Here's a list of ten of the most definitive moments in Star Wars history....
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| "Beware Richard Gere!" |
10. Ewoks:
Possibly the most definitive moment in Star Wars history is when George Lucas went all in on making Star Wars as kid oriented as possible. Ewoks are totally cute, cuddly, and silly. But they were also the creation that led the charge towards the dark side. Once we get Ewoks, audiences were totally set up for the force feeding of Jar Jar and other annoying creatures. The original idea of a battle on Kashyyk would have been my choice, but at least we got that in Revenge of the Sith.
9. Boba Fett Dies?:
I think in all my years as a Star Wars fan, the death of Boba Fett was one of the most confusing and discussed scenes from the original series. Why on earth did Lucas set up the coolest character to have him die like a bitch? Although his death doesn't have much effect on the galaxy as a whole, how cool would it have been to have Boba Fett piloting the Slave 1 during the second Death Star battle? He was a wasted character that should have been given more screen time or at least a worthy death.
8. The Battle of Hoth:
The Battle of Hoth is a turning point for the original trilogy. This is the first time that things get really ugly. The bad guys win, which in turn causes a series of unfortunate events for our heroes. The Execute Order 66 command which led to the demise of the Jedi could also fall in to this same spot.
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| "Whoa. What did you just say?" |
From the second we found out that Leia is Luke's sister, everything about Star Wars changed forever. It made that kiss on Hoth extremely uncomfortable and added some serious melodrama that the series had not seen before. This changed the one constant theme that Luke was the last and opened up endless possibilities for sequels that wouldn't come out for more than 30 years. Are you listening, JJ? Leia=Jedi. Give her a lightsaber or else.
6. Luke Meets A Little Green Fellow:
Perhaps one of the most confusing moments in Star Wars history, but also one of the cutest, is the scene where Luke meets Yoda. Why was the number one all time Jedi master acting so silly? Was it dementia or straight up cabin fever? Who knows. But, this is a major turning point for the original trilogy. This is where Luke finally meets the sought out master and begins his training that will eventually destroy his father. See number 1.
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| "So....ummm...how do you want that cooked?" |
I think we can all agree that the prequels weren't the greatest of movies. But (despite personal opinion) there were some awesome setups for the story to follow. One of the best was getting to see the bratty teenage angst of Anakin Skywalker go up in flames. It was brutal imagery for a series that's supposed to be mainly aimed at children. But, this is the scene where Vader becomes Vader and also the scene that sets up the dreaded "Nooooooooooo!!!". Putting our vendetta against these movies aside, this was a definitive moment in the series.
4. Obi Wan dies:
Not many franchises in their infancy would do something this daring this early on in the game. Understanding that its a direct rip from the Lord of the Rings books makes this decision a little shallow but at the time this was an extremely bold move on the part of George Lucas. Obi Wan becoming one with The Force was a bitter pill to swallow when little kids were rooting for the old bearded one. Little did we know he'd be back in spirit form later on.
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| "I'm just sitting here rubbing this wall and in comes some green dude...." |
There was no second shooter on the grassy knoll. Wait. Wrong movie. Why Lucas changed this to be more kid friendly, I have no idea. But Han shot at Greedo. There was no second shot. This was changed for later editions for some silly manipulative reason. The dude is an intergalactic smuggler. I'm sure killing was nothing new. He shot at Greedo. That's all. Changing this changes the character and makes Han a much nicer person. Despite having a thing for the Princess and helping save the galaxy, Solo was meant to be a flawed character that was in love with three things: himself, his precious Falcon, and money. Altering this, changes the series as a whole.
2. The First Death Star Explosion:
Audiences didn't know much about The Force until this scene. It helped guide Luke in the destruction of the Death Star and also allowed him to talk to the spirit of Obi Wan. This scene gave audiences a true feel for the invisible power that would later help Luke levitate objects and ultimately become a Jedi Master.
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| "Luke. Join me. You don't know the power of White Castle!" |
A long time ago in a galaxy before the internet existed......I remember seeing The Empire Strikes Back in theaters. When Darth Vader spoke those legendary words, the crowd actually gasped. It was shocking to the core and a total unexpected turn that no one saw coming. I also remember people not spoiling the plot twist for fellow fans and teasing them, "Just wait until you see what happens!". After a few months, the cat was out of the bag. But it was a different time when people weren't as jaded about movies. To this day, it still remains one of the most climactic and legendary scenes in cinematic history.
What other moments would you add to this list? -CG
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