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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Why did Greedo shoot first?

Discussion in 'Classic Trilogy' started by da_muzzy, Jan 20, 2005.

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  1. da_muzzy

    da_muzzy Jedi Youngling star 1

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    Jan 10, 2005
    What was Lucas thinking when he put that in Special Edition. The use computers to make it look like Han moved his head like an inch to his right, and then he shot Greedo. Complete waste of time IMO. Anyone actually knwo why George Lucas put that in?
     
  2. The-Tennis-Ball-Kid

    The-Tennis-Ball-Kid Jedi Youngling star 3

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    Sep 2, 2004
  3. The_Red_Baron

    The_Red_Baron Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Jan 16, 2005
    Just be glad Lucas didn't change the Bespin scene in ESB so that Vader shoots at Han first. Because the way it is right now, Han shoots at Vader, completely unprovoked.
     
  4. Errant_Venture

    Errant_Venture Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 21, 2002
    Because he felt that Han Solo would've been beyond any chance of redeption had he of killed Greedo in cold blood. So he made Greedo shoot first and Solo killed in self-defense.
     
  5. HanSolo29

    HanSolo29 RPF/SWC/Fan Art Manager & Bill Pullman Connoisseur star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2001
    Because he felt that Han Solo would've been beyond any chance of redeption had he of killed Greedo in cold blood

    Sorry, but this just irks me. Han Solo would've been beyond redemption by shooting at one being while Anakin(his main character) went ahead and killed millions, yet he can be redeemed? That just doesn't make sense.

    Besides, Han wasn't killing in cold blood to begin with. It was in self-defense.

    As to answer your original question - I'm not quite sure why he did it. To be politically correct? That's my best guess.
     
  6. eaglejedi

    eaglejedi Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Feb 2, 2001
    Yeah, it's a really stupid change. If you think about it, if Lucas was right, people wouldn't like, or would even hate, Han Solo after seeing him in the original edition of ANH. Yet they didn't.

    To me it always seemed justified, just a little questionable. Greedo's holding a blaster on him, probably about to kill him, so Han pre-empts him to save his own life, not to mention get out of there before the Imperials arrest his passengers, and him and Chewie. Maybe not the most moral thing to do, but Han's supposed to start as a somewhat morally amibiguous character- a rough-and-ready smuggler, who isn't a bad guy, but does what he has to in order to survive and make a living- not a Jedi Knight or something.
     
  7. James_Sunderland

    James_Sunderland Jedi Youngling star 3

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    Jan 7, 2005
    Is it me, or does Han now shoot ABOVE the table instead of below it? I could sware he shoots above the table now?
     
  8. Salacious_B_Crumb

    Salacious_B_Crumb Jedi Youngling star 2

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    Nov 12, 2002
    That's why i hate the this edit, there's no sense behind it. i wouldn't mind it as much if there was a real reason for it.
     
  9. Errant_Venture

    Errant_Venture Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 21, 2002
    Sorry, but this just irks me. Han Solo would've been beyond redemption by shooting at one being while Anakin(his main character) went ahead and killed millions, yet he can be redeemed? That just doesn't make sense.

    I don't like that answer anymore than you do, but IIRC thats what he says on the dvd commentary. :(
     
  10. HanSolo29

    HanSolo29 RPF/SWC/Fan Art Manager & Bill Pullman Connoisseur star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2001
    I don't like that answer anymore than you do, but IIRC thats what he says on the dvd commentary

    Yea, I know. :(

    I just don't understand it. Although I like how it was altered for the DVD release, I don't like his answer on why.
     
  11. James_Sunderland

    James_Sunderland Jedi Youngling star 3

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    Jan 7, 2005
    I think GL is just saying that anyone no matter how evil, can be redeemed.
     
  12. NeoBaggins

    NeoBaggins Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 28, 2003
    He didnt need to butcher that scene to said that. Especially when he doesnt cover the several other instances in the saga where the heroes so-call "kill in cold blood".

    Lucas was doing something just to be doing it and expected starwars fandom to readily accept it. When proven wrong he made up stuff to justify it and his ego wouldnt allow him to reverse it. He even insults the fans to justify the stupid and ill-executed scene. Notice, Lukes scream was inserted then deleted. Why? No big fuss over it thus Lucas feels it was all on him to change it back. To change the Greedo scene back would prove him wrong. He will NEVER have that. No matter how dumb it looks. And the special FX and visual Guru knows that scene looks stupid. Theres no way hes satisfied with that. But it must stay because too many fans said they didnt like it.

    Big Baby.
     
  13. Ididitall4thewookie

    Ididitall4thewookie Jedi Youngling star 3

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    Jun 29, 2004
    I am not a cynical person. I prefer to give someone the benefit of the doubt. However, I gotta agree with Neo on this one. GL's statement as to why he changed the scene is weak at best. Special effects must be spellbinding.
     
  14. deckyrd

    deckyrd Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 4, 2004
    I've said it to you before in the 3SA forums, and I'll say it here;

    Rock rock on, NeoBaggins! ;)

    And Han doesn't shoot above the table, we're supposed to believe that he shoots up through the table. Personally? To answer the question of the thread, HAN DOESN'T SHOOT FIRST. He never did, and in my copies of the DVD's, he never will ('cause they're bootlegged off of the old Laserdiscs).

    But to get back on topic, I agree with the above. GL is just changing things because he can, what with the new technology available and all, and when fandom as a whole doesn't happily accept his POS edits and changes then he has to come up with crap answers to viable questions and shut us out when we push further for logical and reasonable explanations that don't exist because GL has done ****** up the OT with his meddling.

    (sorry... Just had to rant for a second there)

    EV Edit: Please * out the entire word.
     
  15. gezvader28

    gezvader28 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 22, 2003

    Yeah, Lucas's explanation that he wanted Han to shoot only in self-defense doesn't make any sense.
    Look at the scene when they enter the DS control room, the one above the Falcon, Han shoots two officers and they don't even have their guns out !

    g
     
  16. X-Wing_Pilot5

    X-Wing_Pilot5 Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Apr 11, 2001
    <blockquote>I don't like that answer anymore than you do, but IIRC thats what he says on the dvd commentary. </blockquote>

    Interesting... when I listened to the ANH DVD commentary, for most if not all of that scene, Lucas wasn't commenting on that at all - Ben Burtt was talking about the Huttese language ... due in part, IMHO, to avoid the whole "Greedo shoots first" issue in the commentary. Whoops! Greedo scene over- can't talk about it now, gotta move on. :D

    Personally, I don't think that letting Han shoot first makes the smuggler a cold-hearted killer. It's not showing him to be evil, it's showing him to be "streetwise." As anyone can tell, he's got the blaster <i>under</i> the table, and is trying to talk his way out of the situation. If his "negotations" with Greedo has been successful, he would have simply placed the blaster back in his pocket and left the table, and of Han's blaster the Rodian would have been none the wiser.

    Han's not being evil or beyone redemption, he's just not taking any chances.

    (On a related note, I don't think the "we want the original OT on DVD" campaign would have started had George not made ill-advised changes like that.)

    God bless,

    "X-Wing Pilot 5"
     
  17. Darth_Monarch

    Darth_Monarch Jedi Youngling star 2

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    Aug 12, 2004
    The entire odd thing about this, is that not a few minutes before, we had two dudes at the bar point their blasters at Luke and Kenobi. Kenobi kills both of them with his lightsaber. So somewhere in Lucas' head it's alright to kill with a lightsaber and not a blaster.

    Kenobi can kill when a blaster is pointed at him, and yet Solo can't??? Jedi have a license to kill, but pirates, can't? Um.. There's something wrong there.
     
  18. James_Sunderland

    James_Sunderland Jedi Youngling star 3

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    Jan 7, 2005
    ^Kenobi was protecting Luke. Obi Wan didn't start with his saber until after the bounty hunter pulled out his gun.

    Anyway, if you don't like the new versions of SW, don't watch them. But, don't tell me I can't watch them, either, because that's just stupid.
     
  19. MvTrlrMsc

    MvTrlrMsc Jedi Youngling star 1

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    Jan 12, 2005
    HS29 EDIT: Inappropriate.
     
  20. Darth_Monarch

    Darth_Monarch Jedi Youngling star 2

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    Aug 12, 2004
    >>Kenobi was protecting Luke. Obi Wan didn't start with his saber until after the bounty hunter pulled out his gun.

    Greedo had his blaster pointing at Solo's face. It's the same instances. Had Ponda and Evazan fired first, then I would think it was in self defense, but Kenobi sliced them up before they could fire. So Solo defending himself is less important then Kenobi defending Luke?

    So if Chewie came along and defended Solo by blasting Greedo in the back before he could fire would be better then Solo firing first?

    Where did I say no one should watch it? You do what you want, but I just think that Lucas has a strange sense of things when it comes to defending ones self.

     
  21. James_Sunderland

    James_Sunderland Jedi Youngling star 3

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    Jan 7, 2005
    ^They are two different scenarios. Ben was protecting Luke. You first see the Dr.'s weapon because Wuher says, "No blasters!" Ben whips out his saber, and slices the Dr.'s hand off before he can get a shot off.

    Han knew Greedo would shoot him no matter what the conversation was. But, Han definatly wanted the upper edge. Han is sneaky, not very honorable in the scene. Han shoots Greedo under the table.
     
  22. The_Red_Baron

    The_Red_Baron Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Jan 16, 2005
    I think one reason GL changed the scene is because he's older now, and people tend to mellow out with age. When GL made ANH he was pretty young, and was a renegade. He had no problems making one of his heroes shoot first and ask questions later. But now that he's older, he's developed more of a conscience, he's afraid he might have made a mistake, it might have a bad effect on the kids, etc, etc.

    It reminds me of the rapper Ice Cube. In the early 90's Ice Cube had the persona of a "gangsta" -- a mean, foul-mouthed thug who would kick your butt just as soon as look at you. Now, 15 years later, he films family movies, where he stars as the mild mannered nice guy. Its because he's old, I tell you.
     
  23. Chaotic_Serenity

    Chaotic_Serenity Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 10, 2004
    Am I the only person on these forums who really just. doesn't. care.

    Really. The edit isn't going to kill anyone. The scene still has the same feel. The birds outside still sing. The world continues to turn. Life in a galaxy far, far away remains much cooler than it is here. Period, end of story. I am *so* tired of seeing this topic.
     
  24. JediMaster_Jen

    JediMaster_Jen Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 3, 2002
    I have to agree with the above post. Who cares? It's not a big deal.


    How many threads are there on this topic now?
     
  25. James_Sunderland

    James_Sunderland Jedi Youngling star 3

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    Jan 7, 2005
    ^Yeah. Star Wars isn't about Greedo, the inept bounty hunter. It's about Han Solo, Luke, the Rebellion and Empire, etc. It's about a universe.
     
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