Now that most of everybody who cares to watch it has gone to the theater and viewed Return of the Jedi.
They both have their pros and cons, and the following entries will point out five ways the new film is better than the 1983 work, and five ways Episode VI will always reign supreme. At the end of the day, though, both projects stand as fine conclusions to their respective trilogies.
Better: Doesn't Introduce Ewoks
Some have no problems with the cuddly living teddy bears, while others decry them as the beginning of the end for the franchise's creative genius and ingenuity. To be fair to Return of the Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker still features the creatures in a brief cameo, with Warwick Davis reprising his role as Wicket. Star Wars has always been for children, but even with this in mind, some considered Ewoks too childish. In contrast, the new movie introduces Babu Frik, played by Shirley Henderson. The miniature alien droidsmith is quickly becoming a fan favorite, though most of the thunder is currently being stolen by The Mandalorian.
Worse: Ignores Too Many Characters From The Last Jedi
Without DJ from The Last Jedi, the story still works, but what about Rose? She is in the The Rise of Skywalker, but her role is completely inconsequential to the plot. Considering how her story ended in the prior episode, one would expect her to play a significantly larger role.
Instead, Rose is mostly ignored and set on the sidelines. Return of the Jedi heavily features most of the characters from the preceding stories to great affect. Lando Calrissian, Boba Fett, and several other faces get their due screen time in the trilogy's closer, but not Rose.
Better: Doesn't Pander To Kids
Many see Ewoks as just one sign of what some consider the series' creative downfall. Return of the Jedi is generally lighter in tone than Empire Strikes Back, which ends on a downer and leaves many characters with uncertain fates. The Rise of Skywalker definitely delivers to fans and is appropriate for the whole family, but doesn't feel like it is for kids or is talking down to the audience. After all, at least one child must have run out of the theater crying when Palpatine's face started deteriorating.
Worse: Too Much Fan Service
As the Skywalker saga's conclusion, The Rise of Skywalker includes as many nods to the first two trilogies as possible. Fan service is perfectly acceptable, but too much can be distracting. The slew of cameos were a welcome surprise and a great way to tie a bow on the series.
Maz Kanata giving Chewbacca a medal, while a cute joke, feels like the lore is aware of fans and is in on a joke, taking some fans out of the world.
Better: The New Cast Gets Their Time To Shine
Of the three movies in the new trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker features the new cast the most heavily. General Leia Organa is ing character, while Luke and Han get cameos. There's no direct comparison to make with Return of the Jedi in this regard, but the movie ensures the new trilogy's ability to stand on its own, rather than dwelling in the franchise's nostalgia. The three new films all deserve commendation for this feat as well, with the new cast always taking the lead, while the old guard stays in ing roles.
Worse: Kylo's Redemption Feels Unearned
Kylo Ren finally changes his ways after a near--death experience and some intervention from General Organa. Compared to Darth Vader's redemption, this feels unearned and isn't as climactic. Vader turns the the tide at the last possible moment while Luke Skywalker is on his last legs and facing death at the hands of Palpatine's Force lightning. Ren's defection comes about two thirds through the movie and retreads similar from Return of the Jedi instead of taking some risks with a familiar character arc.
Better: Callbacks To The First Two Trilogies
The Rise of Skywalker does its best to bring all the episodes into the picture. It manages to wrap up four decades of film history rather nicely with its inclusion of voiceover cameos from characters featured in all eight films. Additionally, there are even some references to the animated series, something only the most avid fans will notice. Unlike fan service, these nods add to the movie's impact and the importance of its events to the franchise's lore.
Worse: Rey's Past Is Retconned
In The Last Jedi, Rey's parents are said to be nobodies. This revelation is made out as a lie in the following film. Return of the Jedi doesn't retcon any of the plot points from A New Hope or The Empire Strikes Back. All of the stories are consistent with one another.
One can argue that Kylo was either lying or was being misled by Palpatine and Snoke, but it still makes the revelation less impactful now when rewatching The Last Jedi. The original script had Kylo Ren killing Rey's parents, which would have made their lightsaber duel even more intense than it already is.
Better: More Locations
The Rise of Skywalker covers a lot of ground in its runtime. Planets both old and new show up in the finale, making for a fun romp filled with new sights. Return of the Jedi featured a few new areas, but most of the action takes place on Tatooine and Endor's moon. In 1983, this was more than enough to please fans excited for the trilogy's conclusion. The new movie, however, goes above and beyond the call of duty in this respect, giving viewers whole new atmospheres they never saw before in the galaxy far, far away.
Worse: The Emperor's Inclusion
While Palpatine has minuscule screentime in Empire Strikes Back, he is sufficiently built up as the main antagonist of the original trilogy in the first two entries, making his eventual appearance striking and intimidating. In The Rise of Skywalker, his introduction comes seemingly out of nowhere and feels shoehorned in. Neither The Force Awakens nor The Last Jedi have any foreshadowing of his appearance, and Colin Trevorrow's original script only included him as a holocron.
