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Post #1539658

Author
Marooned Biker Scout
Parent topic
Why ROTJ Feels Rushed
Link to post in topic
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/1539658/action/topic#1539658
Date created
18-May-2023, 11:06 AM

Juno Eclipse said:

Channel72 said:

Mocata said:

Rushed isn’t the word I would choose considering how it drags in the middle. They should have just done something better there; both in terms of Yoda and Endor scenes.

Yeah, ironically the movie drags so badly once they get captured by the Ewoks. That’s when it’s time to change the channel.

Actually, I think a big problem is that the entire Endor ground team sequence is really just bland and visually uninspiring. It takes place in a boring forest in California that looks like a location where Star Wars fan-films are shot. Yeah, redwoods can be majestic and beautiful, but the cinematography never captures this. The whole sequence of meeting the Ewoks, going back to their village, etc. takes forever and barely anything interesting happens. And even after the battle begins, the small Imperial base with the shield generator is visually boring (something larger like that communications tower in Rogue One would be nicer). And throughout the entire battle, it always seems like Han, Leia and Chewie are the only Rebel Alliance fighters involved, because the camera almost never shows anyone else doing anything. It would help add some tension if we saw some of those other Rebel extras get killed, or at least participate. (Also, what were all those guys doing while the main trio was hanging out with Ewoks overnight?)

But the other two ending sequences (Luke vs. Vader and space battle above Endor) are so incredibly awesome that they compensate for the mediocrity of the ground battle. Also, the speeder bike chase is still pretty cool, as are the AT-STs (when they’re not tripping over logs).

Years ago I thought it would be something that George would address in one of his Special Edition releases. There has been many fan rumours of making the Ewoks more vicious, and that there may be some changes made to them, or more of them being added, being injured or killed (or lying still on the ground), although just blinking eyes was enough for George.

It wouldn’t have been an expensive or difficult thing to shoot: a few guys in Rebel uniforms and a few guys in stormtrooper outfits, a few Ewoks, an overall plan for an additional few minutes of footage, and a few days of filming. There are a number of cutaway scenes away from the main bunker, usually showing how the Ewoks took downs the AT-STs and troops. Any new scenes could have easily been cut into those.

The rebel soldiers on Endor do seem to disappear and re-appear in the fight scenes.

Has any of the actors who played the Rebel soldiers on Endor been interviewed or spoke about it? Was there more footage of them in action filmed, but simply discarded in the editing room, and didn’t make the final cut?