Idea: Suggestion to Adywan for an edit in RTOJ

This is just a suggestion to Adywan that I have for a Return of the Jedi re-edit.  First, the Death Star II begins to fire at Endor just before exploding.  Second, make the explosion more like a supernova with the rate of explosion scaled to the same scale as the 500-mile (900-km) Death Star II, and continue the same explosion as seen on Endor.

Lol, that's what you get for posting a fanedit request outside the fanedit forum.

While it has some degree of canon based on the novel, where Palpatine orders Jerjerrod to destroy Endor if the shield falls, I don´t see it working here as it worked in ANH:R... In ANH, my impression is that when Luke´s torpedoes finally hit the DSI core, the whole thing blows in a moment, so showing the super laser about to fire still makes sense.

But in RotJ, to show the tension of the the MIllenium Falcon escape, the explosion is quite slow and Luke and the MF literally escape through the flames; the super laser would simply not be in conditions to build up and fire at all... What might work if not breaking the pace of the film (ESB:SE scape from Cloud City comes to mind... eekkk) would be first having Palpatine giving the order to destroy Endor; then later Jerjerrod giving the firing order, followed by the "commence firing ignition" sequence just before Wedge and the MF arrives at the main reactor and hit it...

A lot of effort to make it work nicely, I´d say just remove the ring when the DSII blows up; I don´t hate it but with the MF still in the scene having the ring overtaking her just looks bad...

And in a side note, while there are a lot of speculation that seems to confirm the DSII size, I find the 900 km number ludricous... :)

The way I saw it was that the explosion in ROTJ wasn't slower, the ships that were outracing it were very fast (we can't be sure how much time it took for either station to explode because the actual destruction may be compressed or expanded by showing a different point of view for dramatic reasons).

This has created or at least helped to create the stupid action movie standard of vehicles and even people out running explosions in movies and television (I was shocked and amused to see yet another example in Dollhouse the other week).

These are space ships that are capable of incredible speeds so may plausibly escape an explosion of this kind (even if it does bend the laws of physics it still looks possible which is all that matters in a space fantasy story).

There is however nothing to prevent an attempt to fire the weapon on Endor before the reactor gets hit.

This has created or at least helped to create the stupid action movie standard

There is however nothing to prevent an attempt to fire the weapon on Endor before the reactor gets hit.

I did clarify my statement with the word stupid.

There is a place for the sort of action movie where 'normal' human beings can out run explosions but they have to be consistently dumb and maintain the bubblegum vibe throughout.

It's when that sort of sequence turns up in films and television shows which in every other respect are putting on a reasonably serious face that offends these eyes and the grey matter between them.

Yeah it would need to have some interlinking material to pull off putting an attempt to blow up Endor into the mix but it's far from impossible, just very difficult (just).

To be honest Jerjerrod is a bit too dainty a character in my view and I wouldn't miss him at all if he was completely erased from ROTJ and replaced by a more hard line character than even Tarkin.

That would leave room for another actor to reshoot his elements and to film the needed linking material.

I'm not saying that space Nazis can't be camp but I doubt if they would rise so high in the ranks by bricking them so obviously whenever a Dark Lord comes in his midst.

Piett is nervous around Vader but Jerjerrod looked like he would run and cry if Garindan came on board (black cloak gas mask....dark Lord...help!)

Eh, I don't see why the Empire would want to destroy their own planet. And I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with the explosion. It looks cool and the Death Star is huge enough that I will believe it. Though, being used to PAL speedup it almost looks a bit too slow when seen in normal speed. And I don't mind the shockwave either really, Star Wars space doesn't seem to adhere to any kind of physics.

Now if anything should be done to that part it's showing whatever happened to the rest of the imperial fleet. One shot it's there the next it's gone and everything is fine and dandy for no reason.

Also, who's Jerjerrod?! I don't recall any such character from the movie.

The original explosion from ROTJ was one of the most underwhelming in the entire trilogy. It was just a big pop, like a firework. If any explosion needed a re-touching in the SE versions it was ROTJ's, and the only change I'd consider making is possibly throwing some debris in there. As for the emperor destroying Endor, I don't really see the point. The only thing down there is a rebel strike force, so the Death Star's superlaser would be better used on taking down another Rebel cruiser.

Ziz said:

BmB said:

Also, who's Jerjerrod?! I don't recall any such character from the movie.

The guy who greets Vader at the shuttle right at the beginning of the film.

Lol, I thought it was some misplaced Jar Jar reference.

It's pretty obvious why they would want to destroy the Endor base.

With the shield down the destruction of the Death Star is almost a certainty, therefore using it to destroy the moon is a spoiling move, destroying the Rebels on the moon, and also any ships in the area (almost every ship the Alliance has).

Sure the Imperials would take further losses but they have a lot more ships than those assembled to hem in the Rebels.

Han speculated that it would take a thousand ships to destroy a planet with more fire power than he had seen before.

Dodonna says the first Death Star has the same fire power as half of the Imperial Starfleet.

So at the time of ANH the Imperial Starfleet is roughly two thousand ships including many command ships like The Executor.

As well as The Executor there seems to be about two dozen Star Destoyers at Endor (give or take).

So the Rebels would stand to lose a lot more by such a move than the Imperials.

The shield generator was completely safe according to plan. They had no reason to ever want to destroy it and put themselves at risk. And by the time the Emperor is long dead everyone on the Death Star seems to be way too busy with something else to worry about suicide bombing any rebels. Who's to say destroying the moon would do any damage to either fleet anyway? For all these people know they would be killing their own legion of troops for no reason. Senseless.

In fact I also seem to recall the rebel strategy for avoiding superlaser fire was to engage the imperial fleet at point blank range. So obviously the imperials do care about friendly fire.

What's more once the fighters enter the station they move their main ships closer to the moon and away from the station making a scorched moon move even more likely to succeed.

The Imperials on the other hand are charged with trying to stop the ships from escaping the system so even then some of the Imperial ships might have survived the destruction of the moon (even so as you say BmB the Emperor didn't give a damn about friendly fire so why would one of his minions?).

fishmanlee said:

Timstuff said:

 for the emperor destroying Endor, I don't really see the point. The only thing down there is a rebel strike force, so the Death Star's superlaser would be better used on taking down another Rebel cruiser.

 um lukes friends are down there! it could be used as a  either part of the original plan or a last ditch effort to turn luke to the dark side

That´s what happens on the novelization... :) It has been a long time but the dialogue goes something like...

Emperor: Commander, if the rebels manage to destroy the shield generator, turn the Death Star and destroy the forest moon.

Jerjerrod: Yes, Your Highness... but we have several troops down there.

Emperor (whispering): Destroy it!

Jerjerrod: Yes, Your Highness!

and Luke finally goes for it... :)

Bingowings said:

What's more once the fighters enter the station they move their main ships closer to the moon and away from the station making a scorched moon move even more likely to succeed.

The Imperials on the other hand are charged with trying to stop the ships from escaping the system so even then some of the Imperial ships might have survived the destruction of the moon (even so as you say BmB the Emperor didn't give a damn about friendly fire so why would one of his minions?).

 Try reading next time. I said they do care about friendly fire since moving where the death star might hit a friendly is effective.

What would Darth Ghostface say?

...Ok , my mistake, I miss-read your post and seeing as it didn't stop the Empire from firing at the Rebels with the Death Star you are clearly in error (sorry I thought you were right I was wrong you weren't).

Why am I in error, after they move closer to the Star Destroyers the Death Star doesn't destroy anymore ships.

(EDITED OUT for bad taste).