It’s Been 20 Years, But I’m Still Mad About A Change Made To ‘Return Of The Jedi.’
The Return of the Jedi is my favorite movie of all-time. Typically, I refrain from saying something that definitive, especially about art. I don’t have a favorite song, a favorite book, a favorite meal, and so on. However, if I am asked which movie, Star Wars-centric or otherwise, is my favorite, I’ll answer Jedi without hesitation. I was five or six when I saw it in theaters, and it is the one I’ve watched the most often.
As deep and unconditional as my love is for this film, I also know that no one can objectively say it is the best Star Wars film. In the original trilogy alone, people make very compelling cases for A New Hope or Empire Strikes Back as the “best” of the Star Wars chapters. But we’re not talking about the “best,” we’re talking about my “favorite.” I love it all. I love the overly-convoluted caper to spring Han from Jabba’s palace. I love kick-ass Leia and full-on Jedi Luke. I love the Emperor. I love the Ewoks. Hell, I even love that Boba Fett went out like a punk into the Pit of Karkoon.
But a video I saw making the rounds on Facebook reminded me of how the “special edition” version of the films ruined perhaps the most magical moment of the film for me.
