i tolerate ewoks, but i still think it would have been better if they had gone with the wookies instead. would've given Chewbacca some more stuff to do
Awesome video! Return of the Jedi is and always will be my favorite Star Wars movie. It was also my first real connection to the franchise and nothing will replace renting it from the video store and watching it over and over again on the weekends. Love the channel my friend. 👍👍
Orange Droid to the rescue again! The example you picked up looked flawless Joey, so I'm not surprised it was on the upper end of the price range spectrum. As for your topic for today, the Ewoks, as you mentioned, George specifically made them to appeal to kids. And for me being a kid in the '80s, these were right at my alley and I love them so much (still do). So regardless if they were or weren't made to sell toys, George absolutely hit this one out of the park. And honestly, they perfectly tie into the "David versus Goliath" theme of RotJ. So it was really a win/win situation with them. It's certainly fun watching your loose collection nearing completion. With episode 100 just a couple shows away, I'm curious to know if the Vinyl Cape Jawa will be the highlight of e-100. Seems like the perfect time, wink wink. Another delightful and insightful episode! Already can't wait for the next one...
Hey Mopar! I agree with all your thoughts on the Ewoks and appealing to kids. I am recording episode 100 as we speak now, so let’s see what I show on there lol! You will know sooner than everyone else since you are a channel member! Thanks for stoppering the channel and for taking the time to watch!
Great topic Joey! When I was 13, Jedi came out and even though I loved the first 2 movies when I was younger, I thought I was getting too old to like Ewoks (now I love them in my 50s - lol). So I think age plays a big role in how one embraces each movie.
With you 100% Joey, I was 10 when Jedi came out and I loved every minute of it. The Endor sequence was amazing, speeder bikes and a good look at the AT-ST blew my mind. Never had an issue with the Ewoks...who cares what a critic says when you're a kid?!
The Ewoks were a huge mistake! I was a kid for Jedi too. Show me a boy our age who wouldn’t have wanted to see a Wookie rip off a ‘trooper’s arm over a beady-eyed sofa cushion whacking them with a stick!
That would be pretty cool, Hunter! So many stories to tell. I hope an Ewok shows up at some point in the Star Wars universe again. I hope no one enslaves them :(
I loved the Ewoks and still love the ewoks! As a kid ROTJ was my favourite. Great video! Did not know the etymology of Ewok and didn’t know of Marquand’s cameo! Your vids are top class and your passion for SW and collecting comes through in bucketloads! MTFBWY! Always!
In the UK summer of 82 we had a re release of SW and ESB ,back to back ,I was 9 years old and loved every second of it,that Christmas i got the cantina,an x-wing,a tie fighter,the falcon ,the sand crawler and about 10 or 12 figures.Summer 83 went to see ROTJ and was total blown away.Had no problem with the Ewoks at all.Watched Jedi last year (despecialized version) and still enjoyed it as much as I did as a 10 year old.The original trilogy are timeless classics IM adult opinion.Keep the videos coming Joey always an enjoyable watch thx
Hey GT! I would rather watch the despecilized versions too and have a blu ray copy that my friends got me for a birthday present a few years back. I think Disney should def release those one day. Christmas 82 sounds like you had an awesome one! I wish I could go back and see myself opening those again lol. Thanks for watching my friend
Awesome Joey! I loved the Ewoks growing up (still do) definitely my favourite figures from the Jedi line as a kid. Loved the Ewok movies and cartoon as well. Love the Romba figure. Can’t believe u only have 3 to go 😮 Take care dude 🤘
Hey XDD!! Ewoks for life! Yea it’s been a long road and seems like a lifetime ago from when I started, but the end of the journey is near!!! Thanks for watching my friend!
Oh man Joey you’re so close to completing the collection!!!! I loved the Ewoks when I first saw ROTJ as a kid & I still do! I agree with you about these films being an escape from reality for a couple hours… I’ve never disliked a Star Wars movie! They’re all entertaining!
Great video as always Joey. I know im in the minority but ROTJ is my favourite film. I loved the addition of the ewoks and all of jabbas goons. My first MOCs will be an ewok focus when i complete my loose run in a couple years.
I was ok with the ewoks, but didn't care for them too much. They just weren't cool enough as a trooper, bounty hunter, or an alien creature. But, got to have them now to keep everything completed 😆👍👌
The original Star Wars movies were absolutely made for children. I was 10 and loved the ewoks. It always baffles me when adults critique the ewoks. Ask a child, let's see a critique through the eys of a 10 year old seeing them for the first time.
Hey Matt! Yes I agree with you 100%! I still love those movies as an adult and it is one of the best movies to hold up over time! Thanks for watching my friend
That’s rad Sonny! You should join the Padawan Academy on Facebook and show your work. Links to that is on my TH-cam homepage. Thanks for watching my friend
Ive been thinking about doing that for years. I have so many extra Chripa, Logray and Teebos from bulk lots Ive bought over the years. I might just go ahead with it. Do you dip them in acetone before applying the new paint?
Dude, Marcia Lucas WAS there for Return of the Jedi. She edited the Sarlac pit scene (took her two months) and Yoda's death where she changed the dialog, and having the Emporor die in a blue explosion was her idea.
I agree 1959! That would have been fun to see a brake between them and the empire on Endor! I know we got to see the Wookiees in action later, but seeing them in the 80s would have been cool, I agree. Thanks for watching my friend
I think everyone misses a big point here. In TESB yoda says “Size matters not, look at me, judge me by my size do you?” And it kinda of Carrie’s over to ROTJ and also the Ewoks had help and knew the Forest more than anyone else in the battle. ROTJ is my favorite movie.
I love the Ewoks! Always have. I was ten when Return of the Jedi came out, but I still thought the Ewoks were great. I had loved the Jawas in Star Wars (aka A New Hope) for being quirky little guys with weird language and customs that fired my imagination. The Ewoks were like that for me in Jedi. The whole concept with the tree villages in giant trees; the primative but fun music; how each Ewok looked different and clearly had different roles in the tribe; the mix of cuteness and menace (they were about to eat our heroes until Luke helped C3PO intervene after all); the clever traps & snares, etc. added to it as well. I remember wishing that the Jawas's culture had been fleshed out this much when I saw Jedi. I really enjoyed the Ewok cartoon too and if you haven't seen it yet, I recommend it. Very cute, yet well-made animation, catchy little theme song and some actually interesting stories are in that series. The Ewok Adventure TV movie was pretty good considering the more limited budget of such a show. It might seem hokey now, but we enjoyed it as kids. The Star Wars movies really are for kids and kids at heart. Lucas really tried to appeal to all the different kinds of kids in his movies, even the prequels. Some kids like things that are scary, some even like to know why things are happening (I know I sure did, even when I was five), and of course some kids love goofy humor and wild action scenes, so he did a good job of having some of each of those things in each movie. I actually love Return of the Jedi and the prequels even today partly because they were more like what Lucas wanted to do. Yes, he got some good advice and input on Hope and Empire, but some of his ideas probably also got pared back or toned down more than maybe he wanted them to as well. That's the benefit and the cost of working in a collaborative project like a movie. Maybe I'm in a minority here, but I really like most of Lucas' ideas for Star Wars and understand them pretty well. I especially relate to his love for amazing, imaginative visuals and interesting sound effects that really made his movies stand out compared to previous sci fi/space opera movies. I think I understand most of his plot ideas and story themes as well. I like how you compare the Ewoks to Jar Jar and the Gungans. I've noticed that too that little kids who are experiencing Star Wars for the first time while watching either Jedi or Phantom Menace usually love those characters and I can understand why. They are quite different from the human or near-human characters in the movies and kids love that. They are outrageous and interesting in those differences. There's also a moral to the stories in these movies regarding how the human characters treat these aliens. They are opportunities to show how a Jedi tries to understand vastly different cultures that is illustrated by how Luke treats the Ewoks and Qui Gon treats the Gungans without being too heavy handed about expressing this theme. Then, there's the toys. Oh my, the toys! The Return of the Jedi toys are fantastic! Not just one Ewok, but six different ones. While Wicket is an awesome character in the movie thanks to Warwick Davis' amazing performance, especially considering that he was a child at the time, my favorite Ewok toy was Logray with his shaman's headdress, staff and pouch and that striped fur. A very cool figure that was a lot of fun to play with. There was such a wide variety of figures for Jedi too with all sorts of new characters as well as some cool new looks for our heroes. The vehicles are great too with the speeder bikes, AT-ST, sail barges etc. Very good video that explains both views on the Ewoks as well as Return of the Jedi as a whole.
Thanks John! This is a great analysis of your love for the return of the Jedi and the toys! If you haven’t watched my review of the Ewoks cartoons, check it out! Thanks for offering a great comment and honored that you are watching! Thanks my friend
Just watched your video and totally agree; this was the first movie I watched and I still love it ... that's the one I could watch and rewatch without skipping chapters... when I was a kid, I just to recreate two scenes from this movie: battle of Sarlac and battle of Endor. How I think now? I agree going from wookies to ewoks was extreme and they should have been something not teddy bear like, but I still enjoy watching them...
I remember watching ROTJ for the first time in a theater back in 1983, I really did enjoy the movie but I'm not a fan of the Ewoks. Unfortunately as for Kenner Star Wars collecting goes, I don't have much of a choice buying all the Ewoks to complete my collection.
Hey Retro! Yes fair enough, in reading all the criticisms of Jedi, I can understand where the public and critics felt about it. Once a movie is out, it belongs to the public and Star Wars fans have a deep connection and ownership to these stories, so I can see how Ewoks felt out of place. Thanks for watching my friend!
I liked the Ewoks as a kid but wasn't super excited about them. Then as an adult collector when I bought my Ewok Village I really began to appreciate them.
I was like 12-13 when Jedi came out. I didn't have any problem with the ewoks, and loved the film. I didn't know there was any hatred for ewoks until decades later. Long live Jedi!
You nailed it. The Ewoks were great for kids. RotJ was my favorite as a young kid, and the Ewoks were a large part of the reason. But with that said I can definitely imagine hating them if I first experienced them as an adult. Today I'm kind of "meh" on them but I feel no disdain.
The Ewoks aren't my favorite characters, but I don't hate them... I like them without more. Thank you for explaining their appearances and how their name was found!
I was 5 when SW came out, 11 when ROTJ came around. I loved the movie! In particular, the fight choreography in the Jabba scenes, the epic space battle (finally!) and the Ewoks! I simply loved the idea of little primitive aliens helping defeat the Empire. Teebo and Paploo were my favorites. I didn't end up with Chirpa, and Paploo was the last Star Wars Figure I ever bought. But my ewoks went on many adventures together with the other characters.
Ewoks were a novelty for me at the time but I accepted them. I would have been around 7 at the time. They didn't bother me like Jar Jar did. Great research in this video. A lot of new facts I didn't know.
Thanks One Time, yea the research in this one was eye opening! I didn't know that so many newspaper movie critics hated the ROTJ film, that so many hard core SW fans hated it, and that Lucas's team was split by the Ewoks. Thanks for watching my friend!
@@thepadawancollectorofficial I loved it when it came out. I think I thought it was still pretty dark. Like I felt like Luke could've gone either way as a kid. Plus he had a new awesome green lightsaber!
My second memory of Return of the Jedi (first was the trailer in 1982 in front of a SW and ESB double feature) was getting a sticker set before the film was released and as a 7 year old was a little taken aback at the new alien design aesthetics. The stickers being cartoon versions of the characters made the Ewoks look like bears and Max Rebo was a blue elephant and just didn't feel like Star Wars. However after watching the film, these aliens felt real so really didn't care what they looked like and didn't realize there was a backlash to the Ewoks until early adulthood. Except for Wicket and the Ewok babies, they really aren't that cute IMO.
Let's go kids of 1977! I was also the perfect age for Return of the Jedi, as well as the Droids and Ewoks cartoons, and they remain my favourite part of Star Wars. Yes I'm more cognizant now of how ROTJ is a soft remake of Star Wars, but I still love its drama, action, and creativity. It's sheer variety of aliens is amazing, including the Ewoks, who I still think are awesome! Except that when I think of Ewoks, the first thing that comes to mind is the cartoon, then ROTJ after that 😆
I loved the ewoks and would even go out in the yard as a kid and build a village out of twigs around our tree. Only thing I wasn't fond of as a kid was Lando in Hans Falcon 🤷♂️
My only problem with the Ewoks is that they stole the spotlight from the rebels. Woulda been heartwarmingly wholesome to have them team up on screen with the Ewoks incorporating them into their tactics.
Was 13 when ROTJ came out. And really enjoyed it. Still do. Ewoks were not my favourite. Only had one Vintage ewok and that was Wicket. I guess I'd have had more if I were younger. Can see the appeal of both the Ewoks and Jar Jar. And if they are loved, that is cool. I do have a lot more Ewoks now than I did then!
I can't stand it when people complain about things being childish as if it meant they are inherently bad. The funniest thing is sometimes these "childish" things are so just in appearance or are dismissed as being it just because they aren't too dark and edgy. The ewoks were not conceived as a marketing tool (they may have become one later) but in reality the facts tell a very different tale, not only they weren't originally there, the most famous of them all, Wicket, joined the story after the cast had ended, Leia was intended to be found by Paploo, but Kenny Baker wasn't available for shooting that day. Also, instead of using them to promote either the film or the toys, ewoks were blacked out of the kenner catalogue before the release.
My 1# was Returned of the Jedi because the Ewokes and Jaba the hut....and my 2nd Empire Strikes Back because the Hoth Snow Walkers and Cloud City and my 3rd New Hope because luke journey and the cantina aliens
@@thepadawancollectorofficial I also saw Empire Strikes Back in theater when I was 7 in 1980 and it completely blew my mind 🤯 Those three years until ROTJ felt like forever...
I was a kid when I saw Return of the Jedi so I love Return of the Jedi because the Ewokes...... I guess the Adults in the 80s they didn't like the Ewokes....Just like the phantom menace the kids love Jar Jar Binks...But in that time when Phantom Menace came out the teens didn't like Jar Jar Binks...Me I Love Star Wars I love the prequel and the Classic Trilogy story and yes I love the Animation to
I was 12, so anyone can imagine what I thought about Ewoks...I think ROTJ has more problems than only the Ewoks, but thye are my main gripe with this movie. My circle of friends never liked them too, so I thought I was right and this was the main opinion all this time, until the internet came along and I realize how many people think ROTJ is still their fav, how they love the Ewoks and don't really care that the movie 's kind of disjointed and the Solo rescue mission somethimes doesn't make a lot of sense (I had some ROTJ superfans explain me several theories at lenght of why it had to be this way). Also, the Luke Skywalker uber followers this ROTJ is superb (they're the ones that have the most problem with TLJ btw) - anyways, here's for the ROTJ enthusiasts out there, we can't all have the same taste, what boring planet this would be. MTFBWT.
Hey Wampa! I agree that we all need to have our options and have those opinions heard and considered, even if we don’t adopt those opinions. And you do make some really great points on why ROTJ isn’t the best of the original trilogy. Thanks for taking the time to comment and for watching my friend
Yea can’t say it was Oscar worthy, but I loved it when I was a kid. I hope you can come back and watch this episode when it premieres Greg! See you then!
The idea that people hated the Ewoks in 1983 is a rewrite of history. In 1983 people lived the Ewoks. The Yub Yub song was on heavy rotation on Dr. Demento. The figures sold like hot cakes. The Ewok Village sold out in most stores that Christmas. People loved Ewoks so much that Lucas made 2 crappy TV movies about then and a crappy cartoon. Years later when those kids got older and “cooler”, they suddenly hated them. But now look at the prices rise on Ewok toys. I say, anyone who hates their Ewoks figures, I’ll take them off their hands. Currently I gave over 200 Ewok figures.
I mean why would you ever hate cannibalistic, droid worshipping, teddy bears who use spears, rocks, and swinging log traps to beat Stormtroopers who we ALL KNOW can't see jack sh*t out of those helmets. It's a hilarious end to a story that had the greatest Sith Lord who got his ass handed to him by his broken sad apprentice and his whiny ass son, and a rag tag fleet ran by Admiral Phish Phace and everyone who has a month or two in the Rebellion is a General. They have a walking carpet, a bitchy princess, a hustler, a drug smuggler, an uptight protocol droid and the actual hero of all the SW fims R2muthaf***ingD2... George Lucas did a film that was for children and he wanted kids to identify with the Ewoks and the Ewoks kicked the Empire's ass up to between their collective shoulder blades. Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Sidious the Overconfident? He got smoked liked a blunt by teddy bears bruh...
I haven’t seen Return Of The Jedi without the extra crap since I was a kid. That is the movie that I’m the most irritated with the changes Lucas made with the redux or whatever. I have the vhs tapes that are untainted. I am going to get a good version for my high def tv of all the original trilogy movies minus the bonus added scenes and bedazzling. It ruined it for me and I hate that. Empire Strikes Back is still ok. The Ewoks are fine. Wookiee would’ve been better. They could gotten 10 basketball teams to play Wookies and made a great battle.
Hey Woodrow! Yea when I watch the old films I usually watch a version of the de-specialized version that my friend got me for my birthday one year :). Those originals are the best I agree.
Hey Jeff! Yea I wonder what the story and battle would have been like had they been Wookiees. It would have definitely been a more fierce ground battle like on Hoth
To all the haters out there who complain about realism you really should stop and realize even humans come in a large variety of shapes and sizes. Skinny, heavy, dwarf, giant, muscular, dad bod, and numerous racial mixes. We already had jawas so Ewoks are just as logical.
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I did subscribed plus hit the bell 🔔. Thx once again I enjoyed this content.
i tolerate ewoks, but i still think it would have been better if they had gone with the wookies instead. would've given Chewbacca some more stuff to do
Awesome video! Return of the Jedi is and always will be my favorite Star Wars movie. It was also my first real connection to the franchise and nothing will replace renting it from the video store and watching it over and over again on the weekends. Love the channel my friend. 👍👍
Thanks Kurt! Honored that you like the channel! Thanks for watching my friend
I loved the Ewoks as a kid, and still do 🥰. Never understood the hate. Leia meeting Wicket is still one of my favorite scenes 😊
Agreed, Calvero :). Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment my friend
Still HATED them even back in 1983 when I was 11 and I have all the Kenner Star Wars toys.
Haha fair enough Atari!!! Thanks for watching my friend!
Orange Droid to the rescue again! The example you picked up looked flawless Joey, so I'm not surprised it was on the upper end of the price range spectrum. As for your topic for today, the Ewoks, as you mentioned, George specifically made them to appeal to kids. And for me being a kid in the '80s, these were right at my alley and I love them so much (still do). So regardless if they were or weren't made to sell toys, George absolutely hit this one out of the park. And honestly, they perfectly tie into the "David versus Goliath" theme of RotJ. So it was really a win/win situation with them.
It's certainly fun watching your loose collection nearing completion. With episode 100 just a couple shows away, I'm curious to know if the Vinyl Cape Jawa will be the highlight of e-100. Seems like the perfect time, wink wink. Another delightful and insightful episode! Already can't wait for the next one...
Hey Mopar! I agree with all your thoughts on the Ewoks and appealing to kids. I am recording episode 100 as we speak now, so let’s see what I show on there lol! You will know sooner than everyone else since you are a channel member! Thanks for stoppering the channel and for taking the time to watch!
@@thepadawancollectorofficial I look forward to each new release Joey! 100 is sure to be a banger.
Great topic Joey! When I was 13, Jedi came out and even though I loved the first 2 movies when I was younger, I thought I was getting too old to like Ewoks (now I love them in my 50s - lol). So I think age plays a big role in how one embraces each movie.
Great take Bill! Yea they were def geared to the little one! Thanks for watching my friend!
With you 100% Joey, I was 10 when Jedi came out and I loved every minute of it. The Endor sequence was amazing, speeder bikes and a good look at the AT-ST blew my mind. Never had an issue with the Ewoks...who cares what a critic says when you're a kid?!
You hit it Martin and YES, that speeder bike chase was insane watching as a kid! Thanks for watching my friend!
You said it!
The Ewoks were a huge mistake! I was a kid for Jedi too. Show me a boy our age who wouldn’t have wanted to see a Wookie rip off a ‘trooper’s arm over a beady-eyed sofa cushion whacking them with a stick!
Watching Wookiees in all their glory would have been epic!
I think a serie or movie with more about ewok village, a gungang character & jawa couple would be interesting.
That would be pretty cool, Hunter! So many stories to tell. I hope an Ewok shows up at some point in the Star Wars universe again. I hope no one enslaves them :(
I loved the Ewoks and still love the ewoks! As a kid ROTJ was my favourite. Great video! Did not know the etymology of Ewok and didn’t know of Marquand’s cameo! Your vids are top class and your passion for SW and collecting comes through in bucketloads! MTFBWY! Always!
Hey Soda! Thanks for the kind words and I’m honored that you liked the episode! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment my friend
In the UK summer of 82 we had a re release of SW and ESB ,back to back ,I was 9 years old and loved every second of it,that Christmas i got the cantina,an x-wing,a tie fighter,the falcon ,the sand crawler and about 10 or 12 figures.Summer 83 went to see ROTJ and was total blown away.Had no problem with the Ewoks at all.Watched Jedi last year (despecialized version) and still enjoyed it as much as I did as a 10 year old.The original trilogy are timeless classics IM adult opinion.Keep the videos coming Joey always an enjoyable watch thx
Hey GT! I would rather watch the despecilized versions too and have a blu ray copy that my friends got me for a birthday present a few years back. I think Disney should def release those one day. Christmas 82 sounds like you had an awesome one! I wish I could go back and see myself opening those again lol. Thanks for watching my friend
Awesome Joey! I loved the Ewoks growing up (still do) definitely my favourite figures from the Jedi line as a kid. Loved the Ewok movies and cartoon as well. Love the Romba figure. Can’t believe u only have 3 to go 😮
Take care dude 🤘
Hey XDD!! Ewoks for life! Yea it’s been a long road and seems like a lifetime ago from when I started, but the end of the journey is near!!! Thanks for watching my friend!
Oh man Joey you’re so close to completing the collection!!!! I loved the Ewoks when I first saw ROTJ as a kid & I still do! I agree with you about these films being an escape from reality for a couple hours… I’ve never disliked a Star Wars movie! They’re all entertaining!
Hey SSW! I agree I find all of them entertaining, although the original trilogy is my favorite. Thanks for watching my friend!
Great video as always Joey. I know im in the minority but ROTJ is my favourite film. I loved the addition of the ewoks and all of jabbas goons. My first MOCs will be an ewok focus when i complete my loose run in a couple years.
That would be a great focus Dan!!! Thanks for watching my friend!
I was ok with the ewoks, but didn't care for them too much. They just weren't cool enough as a trooper, bounty hunter, or an alien creature. But, got to have them now to keep everything completed 😆👍👌
Hey Scott! Yea I feel the same way about the dignitary and most of Jabbas goons! Lol. Gotta get ‘em all! Thanks for watching my friend
The original Star Wars movies were absolutely made for children. I was 10 and loved the ewoks. It always baffles me when adults critique the ewoks. Ask a child, let's see a critique through the eys of a 10 year old seeing them for the first time.
Hey Matt! Yes I agree with you 100%! I still love those movies as an adult and it is one of the best movies to hold up over time! Thanks for watching my friend
I’ve been customizing vintage beater figures and the Ewoks are by far my favorite to do. So many options
That’s rad Sonny! You should join the Padawan Academy on Facebook and show your work. Links to that is on my TH-cam homepage. Thanks for watching my friend
Ive been thinking about doing that for years. I have so many extra Chripa, Logray and Teebos from bulk lots Ive bought over the years. I might just go ahead with it. Do you dip them in acetone before applying the new paint?
Dude, Marcia Lucas WAS there for Return of the Jedi.
She edited the Sarlac pit scene (took her two months) and Yoda's death where she changed the dialog, and having the Emporor die in a blue explosion was her idea.
Having the Wookies instead of the Ewoks would have been awesome!!!
I agree 1959! That would have been fun to see a brake between them and the empire on Endor! I know we got to see the Wookiees in action later, but seeing them in the 80s would have been cool, I agree. Thanks for watching my friend
I think everyone misses a big point here. In TESB yoda says “Size matters not, look at me, judge me by my size do you?” And it kinda of Carrie’s over to ROTJ and also the Ewoks had help and knew the Forest more than anyone else in the battle. ROTJ is my favorite movie.
That is an excellent point Noemi!!!!! Excellent! Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching my friend!
Loved this episode
Thanks brothers, and thanks for watching! I was watching the spice runners in the background while I was watching the Padres game lol.
Great Video Joey ! I love the ewoks like you.
Hey Pascal! Ewoks for life! Thanks for watching my friend!
Interesting video.
Thanks Punisher!
I love the Ewoks! Always have. I was ten when Return of the Jedi came out, but I still thought the Ewoks were great. I had loved the Jawas in Star Wars (aka A New Hope) for being quirky little guys with weird language and customs that fired my imagination. The Ewoks were like that for me in Jedi. The whole concept with the tree villages in giant trees; the primative but fun music; how each Ewok looked different and clearly had different roles in the tribe; the mix of cuteness and menace (they were about to eat our heroes until Luke helped C3PO intervene after all); the clever traps & snares, etc. added to it as well. I remember wishing that the Jawas's culture had been fleshed out this much when I saw Jedi.
I really enjoyed the Ewok cartoon too and if you haven't seen it yet, I recommend it. Very cute, yet well-made animation, catchy little theme song and some actually interesting stories are in that series. The Ewok Adventure TV movie was pretty good considering the more limited budget of such a show. It might seem hokey now, but we enjoyed it as kids. The Star Wars movies really are for kids and kids at heart. Lucas really tried to appeal to all the different kinds of kids in his movies, even the prequels. Some kids like things that are scary, some even like to know why things are happening (I know I sure did, even when I was five), and of course some kids love goofy humor and wild action scenes, so he did a good job of having some of each of those things in each movie.
I actually love Return of the Jedi and the prequels even today partly because they were more like what Lucas wanted to do. Yes, he got some good advice and input on Hope and Empire, but some of his ideas probably also got pared back or toned down more than maybe he wanted them to as well. That's the benefit and the cost of working in a collaborative project like a movie. Maybe I'm in a minority here, but I really like most of Lucas' ideas for Star Wars and understand them pretty well. I especially relate to his love for amazing, imaginative visuals and interesting sound effects that really made his movies stand out compared to previous sci fi/space opera movies.
I think I understand most of his plot ideas and story themes as well. I like how you compare the Ewoks to Jar Jar and the Gungans. I've noticed that too that little kids who are experiencing Star Wars for the first time while watching either Jedi or Phantom Menace usually love those characters and I can understand why. They are quite different from the human or near-human characters in the movies and kids love that. They are outrageous and interesting in those differences. There's also a moral to the stories in these movies regarding how the human characters treat these aliens. They are opportunities to show how a Jedi tries to understand vastly different cultures that is illustrated by how Luke treats the Ewoks and Qui Gon treats the Gungans without being too heavy handed about expressing this theme.
Then, there's the toys. Oh my, the toys! The Return of the Jedi toys are fantastic! Not just one Ewok, but six different ones. While Wicket is an awesome character in the movie thanks to Warwick Davis' amazing performance, especially considering that he was a child at the time, my favorite Ewok toy was Logray with his shaman's headdress, staff and pouch and that striped fur. A very cool figure that was a lot of fun to play with. There was such a wide variety of figures for Jedi too with all sorts of new characters as well as some cool new looks for our heroes. The vehicles are great too with the speeder bikes, AT-ST, sail barges etc.
Very good video that explains both views on the Ewoks as well as Return of the Jedi as a whole.
Thanks John! This is a great analysis of your love for the return of the Jedi and the toys! If you haven’t watched my review of the Ewoks cartoons, check it out! Thanks for offering a great comment and honored that you are watching! Thanks my friend
@@thepadawancollectorofficial Thanks! I haven't seen that yet, but I'll check it out.
I turned 8 in 1983. I loved Return of the Jedi and the Ewoks and I still do.
Thanks for watching Joshua! Love love the Ewoks :)
I love the EWOKS too ur not alone loving those little critters.I have a couple of Ewoks myself. 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍
Thanks Georgie! Long live the Ewoks! Thanks for watching my friend!
Just watched your video and totally agree; this was the first movie I watched and I still love it ... that's the one I could watch and rewatch without skipping chapters... when I was a kid, I just to recreate two scenes from this movie: battle of Sarlac and battle of Endor. How I think now? I agree going from wookies to ewoks was extreme and they should have been something not teddy bear like, but I still enjoy watching them...
Hey Jose! I agree with you. That movie was the first Star Wars movie I saw in the theater and I loved the Ewoks :)
I remember watching ROTJ for the first time in a theater back in 1983, I really did enjoy the movie but I'm not a fan of the Ewoks.
Unfortunately as for Kenner Star Wars collecting goes, I don't have much of a choice buying all the Ewoks to complete my collection.
Hey Retro! Yes fair enough, in reading all the criticisms of Jedi, I can understand where the public and critics felt about it. Once a movie is out, it belongs to the public and Star Wars fans have a deep connection and ownership to these stories, so I can see how Ewoks felt out of place. Thanks for watching my friend!
I liked the Ewoks as a kid but wasn't super excited about them. Then as an adult collector when I bought my Ewok Village I really began to appreciate them.
I was like 12-13 when Jedi came out. I didn't have any problem with the ewoks, and loved the film. I didn't know there was any hatred for ewoks until decades later. Long live Jedi!
Thanks Chaser! Long live Jedi, long live the Ewoks!
You nailed it. The Ewoks were great for kids. RotJ was my favorite as a young kid, and the Ewoks were a large part of the reason. But with that said I can definitely imagine hating them if I first experienced them as an adult. Today I'm kind of "meh" on them but I feel no disdain.
Well said Frog! I think I will get more into them once I start collecting the figures from the Ewoks like 😂
The Ewoks aren't my favorite characters, but I don't hate them... I like them without more. Thank you for explaining their appearances and how their name was found!
Hey Mando! Glad you liked the episode! Thanks for watching my friend
Return of the jedi is my favorite star wars movie. Love everything about it.
Hey Lera! Thanks for watching my friend!
I was 5 when SW came out, 11 when ROTJ came around. I loved the movie! In particular, the fight choreography in the Jabba scenes, the epic space battle (finally!) and the Ewoks! I simply loved the idea of little primitive aliens helping defeat the Empire. Teebo and Paploo were my favorites. I didn't end up with Chirpa, and Paploo was the last Star Wars Figure I ever bought. But my ewoks went on many adventures together with the other characters.
Hey Chris! I think Chirpa was the only Ewok I got when I was a kid, but I really wanted Wicket haha! I just liked how mean Chirpa looked
Ewoks were a novelty for me at the time but I accepted them. I would have been around 7 at the time. They didn't bother me like Jar Jar did. Great research in this video. A lot of new facts I didn't know.
Thanks One Time, yea the research in this one was eye opening! I didn't know that so many newspaper movie critics hated the ROTJ film, that so many hard core SW fans hated it, and that Lucas's team was split by the Ewoks. Thanks for watching my friend!
@@thepadawancollectorofficial I loved it when it came out. I think I thought it was still pretty dark. Like I felt like Luke could've gone either way as a kid. Plus he had a new awesome green lightsaber!
3:08 Looks exactly like him! I never knew that! Lol
Haha! Thanks for watching Michael!
I love Ewoks! Always have always will! I have loved them since Caravan of Courage and Battle for Endor. #MurderBears for life! 🔥
Hey Scarif! I agree! Ewoks for life!! Thanks for watching my friend
Ewoks are awesome. My favorite Ewok is Teebo the medicine man.
My second memory of Return of the Jedi (first was the trailer in 1982 in front of a SW and ESB double feature) was getting a sticker set before the film was released and as a 7 year old was a little taken aback at the new alien design aesthetics. The stickers being cartoon versions of the characters made the Ewoks look like bears and Max Rebo was a blue elephant and just didn't feel like Star Wars. However after watching the film, these aliens felt real so really didn't care what they looked like and didn't realize there was a backlash to the Ewoks until early adulthood. Except for Wicket and the Ewok babies, they really aren't that cute IMO.
Hey AAP! I’m just amazed that you actually got to see a double feature in 1982 of SW AND ESB! That must have been heaven as a kid!!!
Strangely enough, I dislike the ewoks, but love their Kenner 3 & 3/4-inch counterparts. Great figures!
🙌🏼
Let's go kids of 1977! I was also the perfect age for Return of the Jedi, as well as the Droids and Ewoks cartoons, and they remain my favourite part of Star Wars. Yes I'm more cognizant now of how ROTJ is a soft remake of Star Wars, but I still love its drama, action, and creativity. It's sheer variety of aliens is amazing, including the Ewoks, who I still think are awesome! Except that when I think of Ewoks, the first thing that comes to mind is the cartoon, then ROTJ after that 😆
Hey Cory! You and I are both 1977 kids then! 🙌🏼
@@thepadawancollectorofficial yep... 46 in 10 days 😆
I loved the ewoks and would even go out in the yard as a kid and build a village out of twigs around our tree. Only thing I wasn't fond of as a kid was Lando in Hans Falcon 🤷♂️
Hey J3! Haha I didn’t like that either! Thanks for watching
My only problem with the Ewoks is that they stole the spotlight from the rebels. Woulda been heartwarmingly wholesome to have them team up on screen with the Ewoks incorporating them into their tactics.
That’s an interesting insight rex! Thanks for watching my friend!
I think the surprise attack and coming to the rescue of the rebels and saving the day added to their credibility as warriors.
Was 13 when ROTJ came out. And really enjoyed it. Still do. Ewoks were not my favourite. Only had one Vintage ewok and that was Wicket. I guess I'd have had more if I were younger.
Can see the appeal of both the Ewoks and Jar Jar. And if they are loved, that is cool. I do have a lot more Ewoks now than I did then!
Well said my friend
I can't stand it when people complain about things being childish as if it meant they are inherently bad. The funniest thing is sometimes these "childish" things are so just in appearance or are dismissed as being it just because they aren't too dark and edgy. The ewoks were not conceived as a marketing tool (they may have become one later) but in reality the facts tell a very different tale, not only they weren't originally there, the most famous of them all, Wicket, joined the story after the cast had ended, Leia was intended to be found by Paploo, but Kenny Baker wasn't available for shooting that day. Also, instead of using them to promote either the film or the toys, ewoks were blacked out of the kenner catalogue before the release.
Hey Aaron!!! Yes! Great info and I agree with your take. Thanks for taking the time to comment and for watching my friend.
My 1# was Returned of the Jedi because the Ewokes and Jaba the hut....and my 2nd Empire Strikes Back because the Hoth Snow Walkers and Cloud City and my 3rd New Hope because luke journey and the cantina aliens
Great choices Chicago! Thanks for watching my friend!
I saw the movie on its release in 83 when I was ten: I loved the ewoks back then 🐻
That so rad you got to see it in the theaters.
@@thepadawancollectorofficial I also saw Empire Strikes Back in theater when I was 7 in 1980 and it completely blew my mind 🤯 Those three years until ROTJ felt like forever...
I was a kid when I saw Return of the Jedi so I love Return of the Jedi because the Ewokes...... I guess the Adults in the 80s they didn't like the Ewokes....Just like the phantom menace the kids love Jar Jar Binks...But in that time when Phantom Menace came out the teens didn't like Jar Jar Binks...Me I Love Star Wars I love the prequel and the Classic Trilogy story and yes I love the Animation to
Great take, Chicago
I was 12, so anyone can imagine what I thought about Ewoks...I think ROTJ has more problems than only the Ewoks, but thye are my main gripe with this movie.
My circle of friends never liked them too, so I thought I was right and this was the main opinion all this time, until the internet came along and I realize how many people think ROTJ is still their fav, how they love the Ewoks and don't really care that the movie 's kind of disjointed and the Solo rescue mission somethimes doesn't make a lot of sense (I had some ROTJ superfans explain me several theories at lenght of why it had to be this way). Also, the Luke Skywalker uber followers this ROTJ is superb (they're the ones that have the most problem with TLJ btw) - anyways, here's for the ROTJ enthusiasts out there, we can't all have the same taste, what boring planet this would be. MTFBWT.
Hey Wampa! I agree that we all need to have our options and have those opinions heard and considered, even if we don’t adopt those opinions. And you do make some really great points on why ROTJ isn’t the best of the original trilogy. Thanks for taking the time to comment and for watching my friend
Ewoks ate the Storm Troopers, and Han shot first.
Mmmmmm stormtrooper stew! Thanks for watching my friend!
I love the Ewoks too !
Hey Ashley! Thanks for watching my friend!
Those two kids from the Ewok movies. And their acting was subpar.
Yea can’t say it was Oscar worthy, but I loved it when I was a kid. I hope you can come back and watch this episode when it premieres Greg! See you then!
The idea that people hated the Ewoks in 1983 is a rewrite of history. In 1983 people lived the Ewoks. The Yub Yub song was on heavy rotation on Dr. Demento. The figures sold like hot cakes. The Ewok Village sold out in most stores that Christmas. People loved Ewoks so much that Lucas made 2 crappy TV movies about then and a crappy cartoon. Years later when those kids got older and “cooler”, they suddenly hated them. But now look at the prices rise on Ewok toys. I say, anyone who hates their Ewoks figures, I’ll take them off their hands. Currently I gave over 200 Ewok figures.
Hey Ransome! Ewoks are the bees knees! Thanks for watching
I mean why would you ever hate cannibalistic, droid worshipping, teddy bears who use spears, rocks, and swinging log traps to beat Stormtroopers who we ALL KNOW can't see jack sh*t out of those helmets.
It's a hilarious end to a story that had the greatest Sith Lord who got his ass handed to him by his broken sad apprentice and his whiny ass son, and a rag tag fleet ran by Admiral Phish Phace and everyone who has a month or two in the Rebellion is a General. They have a walking carpet, a bitchy princess, a hustler, a drug smuggler, an uptight protocol droid and the actual hero of all the SW fims R2muthaf***ingD2...
George Lucas did a film that was for children and he wanted kids to identify with the Ewoks and the Ewoks kicked the Empire's ass up to between their collective shoulder blades.
Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Sidious the Overconfident? He got smoked liked a blunt by teddy bears bruh...
😂
I haven’t seen Return Of The Jedi without the extra crap since I was a kid. That is the movie that I’m the most irritated with the changes Lucas made with the redux or whatever. I have the vhs tapes that are untainted. I am going to get a good version for my high def tv of all the original trilogy movies minus the bonus added scenes and bedazzling. It ruined it for me and I hate that. Empire Strikes Back is still ok. The Ewoks are fine. Wookiee would’ve been better. They could gotten 10 basketball teams to play Wookies and made a great battle.
Hey Woodrow! Yea when I watch the old films I usually watch a version of the de-specialized version that my friend got me for my birthday one year :). Those originals are the best I agree.
I hated them when I saw them in 83 and I still hate them. Should have been wookies.
Hey Jeff! Yea I wonder what the story and battle would have been like had they been Wookiees. It would have definitely been a more fierce ground battle like on Hoth
Ewoks are my favorite alien species in Star Wars. I can’t understand the hate.
Ewoks are some of my favorites too! Thanks for watching!
Did Ewoks eat the dead Stormtroopers?
I’m pretty sure they tried to lol! Thanks for watching SHJ!
FX-7 is lame, lol
I have a secret…. When I was a kid… that was one of my favorite figures… 😳.
@@thepadawancollectorofficial lol, of course!
To all the haters out there who complain about realism you really should stop and realize even humans come in a large variety of shapes and sizes. Skinny, heavy, dwarf, giant, muscular, dad bod, and numerous racial mixes. We already had jawas so Ewoks are just as logical.
Hey Kevin! Thanks for your thoughts on this brother! And thanks for taking the time to watch 🙌🏼
Ewoks are real !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree! Thanks for watching my friend
Still like the Ewoks .
So do I :)
Politics in a movie? That's just ridiculous lol..
Hey Dandy! Lol right! Thanks for watching my friend
They are bad… not as bad as jar jar but bad enough
Haha 😂! I happen to like jar jar. Was a different time
100 percent cringe back then, still cringe