thejediknighthusezni said:

I would have left Leia exactly as she was at the end of ANH. A princess, and important dignitary, a Damsel in Distress-Distressing Damsel who obviously has had some small arms and defense training.

I am convinced you must've been George Lucas' private story editor on the PT.

That way, ROTJ would have made sense. Leia sat by Han because a superior civilian dignitary was doing the introduction and she wasn't a flag officer. I'm all for getting the perfect tilt to Vader's hologram. Anything that can be made perfect-should be. How about perfect continuity in the OT as a whole?

ESB is perfect, ROTJ is not. ROTJ should be made to fit better with ESB, not the other way around.

The only real question isn't whether we like or dislike a scene. It's whether replacing that scene or element with something else will produce a better overall pace, tension level, continuity etc... If someone shows me that it doesn't do that, I will be the first to shout NO!

Just about every alteration you've suggested would destroy the editing and pace that makes ESB the cinematic masterpiece that it is. You point out problems that don't exist, to which the collective rest of us say "huh?"

Alright, last comments and then I've got one that might be closer to the group's speed.

Alright, how 'bout this?

Luke takes down General Veer's AT-AT a split second before he pulls the trigger. We get a glimpse of the head turret interior just begining to erupt in spark and flame and shakes. Cut to head exploding. Luke buys a couple of extra precious minutes for the rebels. Another AT-AT blows the generator?

Dude... not even close