What else could possibly be said about “Star Wars” that hasn’t been said before? The answer is: Probably nothing! But Tyler and Angela will try in a discussion on “Return of the Jedi” and how it connects to the most recent “Star Wars” installment, “The Rise of Skywalker.”
Look, “Star Wars” movies have been messy for a long time now, and “Return of the Jedi” proves just how hard it can be to bring a trilogy across the finish line. There’s lots of good stuff (lightsaber fights, Ewok traps that would eventually inspire Kevin McCallister, a cool cucumber named Lando Calrissian and the glorious sight of an electrified old man being casually tossed into an endless pit.
BUT there are also the seeds of some of George Lucas’ worst impulses as a storyteller, probably most apparent in how long “Return of the Jedi” takes to actually get to the point. Go away forever, Jabba the Hutt! And take your weird friends with you!
Return of the Jedi podcast
In this special episode of the Old Millennials Remember Movies podcast, Tyler and Angela discuss their very different histories with the “Star Wars” franchise. What do we consider to be quintessential “Star Wars” components, and how do the old movies serve as an anchor (and crutch) to J.J. Abrams’ latest adventure, “The Rise of Skywalker”? We also talk about the crushing absence of Carrie Fisher in “Episode IX,” translating robot blips and beeps and argue about Mark Hamill’s series-wide performance as farm boy/Jedi hero/island grump/Force ghost Luke Skywalker.
This is a spoiler-filled discussion of the connections between “Return of the Jedi” and “The Rise of Skywalker,” so if you haven’t seen the new movie, file this away for after you’ve seen it. Whether you’re “Team Last Jedi” or “Team Rise of Skywalker” person, we’ve got some supportive comments for you.
A special shout out to the “Star Wars” maniacs on the Internet. Please don’t be too mean to us.
Also discussed in this episode:
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