Gene Siskel Reviews "Return of the Jedi" for the Chicago CBS News 

"too much of a nervous nelly" shows scene of her finding out their gonna blow up her entire fricking planet! I'm pretty dam shure I'd have freaked too.

"No doubt about it. It's going to be the biggest movie of the year!" This was back when people actually looked forward to the release of a new Star Wars film -- instead of dreading it.

Leia was never a... nervous nellie? Wasn't she the one who yanked a blaster from Han Solo because he wasn't getting shit done?

my god that robot casually strolling in the background WAS ENTERTAINING!

"Leia ... was too much of a nervous nelly (in Episode 4)" That one feels strange to me. She's the one who blasts stormtroopers when she's rescued from jail, leads them into the vent, helps blast their way off the Death Star after they're out, is the voice of reason contrasted with Han Solo throughout the movie, and doesn't buckle to tell them the rebel base location even under threat of destruction of her home planet. Doesn't seem like a damsel in distress to me. Sure, she's a prisoner, but that's because she's important to begin with.

I can't wait for the year 2000!!!!!!! :)

"I don't know who you are, or where you came from, but from now on you do exactly as I say, got it?" "Governor Tarkin, I should have known it would be you holding Vader's leash. I sensed your foul stench when I was brought on board." Yes.. these are the words of a "Nervous nelley" aren't they?

I loved Gene Siskel. Professional, could be harsh but just as sweet and real as they come. You can really see his love for film and for Star Wars.

Who in their right mind would rather watch Luke becoming a father rather than a depressed cynical hermit who survived by drinking green milk?

We’re further out from 2000 now then they were back then!

"To satisfy my needs." Hehe :D

So cool looking back in the 80s and hearing the plans for Star Wars films comparing to what happened. Totally got that prequel trilogy. But someone make Luke a dad!! I wish we’d gotten Mara in a film with him.

the special effects was brilliant in its day . the music pure classic

What! George Lucas listened to criticism back then?

"In addition to showing off her great legs" I love it.

"And would you just listen to the sound of that door"

So now that we have (or will have) three trilogies, the Prequel Trilogy, the Original Trilogy, and the Sequel Trilogy, does that mean the saga as a whole is the "Trilogy Trilogy"?

So the prequels and sequels were always on the table. Luke was supposed to train his son in the sequels. Too bad we didn’t get that and instead got a Luke Skywalker that would murder his nephew in his sleep.

Oh wow ... "get ready to do something in the year 2000." Double oh wow ... I remember when that was a long way away. Triple oh wow ... that was a long time ago. I'm old.

Mark Hamill nailed his imitation of Harrison Ford even then :D

Gene Sislkel - “It would be good to stick around and see 3 more of Luke becoming a father.” Boy, if he were alive to see what atrocities happened to the films story of Episodes 7,8 and 9.

we waited to see Luke again,.and waited and waited, then got the last jedi.

The original trilogy cannot be beaten and will forever be the best movies in the whole Star Wars saga.

love his eyes

3:09 That's a terrible complaint. Princess Leia is the most self assured protagonist in the first movie. She is a little more unsure in the sequel but that's because she is conflicted about her feelings for Han. I would never describe her as a "nervous" person in the first movie, she stands up to Vader and Tarken, bosses her rescuers around, knows the score before anyone else.

Are we going to ignore that TIE Interceptor is the coolest vehicle??

Well Mark, do you like cartoons? Do you like Batman? If the answer to both is yes, then I have some good news for you.

Mark DID get his wish...he's played bad guys and loveable weirdos. (Skips, an immortal albino gorilla from "Regular Show" is my personal favorite.) Also, anyone else notice the resemblance between him at that point in time and Dane DeHaan, who's ALSO been involved in "Spider-Man" and is playing Valerian, a space hero whose adventures accidentally predicted events and characters in "Star Wars"? Spooky...

Just doesn’t seem right to be calling droids “androids” OHHHH GEENNNEE!!!!

Hamill's impression of Ford ("Are you kidding me?") was pretty good lol.

i love Return of the Jedi!

This was awesome!!! Love finding these

From Lucas notes, Luke would be a father in episode 7.

Some females said Princess Leia wasn't a good role model for young girls, so what happens? She now shows off her legs! Did they REALLY say that?

If only Mark knew he'd get to play Cock Knocker he wouldnt've been so nervous about his future

It's leia who jumps on the "Space Bike". lol.

1 of the secrets to Siskel and Ebert was that they played it straight. Every modern ones try to be comedians

So Gene Siskel predicted that Rey is Luke's daughter, if that's how it turn out.

And here we are. 15 later than they thought, but here we are!

amazing watching this, knowing what all transpired

8:11 "You're a very clever man Mr. Siskel". Except he didn't like the Joker's voice.

Well it has happened.. 16 years late. Xmas 2016. Star Wars The Force Awakens episode 7. Very lucky man, Mark Hamill.

"Nervous Nelly"?

Sadly, Siskel would die three months before the prequels, but did live long enough to review the trailer to Phantom Menace with his partner Ebert.

Return of the Jedi was even more highly anticipated than Empire Strikes Back, especially because of the way Empire ended.

5:15 "Mark Hammil"

"It wouldn't be on the same plane of existence". Sounds very similar to how Luke ends up in The Last Jedi. The Luke Jnr idea looks unlikely at the moment though, but we'll see if he has actually spread the Skywalker seed in episode 9.

2:08 min "And listen to the sound of that door. Good technical film making." well done ILM

They should have just done all of the EU movies back then with Katarn and Luke's love interest, the sith girl(cant remember her name).

This is the final Star Wars film back in 1983.

Mark

I knew it! Lucas stated Luke would come back in the follow up Trilogy with him being a Father. I remember my Brother bought me a Star Wars Comic Book with the entire 1-9 Trilogy back in the late 70's after SW (A New Hope) came out. Please, someone verify for me this book exist! Thank you!

Luke wanted Aayla Secura.

i admit that was the best space scene - very well orchestrated visually- unlike the Last Jedi Space Junk opening scene- they were trying to act like they could re-create that scene I'm guessing- but it fell about 10,000 light years short of hitting the mark, let's face it~!

Princess Leia was a strong woman from the beginning.

The misspelled Mark Hamill's name in that little interview clip.

Did Mark Hamill Cameo in The Phantom Menace?What Scene?

Wow cut to today and Mark will be in The Force Awakens soon.

Yes, this is the final Star Wars movie!

I miss Gene and Roger, never has been or will be a natural pair, kindred spirits, we were fortunate to have the, Heeling quite nostalgic and sad. Everything passes.

Oh yeah. This was released when films were still original and when they could actually excite people. Not the case now.

3 days from Episode 9! This is a gem of an archive.. mtfbwya

Interesting to look back at the original time frame, now that we'll be getting that post-OSWT Skywalker story this year.

Good on Lucas knowing that people would get SW fatigue and waiting a decade to release the prequels.

closer to 15 years after the turn of the century... Mark would return to Star Wars... sad neither Siskel or Ebert made it through to review them together. woulda liked to hear their input

Mark's reference to Ralph Bellamy means he was thinking of the dynamic with Cary Grant in "The Awful Truth" and "His Girl Friday." So, he is comparing Harrison Ford to Cary Grant? And himself to Ralph Bellamy as the less than suave second fiddle.

Wow. I really think they will reveal that Luke is Reys father in Episode 9. I cant wait.

Well, looks like they were off by about 15 years with predicting Episode 7! 😂

Hmm. It's interesting to hear that Lucas seemed to be planning episodes 7-9, considering that he eventually went on to say "There is no episode 7." I wonder why he said that. He did give ideas he had for the sequel trilogy to Disney... apparently, they just completely ditched those ideas, but it shows that there at least WAS an episode 7 that George was thinking of, which is corroborated here by Mark. I guess he was just sore at that point after the prequels weren't received as well and had decided to just abandon plans for 7-9, then eventually came around and sold it to Disney. Even though I really like The Force Awakens and am very much looking forward to Episodes 8 and 9... I can't help but wonder what Lucas' sequel trilogy would have been like... especially if he had done them on the time table Mark is speaking of here. If he had done the prequels in the late 80s or early 90s, he wouldn't have been able to make them so CGI laden, Jar Jar probably wouldn't have been in there... they may have been better. But it seems that he specifically waited until CGI was advanced enough to use so much of it, and that was kinda his mistake. But then again, I guess he probably would have ended up doing the same with sequel trilogy that he did with the prequels if he was planning on doing those around the same time he ended up doing the prequels... so I guess it was inevitable that he would eventually make CGI-laden messes. I mean, it's good for the industry and all... CGI wouldn't be as good as it is today if it weren't for his pioneering, but still... the movies themselves did suffer. Anyway, I'm rambling now...

Wow. They talk about the year 2000 then, and it seemed so far away. But now, that was 23 years ago. Time passes too quickly.

I Love Knowing Who Plays R2,&,3PO

Tracking! TRACKING! (Who remembers that?)

Thanks

Well... so much for those plans.

"Into the trashshute flyboy"...yeah, real nervous.

Haha, "loveable Androids," my ASS lol C-3PO is EVIL, everything that has transpired has done so according to HIS design! 😂 Edit; But seriously, you would think that this review would have millions of views, that every Star Wars fan on the Planet would have seen it at least a handful of times each, by now. It's essentially essential.😇👍

And yet we got Luke throwing everything away because of a misunderstanding

"...the evil forces of the Empire, led by Darth Vader." Alright.

Before every movie critic was on the PAYROLL!

5:15... ITS NOT HOW YOU WRITE HIS NAME! LOL

5:14 Mark Hammil

8:00 Holy shit! 16years later but still

The Footage is the Closest we'll get to no special edition

6:57 had to rewind it a few times, sounded like the host said “f*ck off” on 1980’s public television, lol

wow @8:00 i wanted to cry :'( if only

His last looked oddly spelled. I checked. What I take to be his own Twitter account has it “Hamill”.

Goodness gracious me

Even back then Hamill did good Ford's impression

It's to bad Siskel and Ebert aren't around to experience this generation of Star Wars. Would have liked to hear what they would have said about it.

"..ends with Luke becoming a father". Does that mean that Luke is Rey's dad.

"3 more ending with Luke becoming a father" REY SKYWALKER 2016 EVERYBODY

5:15 Spelled his name wrong.

Ja pierdzielę, ale klimat obejrzeć coś takiego po prawie 35 latach!

Too bad Gene is not around for The Force Awakens

Interesting ...

Space bike!? Haha!

A time when having an extra prop on screen was scene as a big deal...and now there are way too many props and FX on the screen at any one time.

lol same stupid social garbage back then too. Leia was always a strong character even in the original Star Wars film.

Hmmmmm Luke Jr. AKA Rey?

Luke as dad better than Disney did.....