Lets talk all things Star Wars

[Darth Lars]

I'd think that perhaps the 3PO-series could have been intentionally programmed with a certain personality and way of movement so as to make them come across as non-threatening.

 

[Treadwell]

In behind the scenes footage where AD is just walking around in the suit but out of character, he moves more easily than he made it look when performing. Especially the legs--he can walk somewhat normally in them, doesn't have to shuffle.

Not that he could climb a Y-Wing ladder, mind you.

 

[batguy]

Whatever AD did, worked. C-3P0 definitely comes across as a droid more than the stormtroopers.

There was even a bit of press confusion about it in 1977. At one point a Lucasfilm rep got mixed up and said that C-3P0 was entirely mechanical (no actor inside).

The rep probably meant that the fictional C-3P0 was mechanical. A lot of that suff was unanswered in 1977. The public didn't even know that Darth Vader was human underneath the suit until ESB.

 

[The Terminator]

It's weird that the C-3PO suit was so unweildy in the same movie with stormtroopers that could move pretty well.

But the clumsiness of the golden suit did help make it clear that he was supposed to be a robot. The OT is full of actors in rigid suits, with some of them intended to be robots and others intended to be humans wearing armor.

*DROIDS!

 

[batguy]

"Dude, 'droid' is not the preferred nomenclature. 'Robotic citizen', please."

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

I was re-watching ANH (SE on D+) the other day and I have a Star Wars hot take.

After watching the Tatooine scenes I realized where I think George Lucas went wrong with the SE re-edit. In the SE edit, Lucas made 2 major changes to scenes with Han Solo; he changed Han shooting Greedo and he added the Jabba scene in DB94.

In many interviews Lucas says he changed the Han/Greedo scene because he didn't want Han to seem like a cold-blooded killer and instead, after the edit, Han shoots Greedo in self-defense after Greedo shoots at Han first. Obviously this change did not go over well with fans who, understandably, know why Han shot Greedo (based on the dialog between Han and Greedo)

With the addition on the Jabba scene, many fans felt the scene is unnecessary because all the dialog between Han and Jabba only re-hashes the same story points literally just discussed a few minutes early between Han and Greedo.

My hot take is.... if I had the power to influence and re-edit ANH for George Lucas back in 1997 for the Special Edition I would have added the Jabba scene and removed the Greedo scene and killed 2 birds with 1 stone. I would have removed the Han-shooting-Greedo action per George's new outlook as this eliminates the issue altogether and moves the dialog and story points about Han owing Jabba money out of the Cantina and into DB94.

 

[batguy]

Cutting the whole Greedo scene is an interesting idea. I haven't heard that one before.

It might have been better than the clumsy re-edit of the Greedo shooting we got in 1997.

But I still prefer the 1977 version.

Jabba was supposed to be a very powerful crime boss. It diminished him to even show him meeting Han at the docking bay and putting up with Han's casual attitude. Would Al Capone have put up with a whiskey truck driver stepping on his shoes? The tone of that whole scene was wrong for the character that Jabba was by ESB and ROTJ.

The version of Jabba in the docking bay scene (with or without the CGI) was written to get some story exposition done in 1976. I don't think George would have done it that way if he had known he would get to revisit Jabba in future movies. (Yoda's take: "George had his mind was on where he was! What he was doing!")

 

[Ron]

Interesting thought. It certainly does the job from an exposition standpoint. From a character standpoint however, it shortchanges Han. We need to see him coldly blast Greedo away in order to emphasize his change of heart when he saves Luke at the end.

When I was younger and the special editions were released, I was happy to have that Jabba scene reinserted. More is always better I used to think! For the reasons you and batguy mentioned of redundant dialogue and diminishing Jabba's powerful reputation (not to mention the cgi still looks awkward), it's better it was left on the cutting room floor.

 

[Psab keel]

I prefer the 1977 version too. By the time we see Jabba in the flesh in Return of the Jedi, I felt it was more impactful because for two films we already knew Han was in debt to this character and seeing that incredible puppet, even to this day, I'm amazed at how real it looks. Stuart Freeborn and his team created cinema magic. Jabba, even as an immobile slug was an intimidating threat to our heroes and he'd been built up, ever so subtlety in the preceeding two films.

I do like the Han Jabba scene on docking bay 94 from a film archival perspective (the raw footage from 77 without the awful CG renderings). I have yet to see a CGI Jabba from Lucasfilm that looks anywhere near as good as the 1983 puppet. Seeing any cut scenes from those films is always a treat but I agree with their omission from the final edits of each film.

One of these days I may have to cave and buy the 2011 bluray of the 6 saga films so I can own those cut scenes.

 

[Ron]

I prefer the 1977 version too. By the time we see Jabba in the flesh in Return of the Jedi, I felt it was more impactful because for two films we already knew Han was in debt to this character and seeing that incredible puppet, even to this day, I'm amazed at how real it looks. Stuart Freeborn and his team created cinema magic. Jabba, even as an immobile slug was an intimidating threat to our heroes and he'd been built up, ever so subtlety in the preceeding two films.

I do like the Han Jabba scene on docking bay 94 from a film archival perspective (the raw footage from 77 without the awful CG renderings). I have yet to see a CGI Jabba from Lucasfilm that looks anywhere near as good as the 1983 puppet. Seeing any cut scenes from those films is always a treat but I agree with their omission from the final edits of each film.

One of these days I may have to cave and buy the 2011 bluray of the 6 saga films so I can own those cut scenes.

I bought the 2011 bluray exactly for that reason. I figured I better buy it while I still can because I won't be giving money to Disney for any sets they release.

Psab, go grab a set off of Ebay before they skyrocket in price.

 

[Inquisitor Peregrinus]

I have yet to see a CGI Jabba from Lucasfilm that looks anywhere near as good as the 1983 puppet.

Exactly. But one of the things I'll give them credit for is that in the revisiting of TPM (probably for the 3D release), the CG Hutts look much better than the original '99 versions.

 

[blewis17]

It's weird that the C-3PO suit was so unweildy in the same movie with stormtroopers that could move pretty well.

But the clumsiness of the golden suit did help make it clear that he was supposed to be a robot. The OT is full of actors in rigid suits, with some of them intended to be robots and others intended to be humans wearing armor.

Seeing Star Wars in 1977 as a child, I always thought the stormtroopers WERE robots, and that the cog(s) on the back plate spelled "OIL"

 

[blewis17]

Interesting thought. It certainly does the job from an exposition standpoint. From a character standpoint however, it shortchanges Han. We need to see him coldly blast Greedo away in order to emphasize his change of heart when he saves Luke at the end.

When I was younger and the special editions were released, I was happy to have that Jabba scene reinserted. More is always better I used to think! For the reasons you and batguy mentioned of redundant dialogue and diminishing Jabba's powerful reputation (not to mention the cgi still looks awkward), it's better it was left on the cutting room floor.

I only liked the SE version because... well, Fett.

 

[Psab keel]

Seeing Fett was cool, but his look directly into the camera was stupid. Star Wars doesn't need to break the fourth wall. Han's cynicism walked that line between the realism of the world and balancing it with his sarcasm was the perfect blend to give the material some levity.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

I liked some of the added scenery on Tatooine, but that's it. I was born a week before SW came out, so I probably first saw it in 1980 when I was 3. I can remember even as a kid I thought that Han was smart shooting Greedo because even that young it was obvious that Greedo intended to kill Han!

 

[Master Boda]

Seeing Fett was cool, but his look directly into the camera was stupid. Star Wars doesn't need to break the fourth wall. Han's cynicism walked that line between the realism of the world and balancing it with his sarcasm was the perfect blend to give the material some levity.

Some would argue that C-3PO broke the fourth wall in ESB,whether or not if he could blink.

 

[Joek3rr]

I liked some of the added scenery on Tatooine, but that's it. I was born a week before SW came out, so I probably first saw it in 1980 when I was 3. I can remember even as a kid I thought that Han was smart shooting Greedo because even that young it was obvious that Greedo intended to kill Han!

Same. I like that Mos Eisley actually looks like a busy space port. That and added points for the Shadows of the Empire easter eggs.

 

[Joek3rr]

I bought the 2011 bluray exactly for that reason. I figured I better buy it while I still can because I won't be giving money to Disney for any sets they release.

Psab, go grab a set off of Ebay before they skyrocket in price.

I've thought about getting the blurays, because I don't want to give any more money to Disney. But how much quality am I losing, if I don't get 4k?

 

[Psab keel]

I bought the 2011 bluray exactly for that reason. I figured I better buy it while I still can because I won't be giving money to Disney for any sets they release.

Psab, go grab a set off of Ebay before they skyrocket in price.

If I can get them at a decent price on ebay, I might do that. Those deleted scenes were only available on the 2011 Saga Bluray boxed set, correct? The last set I purchased of the officially licensed films on physical media was the set from 2006 with the Laserdisc transfers of the Theatrical Cuts as bonus discs. Barring the mistake of buying TFA, and then coming to my senses and selling it, I haven't made a purchase of any official release since. My only interest in the 2011 release would be for the deleted scenes and perhaps some of the other bonus material.

 

[Psab keel]