Bingowings said:
AngelBlue, I don't care what is written in books like that, it just doesn't make sense for all the reasons that have been discussed before.

In some sense every point on the station some way or another leads the reactor core but Palpatine doesn't and can not die there unless he had some kind of super fast rocket pack and a powerful heat shield hidden under that cape of his, which he decided to activate when he realised he was already doomed to explode near the bottom of the tower (that said it is only marginally more silly than having the death pit there in the first place).

I'm working on a new mockup as we speak to try and correct some of the problems with the old matte but keep the basic idea of a chasm by the side of the lift shaft (but I'd still like to see something a bit more knockout instead).

Of COURSE its the DS reactor but we're also dealing with STAR WARS physics here. Yes, it would take half a day for Palpy to fall the actual distance, but that would not work with the scene, so of course it only takes him a few seconds to hit the reactor and blow up. Darth and Luke couldn't exactly just sit there waiting for Palps to blow up...

Regardless, I say leave it up to the viewer (and the fan editor) to decide whether it truly is THE reactor or A reactor or simply the food court Pappy Palpatine is crashing into. Man, imagine that under the hot lamps next to the Sbarro's.. ugh!