A Return to ‘Return of the Jedi’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It is definitely safe to say, that every nerd and every geek… or every nerd that geeks… can easily pinpoint what formative moments occurred that made them into the super nerdy geek they are today. Simply because, those were special and powerful moments in our lives, the kind that ignited a spark deep within us. One that would guide us to more material in that vein and potentially steered us toward a unique career choice and well… I’d like to share one of my own formative nerdy moments today, to properly celebrate the wondrous holiday that is May the Fourth, and as you’ve probably guessed by now… my memory relates to the majesty that is the Star Wars Universe. Specifically… the release of Return of the Jedi.
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For you see, I’m an elder nerd. One in his forties and I was but a wee lad when ROTJ hit the big screen back in 1983, but thankfully… I was able to see it on the big screen and that was a formative moment for me. One that revolved around a momentous occasion in my family. For my baby brother was born in 1983, and shortly after he gloriously came into this world, my mother needed a little down time and quiet time with her new son and that inspired my father… to take me to see Return of the Jedi. For I’d already shown interest in science fiction as a little kid, and the commercials for this motion picture had already caught my eye. So, we loaded up and headed out to a now defunct theater to get my dad and I a giant bowl of popcorn, my favorite, and a soda… to give mom that break and to properly enjoy the majesty of Return of the Jedi, and my goodness… was it something special.

Because these eyes, had never seen such sights, and I honestly do not recall if I even ate that much popcorn. For my jaw was simply agape at watching Jabba the Hutt do his vile thing, and the epic space battle and lightsaber duel that dominated the finale of this movie, and well… that was it for me. I was hooked. I was a Star Wars fan for life and that movie had a huge impact on my life. It showed me that science fiction stories were worth my while and I poured myself into as many as I could get my hands on, including the other franchise we cannot discuss here for obvious reasons. But what mattered more is that it just inspired me to explore storytelling and everything it had to offer to try and create the same feeling that I received when watching this motion picture. 

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One revolving around wonder and awe over the stunning visuals and epic story that played out, and that is a feeling that in all honesty, only a few films and stories have ever replicated for me. Simply because what came after ROTJ was paying tribute to its wonder and because… routine can sometimes remove that sense of majesty as well since there’s comfort that develops in going to see spectacle science fiction stories. But… the point of sharing that memory with all of you, relates to the fact that forty years after I sat in shock over seeing Luke Skywalker beat the ever-living hell out of Darth Vader… that sense of awe returned to me courtesy of the re-release of Return of the Jedi. For I recently went to check it out with my bestest biffle in the whole wide world, Shae, and I honestly just expected to have a good time.
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But somehow, sitting in that theater with my bestie, who is close enough to be considered family, while this movie that I’ve seen a thousand times since played out before my eyes once again… ignited that feeling within me once again. And just like that, I was staring at the screen in awe. Not only because it unlocked the memory of that wonderful day once again, but also because it made me think of the journey that is life, and my personal journey as a nerd. And just how these stories brought me to kindred spirits throughout the years, and the stunning memories made with those kindred spirits… and it even brought me to write these very words to share with all of you, helping me to achieve a personal dream of being a journalist and a writer, and it all started with the words… ‘A long time ago, in a galaxy, far, far away….’ and I am forever thankful for that.

Because it’s been forty, glorious, nerdy years for me, all thanks to my family really, and that is another reason this re-watch in theater was special. Because I saw generations of nerds sitting in the seats and there is a very good chance that some of those kids, many no older than I was on that fateful week in 1983… were seeing this for the first time and perhaps having that same formative experience and well, if that doesn’t speak to the power of nerd-dom and the incredible stories that it is built upon, I don’t know what does. But what I do know, is that this really is a special film, one that will always hold a special place in my heart and remain my sentimental favorite from the saga. For it provided one of my formative moments as a geek and I will always look fondly upon this movie, and all the wonder it brought into my life.  

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