'Returning to Jedi', Reviews:

I promised myself I'd start going to bed before 2am, but finally getting all of Returning to Jedi made be break that rule. I had to see it. Gorgeous! The deleted scene reconstructions and placement of behind the scenes footage was fantastic. I'd say this is on par with the previous volumes, and reminds me just how much I really love the original trilogy, especially this one, as it came out during the peak of my kid years (I was very little when the first two came out). Thank you so much for this Jambe, it really was worth the wait. (review by What.Cobbler?)
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Jambe - Just watched RTJ tonight, and thought it was a great watch - certainly the most interesting thing that has been through my dvd player in quite a while!

Interesting, informative & well presented - at times I forgot that this was the work of a talented fan - as it was more like something Lucasfilm themselves had come up with.

Like the 'Building Empire 'documentary before it, RTJ gives a true insight into the sheer dedication, hardwork and fun the crew put into making the film, as well as how films of this magnitude are put together. Am sure they'll be a fair few things in your doc that will surprise even the most ardent of Star Wars fans too.

Kudos to you for getting so much material from all sorts of sources - AND kept thing interesting and moving along nicely throughout the entire documentary.

Top job mate - I can only imagine how painstaking this project must have been to put together - let alone getting it to the high standard that you acheived - well done

ps - really liked the end credits and after too. (Review by oojason)
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I've just watched this. INCREDIBLE, absolutely incredible! God, this brings back the fondness I felt for star wars a long while back. Building Empire fans will love this as it doesn't stray from the formula that made BE just work.

I'm not gonna give things away because you owe it to yourself to see it in the first place. Also let the credits roll because it doesn't quite end there either.

Highlight for me though (i'm on a total high with this) is to see my name in the closing credits of a Star Wars film!!!! You just cant beat that! Whoo! (Review by DarthSolo).
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This DVD is everything a SW Fan would want. The way you integrated the extra content was wonderful. You brought lost scenes to life (e.g. the sandstorm) showed more angles and interviews from the 80s, 90s and the 21st century. This is by far (of course next to BE) one of the best things ever to come from the OT.com Forums. I hope you keep up the excellent work and bring us STAR WARS next year, after a short rest... (Review by nix.nux)
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Wow! What can I say? "Returning to Jedi" is an absolute must have for any serious Star Wars fan or movie fanatic interested in the making of Geoerge Lucas' epic saga. Culled from numerous sources, "Returning to Jedi" is filled with facts and behind-the-scenes footage which gives you an up-close, insider look into the creative process and decision making behind the final chapter of the original Star Wars trilogy.

As an absolute Star Wars fanatic who thought he knew everything about the making of the Star Wars saga, I was surprised to see so much documentary footage I never knew existed. Additionally, "Returning to Jedi" is filled with all sorts of interesting factoids and observations. I mean who knew that the stage they used to shoot the Death Star hangar in "Return of the Jedi" is now the home of a supermarket?

Jambe Davdar's love of the Star Wars saga is obvious in the amount of effort and attention to detail that went into the making this well crafted documentary. This disc will now take it's rightful place next to official bonus disc of the recently released Star Wars Trilogy on DVD. Star Wars fans, "Returning to Jedi" is an absolute must for your DVD collection.

I just want to say a special "Thank You" to Jambe Davdar for his hard work, and efforts to bring "Returning to Jedi" to life. This project is simply fantastic! I just finished watching it and all I have to say is WOW! "Returning to Jedi" is pretty much the quintessential Bonus Disc with tons of behind the scenes footage I've never seen, and little factoids I never knew... and I'm a HUGE Star Wars geek! Again, great work. (Review by gallandro)
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Finished downloading at about 930pm last night and watched about 1/2 of it--SUPERLATIVE JOB all around!

Thank you for all of the time and effort spent. It is not in vain. As a matter of fact, George Lucas should be ashamed because the effort put out by the people he PAID to do this pales significantly to the labor of love you have produced on your own time with very limited resources. (Review by lito2187)
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Just finished watching - ... I loved it. Brilliantly constructed both in terms of content ("I hope he's included a bit about... he HAS!" ad infinitum) and of technique. The most intriguing aspect of this piece is the very subtle commentary on the Lucas/Marquand relationship. I was surprised to see so much footage of Marquand working fairly autonomously on set, and to hear so many comments from him about his input into the story and events.
Of course, there's plenty that suggests the size of Lucas' role in proceedings, from the effects artists' description of his constant screening of their work, to his own comments on how much he was 'needed' on set. In this context, the gag in the AT-ST cabin is very telling...(Review by Jonno)
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So the DVD finished downloading yesterday and I immediately copied the files, threw in the IFO fixes and shrunk it so I could watch it without delay this morning.

But yeah, my thoughts: ...Fantastic! Damn, dude, you really raised the bar with this one. The sandstorm recreation was incredible, as was the footage with the prop saber and the newly unearthed footage. The whole thing was so damned tight and professional, I've gotta add my voice to the chorus saying that Lucas should be paying you do to this kind of a service for the fans. This was really the first time I ever got a sense of Marquand as the director, rather than someone Lucas told exactly what to do. I'm excited to dive into the bonus features and easter egg.

Take a break, sir, it's much deserved, but I eagerly await any future projects you feel like throwing at us. (Review by ReverendBeastly)
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Excellent work, once again... you've definitely outdone yourself this time! I was struck with how long it was, and how much material was in there. The footage of the saber that Luke built blew my mind, and the reconstructed sandstorm sequence was well done and a treat to see. This documentary really did make me appreciate more the less-appreciated "weakest chapter" in the original trilogy. Congratulations on another fine project. This is a monumental release, to be certain. (Review by SKot)
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It's official....Star Wars no longer holds any mystery for me.

I've gone over the prequels frame by frame till I was blue in the face, I've seen bits of A New Hope I never knew existed thanks to Deleted Magic, I've watched in awe at how an Empire was built and now I've Returned to Jedi. The films I loved as a child, the films that held so much wonder for me, I've seen it all now, there's nothing left....

However, I'm not a child anymore. I'm a fully grown adult who loves behind the scenes footage and 2 discs DVDs just for the extras.... and I fricking LOVE Returning To Jedi!!!

Not that this is any shock. Anyone's who has seen Building Empire (and if you haven't then shame on you) knows what they're gonna get here.....but there's just so much of it. So much stuff that I'd never seen before, soundbites I'd never heard, fantastic recreations of lost scenes. Where the hell did you get it all? I mean, I'm a fully fledged SW geek but I can honestly say that at least 75% of the clips used were new to me!

Favourite bit - the extended, pre-effects, Vader/Luke duel.

Least favourite bit...and this is your own fault really JD....after making a point of pointing out Pruneface in the briefing room, I really couldn't help but notice just how much the Emperor looks like him in some scenes ;)

So, to sum it all up, yet another quality release. Inspiring and informative. We all owe you our thanks JD, if I met you tommorrow I'd buy you a pint!! (Review by Daveytod)
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A worthy successor to Building Empire in every way. If there's another millisecond of Slave Bikini B-Roll out there I defy anyone to find it without taking an all-access tour of the Skywalker archives. That Super-8 footage... holy crap. What do you bet Sansweet tries to figure out who shot that? Love the FX breakdowns, especially the match-move on the Imperial Reception painting-- that can't have been easy. Skiff flyby audio, matched to the guy driving an ATC. Cute.

Caught Luke's blue trailersaber in the deck fight, but I never saw that video clip of the hero prop before-- what's that from? My favorite bits are the details that were right under my nose-- has that Hell's Angel stormtrooper really been there all along? Crazy. "Teddy Bears' Picnic": More proof that Harrison Ford was just trying to get fired, always a plus.
(Review by strangelove)
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Fist off i have to say AMAZING job you have done here Jambe. Just finished watching it and loved every bit of it. (Comment by Adywan)