Return of the Jedi

Star Wars (Episode VI): Return of the Jedi.
1983 20th Century Fox & Lucasfilm Ltd.
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Sebastian Shaw, Ian McDiarmid, David Prowse, James Earl Jones (voice only), Alec Guinness, Frank Oz, Denis Lawson, Kenneth Colley, Warwick Davis, Jeremy Bulloch
Director: Richard Marquand
Executive Producer: George Lucas
Available from Amazon.

Chronologically, this is the last of the Star Wars movies. George Lucas originally wanted Steven Spielberg to direct, but after Lucas left the Directors Guild of America, this was no longer possible. David Lynch was also approached, but he turned down the chance in favor of directing the film version of Dune, which I'm sure he came to regret. Richard Marquand was tapped as the director here, with a lot of help from Lucas himself. Before Return of the Jedi, Marquand had only directed three movies, including a made-for-TV Beatles biopic.

Return of the Jedi revolves around several plots, like the rescue of Han Solo (Ford) from his carbonite prison in the possession of Jabba the Hutt, as well as the Rebels' battle at the Great Pit of Carkoon, where Leia (Fisher) executes Jabba, and a blinded Han accidentally sends Boba Fett (Bulloch) into the pit instead. Afterwards, Luke Skywalker (Hamill) returns to Dagobah to find Yoda (Oz), presumably to finish his training, but he instead discovers that the Jedi Master is dying. Before he passes on, Yoda confirms that Darth Vader (Prowse & Jones) is indeed his father, and Luke must confront him again to become a true Jedi Knight. It's also revealed that Leia is his twin sister.

Also, the Galactic Empire is constructing a new and improved Death Star, and Han is elected to lead a strike force that will destroy the Death Star's shield generator on the forest moon of Endor, home of a primitive but intelligent race called Ewoks. Luke returns from Dagobah to join the mission, but fears after sensing Darth Vader's presence that he's endangering the mission. Luke tells Leia about what he knows about his relationships to her and Vader, and departs to confront him one more time, believing there is still some good left in him.

Emperor Palpatine (McDiarmid) is aboard the Death Star, and he tells Luke that his allies have walked into a trap. He's right, as the Rebels are captured by Imperial forces, but turn the tide after the Ewoks launch a surprise assault on the Imperials, and Lando (Williams) leads the Rebel forces in the Millenium Falcon. Luke and Darth Vader have their final battle, where Palpatine tries to egg him on into embracing the dark side. Luke stays in control and declares himself a Jedi while sparing Vader from death. Palpatine tries to kill Luke with force lightning, but Vader saves his son from death by killing the emperor. Despite becoming Anakin Skywalker again, he is mortally wounded, and he asks Luke to remove his mask so he can see his son through his own eyes before dying. The Rebels then embark on their final assault on the Death Star, destroying it. The galaxy celebrates the fall of the Empire, complete with a celebration on Endor, where Luke burns his father's armor on a funeral pyre. Spiritual figures of Obi-Wan (Guinness), Yoda, and Anakin (Shaw) are seen, looking over them with pride.

This is a hell of a note to go out on. Highly, highly, highly recommended! Best of all, there was no sighting of Jar Jar Binks anywhere.

Yes, I watched the original theatrical release instead, before George Lucas went back and "improved" things.