Damn it! Han shot first!!!!

[Rabulias]

When I first saw Star Wars, it was clear to me that Greedo and Han did not like each other, and probably had a history of "disagreements."

Greedo was enjoying Han's turn of bad luck, and was making the most of it. Even as I was a kid, I had no doubt that Greedo was planning to kill Han. He admits as much when Han says "over my dead body" and Greedo replies "That's the idea."

In my mind, the scene worked well. It was a very subtle and intelligent scene, one that I thought Lucas did well. The various revisions have dumbed it down and turned it into a blunt instrument of storytelling.

There is no evidence of Greedo shooting in the original; no sound effect, no laser bolt, no scorch mark on the wall behind Han. Greedo had Han at point-blank range and would have a hard time missing if he fired first; the clumsy new effect of Han dodging the blast demonstrates how absurdly unlikely Greedo missing would be from the positions of the two characters.

Greedo sure thought he was going to fire first, I had no doubt of that.

 

[Alan Shutko]

I loved the idea behind the initial "special edition" releases, but was disappointed that Lucas never released DVDs that included both the original theatrical release and the special editions.

Incidentally, he did. Search amazon for 'Star Wars Original Theatrical' and you'll find them. They aren't on blu-ray and haven't been remastered, so they're still non-anamorphic, and they're Dolby Surround 2.0. Basically equivalent to the laserdisc releases. So the image and sound isn't up to today's standards, but at least they're available in some form. (So I could get rid of my old VHS tapes.)

 

[Dire Bare]

Incidentally, he did. Search amazon for 'Star Wars Original Theatrical' and you'll find them. They aren't on blu-ray and haven't been remastered, so they're still non-anamorphic, and they're Dolby Surround 2.0. Basically equivalent to the laserdisc releases. So the image and sound isn't up to today's standards, but at least they're available in some form. (So I could get rid of my old VHS tapes.)

You're right, of course. What I meant was, one product that offered both versions of the films. And with equal treatment when it comes to quality.

 

[Dire Bare]

With Star Wars, Lucas tried to re-create the movies he loved as a kid - the old serials.

And yet by his constant tinkering with the movies, he's messing up the childhood of millions of people.

I know I'm in the minority here, at least on the intarwebs. In reality, I don't think that many people really feel as if their childhoods where messed with. Mine certainly wasn't.

I remember my Dad taking me to the first Star Wars films when I was something like six or seven, and I remember eagerly going to the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi as I got a little older. I had a huge collection of Star Wars figures, any my childhood fantasies were fueled by those films. As an adult, they remain an important part of my life, and I continue to participate in the Star Wars universe to, in part, relive those wonderful childhood memories. Just got done playing "The Old Republic" late last night, in fact.

But I've never felt that Lucas "messed" (or any of the stronger terms some folks use) my childhood in any way by altering his films. I don't think he needed to do it, I don't like some of his alterations, and I would rather he leave well enough alone. But I still have my memories and experiences (and copies of the original films), they haven't been taken away from me.

This kind of whiny, entitled, fan reaction isn't confined to the Star Wars universe, by any means, it fuels our edition wars on these boards as well. I've seen it in Star Trek fandom . . . . and just visit the message boards of any fandom at all and you'll see at least some engaging in the same behavior . . . it seems very human. But I've never really fully understood it, and it always irritates the hell out of me . . .

 

[Dire Bare]

The problem here is that you don't know that. Nobody knows it. I don't think even Lucas knows anymore what his intent WAS. I'm sure he knows what it is now. But he seems to keep changing his view on what his view was.

Well here's where I'm different, I give Lucas the benefit of the doubt and take him at his word. I have no reason to do otherwise. Is there some secret evidence, perhaps Lucas on tape, stating that Han did shoot first, and then later Lucas changed his mind to mess with all his now adult fans?

Granted, as the whole "controversy" doesn't matter much to me, I don't pay a lot of attention to it, and I could have missed the damning evidence.

 

[Cor Azer]

I read somewhere that one of the reasons Lucas had to jigger with that scene was because it was needed to avoid a PG-13 rating (which didn't exist when Star Wars was first released). As for why Obi-wan's sabre didn't warrant the same jiggering... I have no idea. Probably has to do with the implication of the gun vs sword.

 

[jonesy]

There is evidence that he keeps changing his mind. In the 1995 interview with Leonard Maltin he said that the movies were now the way he always meant them to be.
Two years later, in American Cinematographer, he said:
"The other versions will disappear. Even the 35 million tapes of Star Wars out there won't last more than 30 or 40 years. A hundred years from now, the only version of the movie that anyone will remember will be the DVD version (the Special Edition)."

And really, if you're talking about original intent and original scripts, why aren't you wondering why Lando isn't a clone trooper like he was 'meant to be'? Why isn't Kenobi the father of Luke? Why isn't Luke a general when the story begins? Why doesn't Han Solo have gills? Why doesn't Obi-Wan rise from the dead to fight Vader at the end? This is all stuff from the screenplays.

 

[SkidAce]

This set has three versions, the new one, the theatrical one, and a wide screen.

In Dolby 2.0 as stated above.

.

 

[jonesy]

Hah! I'm re-reading the The Adventures of Luke Starkiller draft and I come across this:

HAN: "Not this time!"

Montross reaches for his laser-pistol, but Han is faster and gets the drop on him.

HAN: "Drop it, Montross. I always said you were slow. You clumsy oaf, a club is more your style."

Nobody shot first. Nobody shot at all.

 

[Starman]

Well here's where I'm different, I give Lucas the benefit of the doubt and take him at his word. I have no reason to do otherwise. Is there some secret evidence, perhaps Lucas on tape, stating that Han did shoot first, and then later Lucas changed his mind to mess with all his now adult fans?

Granted, as the whole "controversy" doesn't matter much to me, I don't pay a lot of attention to it, and I could have missed the damning evidence.

I've got a copy of The Annotated Screenplays. Let's see what they say.

Suddenly, the slimy alien disappears in a blinding flash of light. Han pulls his smoking gun from beneath the table as the other patrons look on in bemused amazement. Han gets up and starts out of the cantina, flipping the bartender some coins as he leaves.

Suddenly, the slimy alien fires his blaster at Han, hitting the wall just to the right on Han's head. In a blinding flash of light and smoke Greedo disappears as Han pulls his gun from beneath the table while the other patrons look on in bemused amazement. Han gets up and starts out of the cantina, flipping the bartender some coins as he leaves.

Make of that what you will.