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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

TOP TEN GEEK OUT MOMENTS FROM THE ORIGINAL STAR WARS TRILOGY

Today was the release of Marvel Comics first issue of their new "Star Wars" series. It's been met with so much fanfare that Marvel released like a billion variant covers. But I'll include a picture of the main cover so that you know what it looks like.

Here it is. Pretty neat, huh?

Here's the thing, I got this today and I read it. I didn't like it. I LOVED IT! It felt like the original Star Wars film. It was fun, funny, and had tons of action. Plus, the characters were pretty spot on. I could actually hear Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Ben Burtt as R2D2 in my head while I was reading it.

For our younger crowd, Ben Burtt is also the voice of Wall E

Like most people, I grew up watching and loving the Star Wars movies. The prequels were coming out when I was a kid and I loved them. Now that I'm older, I see how they don't quite live up to the originals but they do have some great moments.

I mean we did get this guy out of it! 

The new "Star Wars" comic brought back so many happy memories of watching Star Wars, playing with the action figures, writing fan fiction, and heck that's just what I did this morning when I called off work! But seriously, (don't tell my boss) Star Wars has something for everyone. It was great to watch as a kid because it was fun and exciting and now it's fun to watch it as an adult and see Luke Skywalker grow up from a simple farmer's nephew to Jedi Knight!

And then to homicidal maniac for the Force Awakens

I'd like to share with you my favorite moments from the original Star Wars Trilogy. It's gonna be tough to narrow it down, but I'll do my best! Here are my TOP TEN GEEK OUT MOMENTS FROM THE ORIGINAL STAR WARS TRILOGY:


THE BATTLE OF HOTH from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK:
The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite Star Wars movie. It had action, suspense, and a strong enough story that it stands independent from the series while remaining an integral part of the series. The setting for the beginning of the film on Hoth was so exciting. As a kid I felt bad for the Rebels because they had to be stuck on this snowy, ice planet to hide from the Empire. I felt bad for them because I hate the snow and couldn't imagine having to live in an environment that was covered in snow and ice for a long period of time.

I grew up in Erie, PA. It snows every day for months! It was Hoth for me!

The first major action sequence in the movie is when the Empire finds the Rebels location and drives them out of hiding with their AT AT walkers. Luke leads the charge against the Empire but this time he's not as lucky as his first attack on the Death Star. This scene was really awesome for me as a kid to see Luke doing cool things like being a leader and blowing up that one AT AT single handed. But of course, it's all for not as the Empire gets the upper hand and the Rebels are forced to flee once again. Right off the bat, this movie let us know that the stakes were higher and that there was a good chance the good guys may not win.


DESTROYING THE SECOND DEATH STAR from RETURN OF THE JEDI:
Of all the space battles in all the Star Wars movies, this film had the best one in my opinion. It was the last ditch effort for the Rebel Alliance to defeat the Empire once and for all! Or at least for a few years because they seem to be back for The Force Awakens. 

Hey, aren't all you guys supposed to be dead?

Anyway, when the Rebels make their final assault on the Death Star core it's pretty freaking intense. Just when it looks like the Millennium Falcon might not make it out of there, it shoots out triumphantly and the Death Star explodes behind it! It's one of the best moments of the trilogy. The good guys are finally taking down the bad guys and restoring freedom to the galaxy! We see Luke escape, the Super Star Destroyer go down, and Lando and his weird, not-Chewie co-pilot laugh and celebrate their well deserved victory. Good has vanquished evil and the galaxy is safe! It's also without a stable government, but hopefully they'll figure that part out after they're done celebrating on the forest moon of Endor.


ESCAPE FROM THE DEATH STAR from A NEW HOPE:
Damn man, this scene was awesome! Seeing our heroes trapped in the belly of the beast and then escape by the skin of their teeth is what adventure is all about! Well, except for Ben. He didn't make it. 

Let's see how you like being a cyborg you . . . wait, where did he go?

From the trash compactor, to swinging from across the chasm, to finally making it back to the Falcon, our heroes had their work cut out for them. This scene made me fall in love with Han Solo. He acted all cocky and arrogant in the beginning but here we get to see him be brave and heroic. He's willing to chase down the Stormtroopers to take the heat off of Luke and Leia, and then shoot down as many Troopers as it took to clear a path out of there. The odds may have been against them, but our heroes proved time and time again that they're not going to give up.


YODA SAVES THE X-WING from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK:
Of all the new characters introduced in Empire, Yoda is the most memorable. Was it his backward talking? His small stature? Or his sudden change from goofy little creature to wise old Jedi? Probably a combination of all of those things. Frank Oz gave a performance that no one can ever forget. Luke's training is not at all what he expected, and he's not sure he's up to the task. Yoda asks him to rescue the X-Wing from the swamp but Luke is convinced he can't do it. Yoda isn't having any of that shit and shows him how it's done.

Luke's just lucky they didn't get to the lightsaber training yet . . . 

It's pretty obvious that Yoda was a being of great power, but the implication was only going to go so far. Yoda shows us his tremendous power by raising the X-Wing and landing it safely on the ground. Luke and the audience are both stunned but Yoda is just like, "You failed!" I'm paraphrasing but still . . . Yoda demonstrated a lot of power for such a little guy, and is disappointed that Luke was unwilling to try. Oh sorry! I mean do! Because there is no try. Either way, this scene proved that Yoda was a bad ass and Luke should take his advice seriously.


"USE THE FORCE, LUKE!" from A NEW HOPE:
We've been rooting for Luke this entire time. He's shown himself to be a good fighter and a better pilot, but a Jedi he was not. Obi-Wan saw the potential in him and encouraged him to embrace it. At the end of the film, the Rebel Alliance's victory rests totally on his shoulders. Luke is aware of the responsibility and is willing to do anything to stop the Empire. He keeps hearing Ben's voice and he finally listens. Ben tells him to use the Force. Luke doesn't quite understand at first, but when he does, he becomes a hero.

Good thing those voices in his head didn't drive him crazy or anything . . . 

Everyone at the Rebel Base looks concerned and wonders why Luke has switched off his targeting computer. He assures them that he's fine and continues with his mission. It's just a quick motion of Luke turning off the targeting system but we all know that this is the moment when Luke has embraced his destiny. Even Darth Vader notices Luke's potential. Luke trusts in Ben's training and saves the day! 


THE FIGHT OVER THE SARLAAC PIT from RETURN OF THE JEDI:
Every time that John Williams score starts, you know we're in for a treat. For two movies now we've been told of how strong Luke is with the Force and his potential to become a great Jedi Knight. In this moment, we finally get to see it. Luke is no longer the wide eyed farm boy from Tatooine, now he's a Jedi warrior that can hold his own against Jabba's army . . .  on Tatooine. Baby steps . . . Anyway, Luke leads his friends to battle against Jabba's minions and takes them all down without breaking a sweat. 

Luke was kind enough to let the blind guy beat this loser up.

Luke's got a brand new lightsaber and is confident enough in his abilities to take down one of the galaxy's biggest crime lords. I don't think I'll ever forget this scene. I thought it was so cool that Luke now had a green lightsaber. Somehow, it made him look much more bad ass. He's not a kid anymore. Now he's a man, and he's gonna kick anyone's ass that threatens his friends. Now that's a hero!


"YOU HAVE FAILED ME FOR THE LAST TIME" from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK:
I love the Family Guy parodies of Star Wars. One of my favorite jokes was in the Something, Something, Something Dark Side episode. Stewie Vader chokes the Imperial Admiral through the monitor and yells, "You didn't know I could choke you through the TV did you? Well I can!"

Perfect casting!

I laughed at that moment because I remember thinking that exact thing when I was a kid. It showed how powerful Darth Vader was. You think your boss is bad? Vader will literally kill you if you fail him more than once. Heck, for all we knew he killed this guy because it was the first time he failed him! Vader doesn't take shit from his underlings, and even though he does reward the Captain with a promotion, that Captain knows that it's a job with a lot of risk involved. One wrong step and Darth Vader will make you regret it in the worst possible way. 


"I AM A JEDI" / VADER'S REDEMPTION from RETURN OF THE JEDI:
Luke has kept his cool the entire film. He's watched Yoda pass away, learned a shocking secret about his family, and has so far been unable to stop his father or the Emperor. Luke finally loses it and kicks the crap out of Darth Vader, slicing off his hand (a common theme in Star Wars). Once he sees the wires on his stump and hears the Emperor laughing, Luke realizes that this must have been how his father fell from grace.

Something like that . . . 

Luke turns to the Emperor and tells him he failed and that he is a Jedi just like his father. The Emperor accepts this, and then proceeds to torture Luke to death. Darth Vader stands next to his master but can't bare to see his son die. At this moment, we see the return of Anakin Skywalker as he grabs the Emperor and then throws him into that chasm thingy that was inexplicably in the Emperor's office on the Death Star. We get to see a glimpse of the hero that Anakin once was and that Luke was right all along. He told his father to let go of his hate, and he did. 

Oh and I don't care what anyone says, adding Vader's "NO!" on the Blu Ray release of the film added something extra to this moment for me. If I hadn't read that it had been added, I would have felt it was in the movie all along and I had just forgotten it. I will admit that sometimes it's annoying when Lucas adds stuff to the re-releases of the movies, but in this case I think it fit well.


HAN SAVES THE DAY from A NEW HOPE:
Darth Vader has been a truly evil character throughout the whole first Star Wars film. He killed Ben Kenobi (ish), tortured one of his own Imperial leaders, and killed several members of the Rebel Alliance. Just as Luke is about to blow up the Death Star, Vader has his sights set on him and so far, he hasn't missed. Luckily, Luke had an unexpected ace up his sleeve. Han Solo has returned and surprised Vader. Han's triumphant "Yahoo!" makes me smile and cheer every time I see this. Han may have been a jerk, but we all knew he had a heart of gold. He rescues his friend and then cheers him on. Vader is left flying through space, now the sole survivor of the Death Star. 

Luke may have been the one to destroy the Death Star, but he couldn't have done it without Han. They are both rewarded for their bravery and in the next film are even promoted up the ranks in the Rebel Alliance. Because if these movies have taught us anything, it's that dumb luck and good timing will win every time! Seriously though, when Han yells "Yahoo!" don't act like you don't smile and cheer as well.


LUKE SKYWALKER VS DARTH VADER from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK:
"The Force is with you, young Skywalker. But you are not a Jedi yet." That line gave me chills as a kid. After rigorous training on Dagobah, Luke feels that he's finally ready to take on the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader. He's wrong. Vader is one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy, despite his robotic handicaps. He has little to no trouble taking Luke down. Vader is a physical force to be sure, but what makes him so scary is definitely the vocal performance by James Earl Jones. He spends almost the entire fight taunting Luke and trying to make him turn to the dark side. Luke is strong enough to resist, but that's all he's strong enough to do. Luke puts up a hell of a fight, but he's clearly outmatched. 

The lightsaber fights in the prequel films were definitely epic, but this one was is definitely my favorite in all the films. Luke is throwing everything he has at Vader, but it's not enough. This scene had everything I wanted to see from the beginning of the film and it delivered. I watch it now and part of me still wishes Luke could win the fight, but it's not gonna happen. Luke wasn't ready to face his nemesis just yet. Too bad he had to learn that the hard way.  

HONORABLE MENTION:


"I AM YOUR FATHER" from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK:
You might be saying that this goes hand in hand with the previous post and I'd agree if not for the impact this moment had on the world. I don't really remember my reaction to this as a kid. I think I watched the Star Wars movies out of order. However, as I got older and watched the movies in the correct order (including the prequels) I really began to appreciate this moment for what it was. It was shocking, unexpected, and, worst of all, true. This isn't the villain trying to manipulate the good guy into being his lackey. This is a father reaching out to his son and telling him that they can rule the galaxy. Come on, Vader, Luke MAY have been more into it if you hadn't just chopped his hand off! That's just bad parenting! 

Still, it's a really powerful moment and changes the way the movies are watched. Now, you know that there is a reason Yoda and Obi-Wan were so worried about Luke facing Darth Vader. It's not because Vader is so powerful, it's because their confrontation will change Luke's life forever. 

Star Wars will always hold a special place in my heart. It captured my imagination as a kid and continues to excite me to this day. I love watching all of these movies (yes, even the prequels). These movies will always be special to me and one day I hope to pass them on to my kids. I probably won't have to though, because by then there will be a Special Special Mega Edition Re-Release of the films. One more thing to add to the collection!

May the Force be with you!


Till next time!



JJ - The Comic Junkie



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