Author Topic: The Death of Han Solo
nancyallen  1674 posts
Registered: Nov '07
42009_Mira
Date Posted: 8/9/08 5:20pm Subject: RE: The Death of Han Solo
I don't think it should have happened, as there were many many storylines that would have been missed had they done this. At the time Star Wars was a fairly light hearted affair, had Return of the Jedi been made today then I would say most if not all of the good guys would be killed off and the Empire would win.

I believe the deal with Harrison Ford was he wasn't sure about doing a third film so they wrote in how he was frozen in carbonite as a way of writing him out of the story in case he was playing Indiana Jones or a terrorist fighting president.

 

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Game3525  1348 posts
Registered: Jun '08
48602_Anakin Skywalker (606092)
Date Posted: 1/27 1:42pm Subject: RE: The Death of Han Solo
Han shouldn't have died in ROTJ, if they were going to kill him off it could have been in ESB. But I am not sure how that would exactly work.

 

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Jedi_Keiran_Halcyon  7410 posts
Registered: Dec '00
17824_Kieran Halcyon
Date Posted: 1/27 2:04pm Subject: RE: The Death of Han Solo
My two cents:

Assuming that we maintain most of the story/plot structure of RotJ as it exists today, there's only one place Han's death could have worked: somewhere with Luke.

Han's death wouldn't work during the battle of Endor on the ground or in Lando's place, because that's simply not where the emotional focus of the story is. The drama of the film revolves around Luke, so Han's death out where Luke can't see or react to it would be disjointed from the rest of the story. It would have shock value, sure, but not the emotional punch the character deserves.

Either Han would have to follow Luke to meet Vader somehow, or Han in the Falcon (replacing Lando in the space fight) would have to sacrifice himself in some way to help Luke escape the exploding Death Star. I think the latter version would be ideal, particularly because of how it echoes the original film.

 

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Grand_Moff_Jawa  4737 posts
Registered: May '01
20018_Jawa
Date Posted: 1/27 2:12pm Subject: RE: The Death of Han Solo
Although I love the character of Han Solo, I have to admit his role in ROTJ was sort of boring. Leading the team on Endor was the only thing of any importance he did. If Han was killed off in TESB, who would have led the team in ROTJ? Chewie and Leia? I guess it could have been done. I'm glad Han didn't die, as he and Leia hooking up and kissing at the end made for a warm, fuzzy ending.

 

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BaronLandoCalrissian  796 posts
Registered: Jun '06
24218_Obi-Wan
Date Posted: 1/27 2:33pm Subject: RE: The Death of Han Solo - Date Edited: 1/27 2:34pm (1 edits total) Edited By: BaronLandoCalrissian
Killing Han would just be one of those hollow sequel deaths that would have soured the whole trilogy. It's not Platoon, a happy ending isn't any less valid than the ol' bittersweet-emo-whatever ending some fans are picturing.

 

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STUBRIS  1026 posts
Registered: Dec '01
8068_R5-D4
Date Posted: 1/27 3:12pm Subject: RE: The Death of Han Solo
drg4 posted:
The problem with ROTJ is not that more characters didn't die, but that they weren't given proper depth. Killing Han would not have improved the film one iota; in fact, it would have dragged it down, since the entire first act chronicled his rescue.

As I've stated elsewhere: Han should have either been freed from the carbonite and kept in an unconscious state for the duration of the film, or served as the Emperor's lure for drawing in the heroes. Whatever the case, he should have been consigned to the periphery, thereby directing the focus square on Luke, Leia, Vader, and Palpatine.



You're on to something here. This strange desire for Han to 'bite the bullet' in RotJ stems from a underwritten role and a phoned in performance by Ford. It's quite pitiful seeing Han Solo neutured into becoming a safe, loved-up, comedy side kick. Christ...C-3PO had more material to play with in that movie.

 

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Game3525  1348 posts
Registered: Jun '08
48602_Anakin Skywalker (606092)
Date Posted: 1/27 3:50pm Subject: RE: The Death of Han Solo - Date Edited: 1/27 3:54pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Game3525
STUBRIS posted:
drg4 posted:
The problem with ROTJ is not that more characters didn't die, but that they weren't given proper depth. Killing Han would not have improved the film one iota; in fact, it would have dragged it down, since the entire first act chronicled his rescue.

As I've stated elsewhere: Han should have either been freed from the carbonite and kept in an unconscious state for the duration of the film, or served as the Emperor's lure for drawing in the heroes. Whatever the case, he should have been consigned to the periphery, thereby directing the focus square on Luke, Leia, Vader, and Palpatine.



You're on to something here. This strange desire for Han to 'bite the bullet' in RotJ stems from a underwritten role and a phoned in performance by Ford. It's quite pitiful seeing Han Solo neutured into becoming a safe, loved-up, comedy side kick. Christ...C-3PO had more material to play with in that movie.


Agreed, Han's character in ROTJ was awful. There was really no place for him in ROTJ.

 

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Jedi_Keiran_Halcyon  7410 posts
Registered: Dec '00
17824_Kieran Halcyon
Date Posted: 1/27 3:53pm Subject: RE: The Death of Han Solo
Game3525 posted:
STUBRIS posted:
drg4 posted:
The problem with ROTJ is not that more characters didn't die, but that they weren't given proper depth. Killing Han would not have improved the film one iota; in fact, it would have dragged it down, since the entire first act chronicled his rescue.

As I've stated elsewhere: Han should have either been freed from the carbonite and kept in an unconscious state for the duration of the film, or served as the Emperor's lure for drawing in the heroes. Whatever the case, he should have been consigned to the periphery, thereby directing the focus square on Luke, Leia, Vader, and Palpatine.



You're on to something here. This strange desire for Han to 'bite the bullet' in RotJ stems from a underwritten role and a phoned in performance by Ford. It's quite pitiful seeing Han Solo neutured into becoming a safe, loved-up, comedy side kick. Christ...C-3PO had more material to play with in that movie.


Agreed, Han's character in ROTJ was awful. There was really no place for him in ROTJ.


And he's STILL a better character than almost everybody in the PT! tongue

 

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Game3525  1348 posts
Registered: Jun '08
48602_Anakin Skywalker (606092)
Date Posted: 1/27 3:55pm Subject: RE: The Death of Han Solo
Jedi_Keiran_Halcyon posted:
Game3525 posted:
STUBRIS posted:
[quote=drg4]The problem with ROTJ is not that more characters didn't die, but that they weren't given proper depth. Killing Han would not have improved the film one iota; in fact, it would have dragged it down, since the entire first act chronicled his rescue.

As I've stated elsewhere: Han should have either been freed from the carbonite and kept in an unconscious state for the duration of the film, or served as the Emperor's lure for drawing in the heroes. Whatever the case, he should have been consigned to the periphery, thereby directing the focus square on Luke, Leia, Vader, and Palpatine.



You're on to something here. This strange desire for Han to 'bite the bullet' in RotJ stems from a underwritten role and a phoned in performance by Ford. It's quite pitiful seeing Han Solo neutured into becoming a safe, loved-up, comedy side kick. Christ...C-3PO had more material to play with in that movie.


Agreed, Han's character in ROTJ was awful. There was really no place for him in ROTJ.


And he's STILL a better character than almost everybody in the PT! tongue [/quote]

lol, I have to agree. Han looks like a God in ROTJ compared to Padmé. Still his character there was really not much you could do with him at that point, the story was pretty much revolving around Luke, Vader, and Palpatine in ROTJ.

 

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Grand_Moff_Jawa  4737 posts
Registered: May '01
20018_Jawa
Date Posted: 1/27 5:25pm Subject: RE: The Death of Han Solo
It would have been cool to see Han kill Jabba instead of Leia. Han did have a score to settle for being in carbon freeze. That would have given Han a little more purpose in ROTJ.

 

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BaronLandoCalrissian  796 posts
Registered: Jun '06
24218_Obi-Wan
Date Posted: 1/27 5:36pm Subject: RE: The Death of Han Solo
If Han had a "B story" involving Boba Fett woven into the movie (but resolved before the 3rd act), similar to Obi Wan and Genral Grievous in the last one, that would have killed about 4 birds with one stone.

 

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DRush76  440 posts
Registered: Jan '08
14816_Qui-Gon Jinn
Date Posted: 1/28 10:19am Subject: RE: The Death of Han Solo
What would have been the point of Han's death? It could have easily ended up being overshadowed by Anakin's dramatic death on the Death Star.

 

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jedimasterbac  6231 posts
Title: CT and Fan Design Manager
Registered: Jun '04
24180_Obi-Wan Art
Date Posted: 1/28 10:10pm Subject: RE: The Death of Han Solo
DRush76 posted:
What would have been the point of Han's death? It could have easily ended up being overshadowed by Anakin's dramatic death on the Death Star.


It probably would have. Han was a much loved character, whereas Vader was the guy you love to hate. I think people would have found Han's death a lot sadder than Anakin's.

 

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GrandAdmiral_Frank  2417 posts
Registered: Aug '03
8199_Han Solo
Date Posted: 1/30 6:53am Subject: RE: The Death of Han Solo
I think that if you killed off Han you'd also have to kill off Chewie since they're a package deal so then you'd probably see the two go out in a blaze of glory either at the battle of Endor or at Jabba's Palace so Luke could escape.

 

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morpha2  744 posts
Registered: Aug '05
42926_Wampa
Date Posted: 1/30 11:22am Subject: RE: The Death of Han Solo
It would have been nice if they had been able to maintain the antagonistic relationship that he and Leia had prior to ROTJ. I think that aspect of his personality--the quick-witted, combative scoundrel--is what we're missing more than anything from his character. Instead, their relationship is established as fine and dandy from the moment he gets out of the carbonite--so it's just not that interesting. The only turbulent moment comes when he gets jealous of Luke on Endor, but even that was just a sappy throwaway. Part of what made him great in ST and ESB is that we knew he had a heart of gold beneath his prickly, smart-assed demeanor--in ROTJ, he was just stripped down to the heart of gold, which is kind of boring.

 

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