ROTJ Chapter 42: The Shield is Down DISCUSSION

Due to the success of the PT CBC discussions, I would like to discuss ROTJ chapter by chapter on the DVD. There are 47 chapters to discuss over the next eight months, excluding Chapter 1: Opening Logos, Chapter 2: Return of the Jedi and Chapter 50: End Credits.

Each discussion will last 5 days. At the end of 5 days, the following chapter will be posted.

Chapter 42: The Shield is Down
DISCUSSION: April 1, 2006 - April 5, 2006
DVD TIME INDEX: 114:31 - 115:01

Synopsis:
Han and the Rebels run into the forest away from the bunker. The shield generator radar dish explodes. In space, Ackbar realizes the shield is down and orders the attack on the Death Star's main reactor. Lando and company are on their way. They make their way towards the Death Star for their chance to destroy the superstructure. END OF CHAPTER

Opinion:
Now the battle is definitely in the hands of the rebels. The shield generator is destroyed and the rebels can begin their attack. In a way every part of this tri-level battle relies on one another. You need the generator down to attack the Death Star. You need to cut off the head of the snake to weaken the Empire.

Han and the rebels running away from the bunker and the destruction of the radar dish are two memorable moments that are seen quite often in Star Wars recaps. Even though the radar dish is just a model, it does look pretty realistic. I know they put explosives in many other of their models to capture the effect, but this one works quite well.

The space scene is definitely the best way to put this cause and effect scene together. The shield is down so they can do what they have to do. Even though both the cause and the effect are quite short, they do the end of the battle justice in getting near the climax. I think it�s good that Ackbar says that the shield is down rather than Lando since the reversal in my opinion would be cliche.

Short chapter, half a minute at that. It gets what it needs to get done and works quite nicely. It's just the break you need from the emotional duel, now that Luke is backed into a corner. I said it before and I'll say it again, lowering one's hope and raising anothers is good storytelling. Good chapter.

 

That is the perfect way to describe the chapter. But, the one thing that has always sort of bothered me (only slightly though) about the destruction of the Shield Generator, is just the size of the explosion itself. It just seemed too big (like creating a hole in the planet big); an explosion like that would have incinerated the entire forest around it, and I am not too sure how far away "the back door" bunker was from the Dish itself, but Han only runs like 20ft into a ditch and lives to tell about it. I may be way off or something, but could someone help me out on this one?

 

I looked at the Star Wars Complete Locations and this dish is pretty far from the actual bunker. I'd say at least a few miles or so.

 

Really? It looks there as if it's really close.

And you've gotta love Ackbar, he's one of the best strategists the Alliance had next to Bel Iblis.

 

Thanks Moleman, that lets the whole sequence sit a lot better with me now.

 

Im afraid that makes it even more puzzling to me. I always assumed it was just a action movie screw up and if han were mortal he'd have been vaporised by being that close to the explosion, but if the back door is that far away **miles** away then either they blew up a little bunker thats miles away from the dish, in which case why did the dish blow up? or they have a mile long tunnel between the back door and the dish that han and crew just beasted it up?

Open to suggestions on this one......

 

Thank you for all your participation in CBC (Chapter by Chapter). ROTJ Chapter 43: Force Lightning DISCUSSION will be made available 3:45 P.M. EST. Although the discussion timeframe has passed, you may still discuss this chapter at your convienience. However, we will be moving on to the next chapter.