Actor Paul Blake Discusses the Legendary Han Solo Shoots First Scene

Han and Greedo

Of all the changes George Lucas has made to Star Wars over the years, one edit has enraged fans more than any other. One actor, along with legions of fans would like nothing more than to have that creative edit restored to what it once was.

 

“Han shot first!” has been the talk of many Star Wars fans ever since George Lucas edited a scene in his iconic film, most notably a standoff between the bounty hunter Greedo and the swashbuckling Han Solo. Over the years, the Director has defended his controversial edit to have Greedo shoot first in the 1997 Special Edition version of Star Wars: A New hope.

 

For those unfamiliar, Han Solo blasts Greedo from under the table in the original theatrical version of the sequence. Then, in the special edition release, Greedo is shown shooting at Han first, which many fans regarded as a blasphemous adjustment to their favorite smuggler. Today, many fans still hold out hope that the studio will restore the scene to its former glory in a future Blu-ray or a theatrical re-release.

 

han-solo-greedo11

 

Actor Paul Blake, who originally played the now infamous bounty hunter in the original “Star Wars” is holding a candle along side the fans that want the scene restored.

 

Blake told the NY Daily News his thoughts about how the original scene between Han and Greedo played out.

“Of course, in it said it all in the original script, we played in the scene in English and at the end of the scene, it reads, ‘Han shoots the alien.” he said. “It’s all it says and that’s what happened. It was very painful.”

PaulBlakeGreedo

 

The actor remains a little offended or annoyed that Greedo now seems like he was even more incompetent in handling the job given to him by Jabba the Hutt. It’s more of an embarrassment that Greedo now manages to take a shot at Han Solo in the altered version, and miss from across a small table.

“He was a bit inept wasn’t he?” quips Blake. “He’s a worse shot than a Stormtrooper. I don’t think Jabba had him under a pension plan let’s put it that way. He said. “It would be lovely to see them go back to the original version, I much preferred it, I must say. And it does give it Greedo a little more glory if he’s just blown away.”

greedo

Most fans who grew up with the original cut of the 1977 “Star Wars” contend that Han Solo was the kind of space pirate who didn’t wait to see if Greedo was in a negotiating mood before shooting him under the table in the Mos Eisley Cantina. Other fans may agree with the Director’s change of having Greedo make the first move, shooting before Han could defend himself. However, it is the preceding choice that is the most popular.

 

With Disney and Lucasfilm now in charge of the “Star Wars” universe, perhaps there is a chance that Greedo may meet his demise someday in a restored version of the theatrical cut. Only time will tell us that.

 

Here is the scene from the original theater release and the “new” copy taken from blu-ray release. Not only did Han shoot first, his was the ONLY shot fired. Thanks to Youtuber Donald Coleman for the side by side comparison.

 

 

 

 

Do you want to see the original version of the Han and Greedo scuffle restored?

 

Tell us about it below or in The Cantina forums.

 

Check back for more Star Wars news here at SWNN.

 

May the Force be with you…

 

Source: NY Daily News

 

 

+ posts

90 thoughts on “Actor Paul Blake Discusses the Legendary Han Solo Shoots First Scene

  • May 7, 2016 at 6:48 pm
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    Who cares!!!

    • May 7, 2016 at 7:00 pm
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      First one to post? Hmmm…I think have a username for you to answer that.

    • May 7, 2016 at 7:06 pm
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      I care.

    • May 7, 2016 at 8:29 pm
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      If you don’t care then why are you on this topic?

      • May 7, 2016 at 9:56 pm
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        And why not comment!?

        • May 8, 2016 at 1:55 am
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          You say you don’t care but, you’re on here. Why does this topic bother you? You don’t see me trolling on PT topics because I really don’t care and neither should you.

    • May 7, 2016 at 10:36 pm
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      This is a final warning for your trolling comments. Next time you will be banned.

      • May 8, 2016 at 9:28 am
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        Viral, keep an eye on “Shaky premise,” who has been trolling people too. I almost don’t want to comment here anymore from all the anti-Lucas hate.

        • May 8, 2016 at 5:38 pm
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          I don’t feel it’s fair to point the figure at one side, there’s a fair share of anti-Disney/J.J. Abrams sentiment on these boards as well.

        • May 9, 2016 at 5:05 pm
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          There’s a difference between commenting on one side of an issue and debating it – and Lora’s constant need to express exclusion of fans because those fans feel strongly about something.

          Do we, as SW Fans – especially persons that run a SW website (Hey guys!) – want to be inclusive or exclusive? Nobody should be defining what SW fandom is or isn’t. Whether you liked SW because of Jar-Jar or in spite of him, you should be able to hash that out here.

      • May 9, 2016 at 6:47 am
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        Muchos gracias.

    • May 8, 2016 at 12:36 am
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      Yes, I agree, this is a GL movie. He can change it if he wants and we should stop trolling him.

    • May 8, 2016 at 5:28 am
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      I’m sure plenty of people care.

      • May 8, 2016 at 5:30 am
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        But Lora doesn’t. That’s the most important thing.

  • May 7, 2016 at 6:50 pm
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    “Other fans may agree with the Director’s change of having Greedo make the first move, shooting before Han could defend himself.”

    I’m not sure you can call yourself a fan and agree with the decision to ruin that scene.

    • May 7, 2016 at 6:55 pm
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      I ‘am a fan and I like 2011 edition the best. In 2011 edition they both shoot at the same time.

      • May 10, 2016 at 1:28 am
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        With absurdly tiny laser bolts.

        • May 10, 2016 at 2:07 am
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          And Han’s CGI neck still darts all weird.

    • May 7, 2016 at 6:57 pm
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      But I never really cared who shoot first.

      • May 8, 2016 at 9:23 am
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        I wish more people like you would speak up to the hater bullies on this forum.

    • May 8, 2016 at 4:45 am
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      I see someone is being a elitist Gamergate-esque gatekeeper here 😉

    • May 9, 2016 at 6:47 am
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      To be honest, i didn’t even notice until people pointed out the change. The shot was so fast that I missed it; I thought Han DID shoot first.

  • May 7, 2016 at 6:53 pm
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    Also, that scene is already changed in 2011 edition. In 2011 edition they both shoot at the same time.

  • May 7, 2016 at 7:36 pm
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    fans that get caught up in this stuff are missing the point of the whole thing. to those people: are you fans of Star Wars, or just of your own nostalgia?

    • May 7, 2016 at 8:05 pm
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      I might not care if it didn’t look ridiculously fake the way Han’s head digitally dodges the blast. There’s just no point in changing it.

    • May 8, 2016 at 4:42 am
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      That’s a dumb argument. The Special Editions are ridiculous as the movies stand on their own as nobody was complaining in 1985, “I wish Lucas would go back and an extra feedback to that scene on Tatooine!!!”

    • May 8, 2016 at 9:29 am
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      Agree 100% Adam.

    • May 8, 2016 at 6:03 pm
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      I’m a fan of a great movie that should have won Best Film in 1977.

  • May 8, 2016 at 12:33 am
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    I don’t care.

    • May 8, 2016 at 5:18 am
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      That should be the title of your monthly newsletter.

    • May 8, 2016 at 8:12 pm
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      I loved that.

      • May 8, 2016 at 8:31 pm
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        You like stupid CG dancing cartoons? What complete garbage.

        • May 8, 2016 at 8:34 pm
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          I liked the lightening of tone overall all. I’m not impressed with some changes, such as Greedo shooting first and Luke’s scream during his fall at Bespin. However its personal choice and a waste of time debating over such matters.

          • May 9, 2016 at 4:36 am
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            This added scene is one of the most horrid moments I have ever witnessed in a movie.

          • May 9, 2016 at 5:02 pm
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            Should we even get into the Little Sarlacc of Horrors?

            Just as bad, IMO.

          • May 10, 2016 at 1:26 am
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            I liked the Sarlacc actually. It was fairly unobtrusive, added a bit more dynamism to the shots it was in, and made the thing a more active threat. The CGI wasn’t bad, particuarly given its age and the fact that those shots are all in bright sun. In an idealized cut, I’d keep that and the victory celebration music and call the rest done.

          • May 9, 2016 at 7:45 pm
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            Having the original force ghost of Anakin replaced was mine, a musical number pales in comparison.

    • May 9, 2016 at 6:45 am
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      At least it gave us a kick-ass song to listen to in Battlefront 2. I really didn’t appreciate Sy Snootles deep-throating the camera though. I can only listen to so much of

      “CHONG CHONG MCOCHEE WAA MICHOWACKEE CHAAAAAAAW!!”

  • May 8, 2016 at 3:00 am
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    I think it was such a weird thing to change in the first place, and with the way it currently is where they shoot at the same time is just as good as the original because Han would be shooting regardless in that situation. I see the “Han shot first” less about talking about that scene and more like a banner for “a lot of special edition changes suck.” It’s just a lot easier to say that.

    • May 8, 2016 at 3:58 am
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      Nah, it really is a horrendous change. There were lots of great changes, for example the improved Death Star battle sequence in ANH, but some were horrendous. Like (1) Han doesn’t shoot first anymore, (2) The Jabba’s Palace singing scene, and (3) Nooooooooooooooo!

  • May 8, 2016 at 3:34 am
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    Nice.

  • May 8, 2016 at 4:37 am
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    Nobody would care if Lucas just released both versions in the same quality like Bladerunner, T2, Lord of the Rings, etc.

    If I had the Original Versions on Bluray then I could care less what updates Lucas did to the movies cause I would never have to watch him.

    But he alienated a chunk of the fanbase and created these silly debates of who shot first. And Hayden force ghost is just as awful a change, maybe even worse.

    Edit:. Jedi Rocks is also an utter embarrassment and the tone is a foreshadow to Jar Jar.

      • May 8, 2016 at 4:59 am
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        “final VIDEO release.” Digital formats were beginning to emerge by 1995.

        • May 8, 2016 at 5:27 am
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          “Video” is being used as a all-encompassing term that essentially extends to future formats that display moving pictures like videos do.

          It’s kind of like the US Constitution, that went into effect in the late 1700’s with wording from that time yet the US still goes by it and whenever there is a question of constitutionality, the US Supreme Court uses the Constitution as a basis to their rulings as they consider that document as being a “living constitution”.

      • May 10, 2016 at 2:49 am
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        Who cares what he said when? We are talking about a piece of art, very much a product of its time, released for public consumption, for which Lucas and everyone else has been paid many times over. A terrific analogy I once read compared Lucas’ constant tinkering with the films to going over to your parents house and painting over that prized drawing they have on the fridge that you did for them in kindergarten, because you’ve since changed your mind about the sky being orange, and you know, just didn’t have right crayons to truly convey your intentions at the time and anyways it’s always bugged you and it’s your art, dammit! It’s destructive, wrong, and it irrevocably damages the value and integrity of the work by imposing aesthetic judgements that simply do not belong to the period when it was created.

    • May 10, 2016 at 2:52 am
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      +1 infinity – The last release of BR is absolutely the model for how films with these kinds of revision histories should be treated.

  • May 8, 2016 at 4:37 am
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    Again with this same old story?

    I was born in 1986 and I couldn’t care less about this issue anymore; if Ford – the only actor whose opinion really matters here, not some extra whose character ends up getting shot in like 1-2 minutes of total
    screentime – doesn’t care about this change and sides with the decisions GL made, then why should I care? Besides, in the 2011 blu-ray release, they both shoot at the same time now.

    • May 8, 2016 at 5:20 am
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      One day you will come to the realization that no one gives a shit about your opinion.

      • May 8, 2016 at 5:23 am
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        Likewise 😉

        • May 8, 2016 at 5:29 am
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          Your Mother must be really proud.

      • May 8, 2016 at 9:20 am
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        I do, so that blows a huge hole into the side of that theory.

        • May 8, 2016 at 12:09 pm
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          Not really. If you think that this twats opinion matters then that’s your problem.

    • May 8, 2016 at 11:28 am
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      they actualy changed it again in the last blu-ray editions, making them shoot at the same time (but Greedo Misses). This was 2007 I believe?

      • May 8, 2016 at 12:09 pm
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        2011.

  • May 8, 2016 at 4:47 am
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    Nope, wrong still. It’s an IP he owned and he had a right to do what he wanted with it. The only thing that belongs to fans is their memories and what you physically own.

    • May 8, 2016 at 5:33 am
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      Why not give the fans what they want? What is so hard about that?

  • May 8, 2016 at 9:25 am
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    So I can steal the Mona Lisa and put graffiti on it because the painting was ‘finished’ and is now for the public to enjoy?

    • May 10, 2016 at 1:29 am
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      Wait “it’s wrong to paint stupid shit all over a piece of artwork which is complete and released for public consumption” – just which side of the argument are you taking there?

  • May 8, 2016 at 1:34 pm
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    This endless debate just comes down to the audiences role in art. Should an artist just make stuff for audiences? Hollywood machines cranking out whatever fans demand and will pay money for. Or should an artists create the visions on their heads challe and make a culture think? People always ask what do the fans want? But what about what Lucas wants? Should artists have to be banned from touching his own art ever again?

    The more Star Wars movies and tweaks that Lucas made, the closer he got to the vision in his head. If people don’t like what Star Wars ended up looking like, maybe they really are not fans of Star Wars. Just the compromised 1970’s version of Lucas’s vision. Also, if Star Wars was made now, or even back then, and the scene was as is currently is, would we be having this debate? Alternate reality were fans chant, Greedo shoots first! Is this really all about people not liking change?

    • May 8, 2016 at 2:21 pm
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      When a movie becomes as wildly popular as Star Wars, it becomes cemented in our collective culture and becomes cultural property, although not legal property. When a filmmaker comes back to a film after 20 years and tells the world the thing that they loved for 2 decades was heavily flawed, and needed to be permanently altered in ways that they don’t understand makes the film any better, or to them, makes it worse, you’re going to have controversy. When you throw out the Oscar-winning work of many talented people because you have new special effects technology that can create more convincing effects 20 years later, you’re going to have controversy. Especially when you do this to 2 movies you didn’t even direct. And then you do the same thing every few years with each successive home release and completely stonewall when people ask for a simple high-quality release of the original version alongside the highly altered ones. Lucas has the legal right to do all this, but it’s a jerk thing to do to people who loved and supported the movies for so many years.
      And the “you’re not a real fan” argument because people prefer the 1977-83 versions they grew up with to the one with stupid digital cartoon characters inserted and CG shots that stick out like a sore thumb is completely bogus.

      • May 8, 2016 at 5:01 pm
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        The changes started in 1981 with the retitle of A New Hope. Over the years some small, some large, and marketing did play a big part of it. But is CGI where you draw the line, not sound effects improvements score changes, etc? More importantly we’ve had 2 decades of of those CGI shots, for most fans now that is the only star wars they know. Going back now would be a ‘jerk move’ to them no? So why not just have the artist say what what version is the most true? For those that even remember and prefer the compromised vision of Lucas’s films go back watch the VHS tapes, you can always be unique and say that is your star wars, but the rest of us will enjoy what is Star Wars.

        • May 8, 2016 at 8:20 pm
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          It’s very simple.

          Offer both versions.

          Everybody’s happy, Lucasfilm makes money. What’s so hard about that?

          • May 9, 2016 at 12:20 am
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            Again, I think that would in theory be simple, and Lucasfilm would be on board for this if fans that share your sentiments could be more clear about what you mean when you say original. People I talk to all swear by a different one. when you say both you mean the 15 different versions?

          • May 9, 2016 at 12:36 am
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            No, I mean the ones that played in theaters in ’77-83. It ain’t too hard. George can choose whatever plastic surgery version he wants to be his “definitive edition” alongside that one.

        • May 8, 2016 at 8:35 pm
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          The hard would be getting fans those fans to agree on what version to go back to. And an HD transfer would be yet another special edition. Surround sound is not it original either. The thing is there always a but. Go back to the original, but clean it up to HD, or but make it 5.1, etc. If you want original you better get a 35 mm projector in your house. The simple thing would be for Disney to stick with Lucas’s final cut and those fans stick with their VHS tapes. BTW they did do a laser disk DVD transfer btw. Was that not sufficient. Are I saying as each new format comes around they have to go back and release all the editions again?

          • May 9, 2016 at 1:31 am
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            Whatever version that played in the theaters upon original release is the one you go with. You do a restoration like any other classic movie released on Blu Ray. That is not fundamentally changing the movie like adding scenes or new effects shots. All the other versions you leave alone. Matte lines were a part of the original release effects, and so they stay. You clean up the dirt, scratches, you correct color to create the most natural palette.
            Fans have been taking it upon themselves to do these very same types of restoration themselves: https://vimeo.com/channels/starwarslegacy

            It’s not asking too much for a multi-billion dollar corporation to do it on an official basis. All the other versions George tweaked can be relegated to a final “Director’s Definitive Edition” chosen by Lucas, which he can tweak and alter however much he wants, and release new versions of whenever he inevitably decides to alter it again.

    • May 8, 2016 at 4:23 pm
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      But when the opinion of the public is rooted so deeply in very good, established, and defensible reasons why they should be listened to, then it’s not just a matter of giving the people what they want, rather it is about what makes better sense for the story.

      Any good story is not just going to throw the goodies and the baddies out at you…the light and the dark side. There must be some element of crossover, of grey, of the struggle in between the two sides. Han is exactly that. On one hand, he wants to help these people struggling against the evil Empire, and on the other hand he is in with some bad people, and he owes them money so he must think of himself and paying them off. He is the personification of the pull…the struggle between good and bad, the light and the dark.

      Now, when he shot Greedo…he didn’t just shoot first. As this article says….he was the ONLY one to shoot. However, what people forget is that he didn’t just shoot Greedo in a “shoot first, ask questions later” style that would make him the bad guy. He shot Greedo after Greedo made it clear that he intended to kill Han. “Over my dead body”…”That’s the idea”. The shooting of Greedo fit perfectly into that grey area for which the character was so well made. It showed you that he wasn’t so evil as to just go around shooting everyone, but at the same time, he wasn’t going to just let someone sit there and threaten him like that.

      By changing the scene to having Greedo shoot first, Lucas very much injures the important establishment of his place in the struggle between good and bad. It turns Han into one lucky dude, who just about gets fried, and also makes Greedo really no threat at all, if that is how bad a shot he is. Why the hell would Jabba have even hired a dude that couldn’t hit a target the size of a human, from 3 feet away?

      Yes, I know….Han transformed into a full-fledged “good guy” though the course of the movie….but isn’t that really the point of a story…of THIS story? The struggle between protagonist and antagonist, the good and the bad, the dark and the light…and the greys that get pulled along with them, that have to end up choosing one side or the other. A HUGE part of Star Wars is that a character like Han Solo is obviously going to be hugely popular, and we are going to be rooting for him, and it matters that he shot Greedo out of being forced into it by Greedo’s threat….and that he wasn’t just stupidly lucky to be alive.

      • May 8, 2016 at 5:28 pm
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        Or… you could take the re edit to enforce the character of Han as a person that always has plan to get out of a situation, something up his sleeve, and quick on his feet. But just barely, his cockiness and denying of this luck catches up with him at cloud city. Then his confidence is restored at the battle of endure when he realizes its relying on people that really can get you through anything. I think the point of the whole scene was to say that Han is a bit of a facade. Yes he is talented but often gets way in over is head, and in the end barely makes it out alive. A more plausible explanation in my book as this theme carries through many other characters over the 6 films.

    • May 9, 2016 at 7:00 pm
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      “Also, if Star Wars was made now, or even back then, and the scene was as is currently is, would we be having this debate? Alternate reality were fans chant, Greedo shoots first! Is this really all about people not liking change?”

      No, we wouldn’t. But we also would have a different feel for Han Solo – the character that launched Harrison Ford’s career. It would be different – he’d be cocky and assuming but with a shine that wasn’t there in 1977 instead of the rogue cowboy bad-boy that people fell in love with, and consequently made Harrison Ford.

      Its not ‘change’ that is being discussed in your hypothetical. Its a different character that would have been established. And that character would have a different impact on the story – it would have been less of a contrast with the innocence of Luke and the strong idealism of Obi-Wan Kenobi – who in the same scene cuts an arm off of an unarmed man (huh…lol). And that character’s arc through the story would be way less impactful when he returns to save Luke from getting blown out of the DS trench.

    • May 10, 2016 at 2:55 am
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      “The more Star Wars movies and tweaks that Lucas made, the closer he got to the vision in his head. ”
      .
      At least in this one change, that’s simply not supportable. This is not a “I ran out of time” or “technology limited me” change. If Lucas had intended Han to act in self defense, the script would have stated it, and he would have shot it that way. The script simply says Han shoots the alien, and Lucas clearly staged the sequence like a Western to show Han getting ready to blow the dolt away in cold blood, long before Greedo made any overt threat. This is the artist changing his mind about what that vision was to begin with. THAT should not be allowed – a piece of art stands as a snapshot of where the artist was at a very specific moment in time.

  • May 8, 2016 at 5:30 pm
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    Shit like this is exactly why Disney’s portrayal of Han Solo in the new spinoff is cause for trepidation.

    • May 9, 2016 at 3:26 am
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      I trust Disney over Lucas at this point to get it right…

      • May 9, 2016 at 11:30 am
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        In the 70’s he was a drug dealing, sexist, mercenary who shot fools like Greedo in cold blood. No way will a focus group allow that to pass now, He’s going to be the PC family friendly version now.

        • May 10, 2016 at 2:05 am
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          It might be good that he’s not sexist though. That part’s good.

          • May 10, 2016 at 2:57 am
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            So “selfish, greedy, drug dealing, murdering criminal” is fine, but you draw the line at potential hurt feelings? Oh, please, dear god spare me.

          • May 10, 2016 at 5:46 am
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            It makes him easier to like. I also don’t consider him a murderer. Greedo was going to kill him, so what he did was warranted. A misogynistic asshole is a lot harder to like than a normal asshole. Forgive me for not liking sexism.

          • May 10, 2016 at 7:45 pm
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            Han pulled his gun LONG before Greedo threatened him. He was planning to shoot him from the get-go. And let’s back up a second – what, you’re basing ‘misogynist’ on “any more female advice”? That’s it?

          • May 11, 2016 at 2:24 am
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            No. I’m basing “misogynist” on “drug dealing, sexist, mercenary “.

          • May 10, 2016 at 3:53 pm
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            But then it won’t make sense when he is in ANH unless they remake the OT which I can see happening someday.

  • May 8, 2016 at 6:20 pm
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    Restore the scene. There needs to be a petition.

  • May 8, 2016 at 6:45 pm
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    Of course the easy solution would be to release a the original theatrical editions on Blu ray so everyone is happy and Disney gets even richer. It’s a win win for all involved.

    • May 9, 2016 at 3:26 am
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      That’s ALL I WANT IN LIFE…ARGHHH!!!!

  • May 9, 2016 at 12:12 am
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    It was ONE of the reasons fans got enraged just because it was the perfect go to example of an incredibly dumb decision. Much like the younger Anakin and Boba’s voice change. Clone or not… that was an accent his father had. He easily could have lost that over the ages. There was literally no reason to alter the OT’s voice… especially with helmet filters.

    But I’d be here all day listing things so I’ll stop.

    PS… please don’t give me the fan theory that younger Anakin was shown because that’s the last time he was in the light. Guess what. He was in the light upon death too!

  • May 9, 2016 at 2:53 pm
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    Greedo shot first.

    I liked that change. Blasphemy.

  • May 9, 2016 at 5:45 pm
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    Plain and simple. HAN DID NOT SHOOT FIRST. He is the ONLY ONE WHO SHOT. That’s that, end of story. Have a wonderful day all!

  • May 10, 2016 at 3:36 pm
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    I just don’t care anymore. Poor greedo

  • May 10, 2016 at 5:58 pm
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    Just give us the theatrical version on blu ray and we’ll all shut up.

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