- Post
- #59618
- Topic
- Lucas's Explanations
- Link
- https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/59618/action/topic#59618
- Time
Yes, I've heard about the "technical limitations" justification for the new FX shots and CGI transition scenes. And I can believe that.
But I was really more curious about the dialogue changes (and Greedo, which is a sort-of dialogue change. Certainly a change in meaning.)
Regarding the removal of the ESB "taste good" line - I don't know that I agree with the 35mm/70mm difference that Obi-Wan Spicoli gives. Is this an established fact, or a post-SE rumor? I saw ESB countless times when it came out, usually on a 70mm screen, sometimes on a 35mm, and I distinctly remember that line. Without it, the scene makes no sense as there's no explanation for R2's good fortune. Further, I remember when GL was working on the Special Editions reading an article which mentioned that Mark Hamill was recording new lines for the Special Edition of ESB. "lines" (plural) could only mean 1 - the scream, and 2 - the new "lucky to get out of there" line - which I never heard until I saw the SE. My speculation was that GL didn't want kids to be afraid that R2 could be eaten? It didn't make sense to me, but was all that I could come up with.
The Greedo shooting first thing bugged me because it changed Han's character. GL was taking what Han had evolved to in ROTJ and shoe-horning that new Han back into the original movie. I agree with Luke Skywalker's post that this change is detrimental to the flow of the story and to illustrating Han's growth as a person. My speculation at the time was that when GL originally wrote the scene, he had Han shoot first because it was a slick scene, like from a western. But then for the SE he went back to downplay it for the kiddies. My post-prequel-trilogy-speculation was that he actually wanted to have Greedo shoot first and then get killed for it as a sort of morality play sequel to the cut scene from Phantom Menace where a young Greedo gets warned by one of his playmates about staying out of trouble. That's why I was curious if GL had ever gone on record.
In general, I don't mind most of the new SE scenes (like the "eye candy" that Luke also posts about), but I really dislike it when stupid things are added. Like having a work droid outside Mos Eisley bap another droid, or having the Jawa fall off his animal when a cycle speeder drives by him. That stuff is inane. The only reason I can think that GL added such stuff was to make the film consistent with ROTJ, which brought us such stupid things as a droid torturing another droid's feet
I guess that means we can thank Richard Marquand for all the bad stuff in ANH-SE, not just in ROTJ?