This cute factor aside, the film is a brilliant full circle AND evolution of the saga. Did George Lucas place the furry midgets in the film purely for the merchandising possibilities? Only he can answer that question. Indeed the 'cute' element of ROTJ, namely the Ewoks, remains a weak link in the entire series. Often derided for its overly 'cute' factor, ROTJ is in a sense as strong as the original and only slightly less impressive than the nearly perfect 'The Empire Strikes Back'.
This new outlook allows us to greater appreciate what has often been viewed as the weakest of the original trilogy: 'Return of the Jedi'. What the new films have done is allow fresh perspectives to be placed on the older films. Since the release of 'Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace', claims and counter-claims of just how Episode's II and III will eventuate has taken the spotlight off the 'original' Star Wars films, making them part of a cohesive whole, rather than segregating the older and new films into separate trilogies.
