No Plot

The Forests of Endor

I enjoyed the movie Return of the Jedi when it premiered in theaters in 1983. However, I was disappointed to learn that most of my friends weren't impressed. I've noticed that I enjoy movies that many critics and moviegoers don't like, and vice versa. For example, I like the movies Salt and The Village, while most other people don't.

After many decades of wondering about Return of the Jedi, I finally did some investigating on what might be wrong with it. While most complaints about the film amounted to "I didn't like it," one criticism stood out to me as fascinating:

The movie has no plot.

What?

This caused me to re-watch the movie. With more discerning eyes after years of learning about storytelling, I'm astonished to find myself generally agreeing with the criticism.

Before I explain why, you must know that the rules of storytelling, both on the screen and in print, are broken routinely. Even musical composers and performers alike break many musical rules. In short, rules in literature, cinematic arts, and music are only guidelines. As long as the end product is entertaining, all is forgiven.

Understanding Plot

So, what's the problem with Return of the Jedi? Let me begin by defining "plot":

A plot is a chain of interrelated events.

Notice the word "interrelated." If a story is about kittens playing in a meadow, and suddenly a meteorite strikes them dead, and then someone in Germany becomes a veterinarian, those events don't constitute a plot because they're not related.

However, if a woman who wishes to go into the field of astronomy doesn't notice in time the meteorite heading toward her and witnesses her kittens being killed by it, and is so distraught by the experience that she destroys her telescopic equipment and moves to Germany to start a new life and become a veterinarian to make up for her lost kittens—those events constitute a plot.

Events within Return of the Jedi

Here are the plot points that stood out to me as I re-watched Return of the Jedi:

1. The main characters make it to Jabba the Hutt's fortress to get Han Solo freed from the carbonite.

2. Battles ensue, and the good guys win.

3. Yoda and Obi-Wan's ghost tell Luke that there is another Jedi knight. Luke miraculously guesses Princess Leia on the first try.

4. The main characters go to the planet Endor to deactivate the shield around the Death Star.

5. Luke turns himself in to the Empire so he can face Darth Vader.

6. Ewoks help in the ensuing battle on Endor.

7. Many rebel ships are destroyed because it takes so long for the main characters to deactivate the shield.

8. Darth Vader finally realizes that he's on the wrong side and kills the evil Emperor.

9. Lando Calrissian destroys the Death Star using the Millennium Falcon.

   
   

Sounds like a good movie to me. However, the issues are the following:

• Han Solo doesn't do much during the movie. He's not the one who destroys the Death Star. Plot point 1 could just as easily have been plot point 10.

• Because the reveal that Princess Leia is a Jedi Knight isn't used anywhere in the movie, it could have happened at any point, and the story would have been the same.

• Luke could have turned himself in to the Empire at any time. He took part in the battle against Jabba the Hutt's forces, but he abandoned everyone before the Battle on Endor—so he could just as easily have abandoned both battles.

  
  

While each event in the movie is exciting, each event isn't affected by each previous event, other than the deactivation of the Death Star's shield before the rebel fleet can attack.

Critiques of Return of the Jedi

I don't think the unrelated plot points were the primary reason people were less impressed with Return of the Jedi. Here are some other reasons people have criticized the movie:

1. Perceived lack of stakes. This is a big problem in fiction. By the third Star Wars movie, the viewers have learned that Imperial Stormtroopers can't hit anything with their weapons.

2. The brother/sister relationship between Luke and Leia is abandoned. Viewers don't like abandoned plot points.

3. The Endor battle uses cute little teddy-bear Ewoks instead of the imposing Wookiees (Chewbacca is a Wookiee). This contributes to the "lack of stakes" issue.

4. Ewoks say things such as "Yahoo!" and make the Tarzan yell as they swing between trees. How would Ewoks know about Tarzan or the word yahoo?

5. Heavy use of puppets. It's difficult to take a puppet seriously.

   
   

You may accuse me of wandering a bit here, since I previously stated that breaking rules is commonplace and no one cares. But that's true only if the story is sufficiently entertaining. Once that shield is lowered, the story is open to every imaginable criticism.

The Ghost of Anakin

My biggest problem with Return of the Jedi is the ghost image of the older/wiser Darth Vader, who ultimately makes the right decision over a lifetime of experience, is replaced in the revised movie version with the whiny, self-absorbed, directionless, undisciplined, pitiful, and foolish young Anakin character everyone hated in the movie prequels.

Elder Darth Vader Younger Anakin

It is precisely because of the elder Darth Vader's ultimate decision that he is able to stand with the ghosts of Obi-Wan and Yoda. Furthermore, Luke Skywalker would have had no emotional connection to the younger Anakin and would not even have known who he was. When he saw the young Anakin standing with the others, he should have stopped smiling and said, "Um, wait—who are you?" That's what I would have done.

The switch to the young Anakin proved to me that Hollywood has no idea what it's doing and is entirely devoid of any pretense of wisdom or honorable principles. What a tragedy.

Aimless

Don't be like the writers of Return of the Jedi and let your stories (or your life) wander aimlessly. If you don't provide your fans with a rich, dynamic, and interconnected plot, they'll feel like they're lost in the forests of Endor.