Return of the Jedi

First movie I ever saw in a theater. That's not nothing, and seeing this one back on the big screen with the family hit a particular kind of nerve.

The good stuff is really good. Effects hold up. Acting holds up. The story, the plot, the twist, all of it lands the way it's supposed to land. Mark, Carrie, and Harrison have the kind of chemistry you can't manufacture. You either have it or you don't, and these three have it in spades. The iconic characters are iconic for a reason, and the action sequences absolutely rip.

The highs are too high.

Then there's the Ewoks.

One word and my whole face scrunches up. I get it. I do. You want the kids, you want the toys, you want the merch. Fine. But these little teddy bear bastards do not fit the movie they're in. You've got the Emperor cooking Luke alive, you've got Vader's whole arc coming to a head, and meanwhile down on the forest moon we're watching a furry yoga class take down the Empire. It pulls me out every time.

Doesn't sink it though. Not even close. The highs are too high. The trio is too good. The finale is the finale.

Seeing it in a theater made it better, the way these movies are supposed to be seen. The Ewoks are still there. So is everything else, and everything else wins.