adywan said:Where are all the Imperials? well they're off chasing the falcon. Vader has returned to the executor for the pursuit. Now 3 stardestroyers try to trap the falcon , and with the amount of ships we see approach HOTH that doesn't leave any for a blockade after one has been disabled. So luke is able to escape without any problems, so no blockade. Vader is using the whole destroy the rebels to find Luke without the Emperor knowing what his true agenda was so after he thinks Luke has escaped he probably wouldn't have cared less if they are all captured or not.
Adywan says "....so no blockade"
WHAAAAAAAT??? Now that sure doesn't fit in with the 'canon' of change no. 23 on your page 1 list.... ;)
Well this is another VERY interesting update Ady, if a little unexpected. (I should've guessed! :) )
There is something I'm still not clear on, but I'll come back to that....
First, I'll describe what I've always imagined this whole Fleet 'numbers' thing as being like previously -
This is the first shot of the Fleet starting to approach the Hoth System after coming out of Hyperspace, since we saw the initial bigger 'gathering' earlier on, which included a few more ships than seen here.... -
....and although there are only 4 Stardestroyers (including the 'Executor') seen during this particular shot above, I've always imagined that the few other Stardestroyers that were seen in the initial 'gathering'shots (I've always made it another 5 or 6, because of the way I view the shots), are spread out unseen and 'off-screen' at the side and rear of the nearest 3 ships to us here....
As to when a more impressive 'blockade' should start, I always thought of it as being from this shot below, onwards....which then would still be in place right up to the shot of Luke blasting away from the Hoth Planet too.... -
But if I've understood this correctly, I can see your reasoning for Vader and his main motives about the Millennium Falcon, and can see how there is enough time in the current footage to imagine him giving fresh orders for the Stardestroyers to immediately concentrate on the Falcon only, before we see Luke blasting off in his X-Wing! Problem solved for Luke's straightforward departure, with no extra added elements needed.... I reckon the last 'Transport' that finally blasted off too, may have also gotten away unhindered, if the Stardestroyers responded quickly enough.... However, Monroville's comments on this sound equally relevant too.
I'm a little confused about these 2 things though, if I'm getting you right (and I'm not even sure I've got the 'Luke's X-Wing escape' thing right yet either!) -
1. If you are going to just go by the amount of Stardestroyers in the top 'approach' shot as it currently is, then once one of the ships is disabled just before the AT-AT battle starts, there are only 2 'standard' Stardestroyers left. One of these can be the 'Avenger' that follows behind the Falcon, but that leaves us one 'standard' Stardestroyer short to account for the 2 other 'oncoming' ones....OR....are you planning to add another ship into the 'approach' shot?...OR....is a 'bigger' Fleet to be imagined as being unseen and 'offscreen' in that shot, like I normally see it?....OR....are either the 'Avenger' or the 2 other 'oncoming' Stardestroyers meant to be additional, different ships to the 4 initially seen in this 'approach' shot, having been ordered to come from another part of the Fleet to join Vader's chase?
2. If you ARE intending to add another Stardestroyer to the initial 'approach' shot, to make up the numbers to account for the 'Avenger' and the 2 other 'oncoming' ships....it's most likely that the ION Cannon has been able to disable more than one 'blockading' Stardestroyer during the whole length of time that the AT-AT battle lasts, right up until the point where the 'Command Centre' operators are ordered to evacuate.... Having said that, perhaps the few on show in the 'approach' shot 'veered away' from harms way after what happened to the Stardestroyer that was disabled by the ION Cannon.... That seems unlikely though, as mid-way through the AT-AT battle, Leia and the Rebel General are concerned that the ION Cannon won't protect 2 'Transports' at a time (past the 'blockade'), and at the end of the AT-AT battle, Leia tells Han that she doesn't think his 'bucket of bolts' will ever get them past the 'blockade'....
On a purely visual note, I'm also wondering about what your 4 Stardestroyers in the top shot above, are meant to be doing in any of the EXISTING shots. Are they all positioned pointing directly towards the Hoth Planet at this point, perhaps slightly spread out from each other? I'm not asking for a reply to that, I'm just wondering aloud....
Also, the single Stardestroyer that we see in the bottom shot above, might be meant to be the smallest one in the top 'Fleet approach' shot, that is seen nearest the Planet at that point. This could be the same single Stardestroyer that is also hit by the ION Cannon. It seems to point directly towards the Planet somewhat, which was the direction the 'Transport' came from, after all. If they are all positioned like this, then it would come across as a 'blockade' of sorts, even if they are only 4 in number. Leia certainly thinks it's one....
Questions....Questions....
Loved those shots of the behind-the-scenes 'gantry' background backdrop, and the unused one of Luke, by the way Adywan. Hadn't come across either of those before. :)