars: Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi

By Charles Cassady Jr., Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Ewok-filled finale less Force-ful than previous.

Movie PG 1983 135 minutes
Star Wars: Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 8+

Based on 38 parent reviews

Eshsb
Eshsb Parent of 8-year-old
October 2, 2023
age 9+

Best Star Wars movie ever

It is a great Star Wars movie but the only problem I have with it is the scenes in Jabba the Hutt's palace. So if you do not want to see any violent scenes skip to the part when they leave Tatooine, the planet where Jabba the Hutt lives. Also, you might be scared of the emperor's face and the face of Darth Vader after Luke removes Darth Vader's helmet. And there is an ewok that dies, but there is no blood, but it is still sad. So it is a great Star Wars movie, but I think you should be 9 or more to watch the entire movie.
doctora
doctora Parent of 7-year-old
July 21, 2023
age 8+

A great ending...oh wait...6 more films

I saw this film first in the trilogy when it was released on cable sometime in 1984. I was 9 years old and was the prime age to fall hard for all of these characters and wants nothing more than to be sucked into this world. I did not have anything to compare it to sooooo I loved ALL OF IT! Ewoks? Yep! Jabba the Hut...Ok! The Emperor and his maximum creep factor...sign me up! The film still holds allure. I recently saw it on the big screen for the 2nd time with my 7 year old and there was cheering from his seat where he was perched at the edge waiting to see the Empire defeated and Darth Vader's fate. It ended a story we didn't really want to end and it brought closure to character arcs that we clearly did not want sealed. The film feels good, still, 40 years later.
See all 38 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE RETURN OF THE JEDI begins with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and the other Rebel Alliance heroes and robots assembling one by one to rescue their friend Han Solo (Harrison Ford) from his frozen state of suspended animation in the palace of a gross, sluglike galactic gangster called Jabba the Hutt. Once again, the terrible galactic Empire has a Death Star under construction and the rebels seek to destroy the monstrous doomsday weapon and the sinister Emperor (Ian McDiarmid). Luke knows that this will be his chance to again confront the Emperor's evil cyborg disciple Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones), who is really Luke's long-lost father Anakin, once a noble Jedi Knight. Luke refuses to believe that his parent has gone over forever to the dark side of the Force. In the action-packed three-battle finale, Luke duels with Darth under the gloating gaze of the Emperor while the Rebel Alliance throws every ship they have against the fleet of the Empire and on the forest moon of Endor, Han and friends strive to blow up a power plant generating a force field that protects the Death Star. To the rescue are the Ewoks, cute little alien primitives who look like teddy-bear monkeys, and who come to our heroes' aid.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (38 ):
Kids say (150 ):

This is a properly triumphant finale, filled with action -- and yet, coming after the best and emotionally richest chapter, The Empire Strikes Back, a slight disappointment. The Return of the Jedi concluded the mighty Star Wars saga -- at least until Disney brought back the franchise with The Force Awakens -- that George Lucas conceived. It's a film series that changed movie history and raised the bar for special effects, science-fiction wonderment, blockbuster earnings, and movie marketing. If only the filmmakers put as much imagination into the main plotline as they did in the film's lengthy opener. Still, making the fight for the souls of the two Skywalkers as important as the Rebels vs. the Empire is a nice bit of dramatics, as is the idea of Luke struggling to avoid feelings of anger and revenge that might lure him to the dark side.

You can see the infatuation with visual gimmickry, cute/silly aliens and robots, plotlines apparently written to be video-game ready, and a disinterest in good acting; a toymaker mentality that continued when Lucas picked up the storyline again in prequels beginning with The Phantom Menace. While each individual stage of the finale is thrilling, cutting back and forth among the scenes disrupts the overall flow of the film.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the characters' choices and motivations in Star Wars: Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi. Why do you think Hans and Lando both put aside their roguish swaggers to play heroes? Are there any role models in this movie?

  • Talk about the hype surrounding the Star Wars franchise. Is it deserved? What is the appeal?

  • Do you consider this movie a classic? Why or why not?

  • How do the characters in Star Wars: Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi demonstrate self-control and courage? Why are these important character strengths?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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