Han useless in ROTJ?

One of the many complaints about ROTJ is that Han is wasted. I have to disagree. If you watch the other two films, finding the climax is like clockwork. The climax begins when Han Solo drops out of the story. In ANH, he leaves Yavin. In ESB, he gets frozen. In both cases, he's not involved when the big battle begins. In ROTJ, he is an essential part of it. Not only is the first half hour devoted to rescuing him, but he leads the expedition to destroy the Death Star's shield, and unlike before, he's actively involved in bringing about the climax. The major battles--all three of them--are already well in motion by the time he and the rebels destroy the shield generator. So what's the problem? Is it that he's not flying the Falcon? Or is it that he volunteers, whereas before he had better things to be doing, and thus was looking for an excuse to go away, whereas now he is willingly involved?

 

The films aren't about Han.

 

I agree with you, Obi-Ewan. Han, aside from Luke, is perhaps the most important good guy in ROTJ. He is the one who enables the Rebels to defeat the Empire. Not a small achievement, if you ask me!
Since so much in this episode revolves around him, I would say that ROTJ is Han's big movie(as well as Luke's, of course).

 

I think in a story sense Han should have been killed off(although I would have hated it), just as it was necessary in The Godfather for Sonny to be killed off. Even though they were strong and more charismatic, the stories of the OT and The Godfather are about Luke and Michael respectively, not Sonny and Han.

 

The problem with having Han killed off would be that, now we have a six-part series rather than a three-part series, the important, BIG deaths in RotJ are Palpatine and Anakin - any other death would be overshadowed by these, and it'd just be too much.

 

Wasn't there a thread on this not so long ago with the exact same title?

 

The only problem I have with Han in ROTJ is Harrison Ford's lackluster performance.

 

I don't think it was a lack-luster performance.He just wasn't given the classic lines or situations to which we'd become accustomed in ANH and and ESB.He seemed humbled after being blinded and needing to be rescued from Jabba.

Plus,most of his previous charm was derived from his scoundrel-hood,his cynicism and the tension we could sense between his rogue-ish nature/egocentricity and his good heart/desire to help out.

By the time ROTJ rolled around he was tamed,by love and by his affiliation with the rebellion,which,ironically,made him seem less rebelious.

Although,I don't think the real Han would've stepped on such a noisy twig.

 

Maybe, Wilhelm, but Han wasn't used to being in the woods. He was a city boy, or a Tatooine guy. No trees.

 

Both Harrison Ford and Lawrence Kasdan(he felt one of the important good guy characters should)felt that Han should die. Harrison wanted Han to sacrifice himself for Luke and Leia. Georgie of coarse didn't want that because he wanted the complete happy ending for RoTJ and having Han die would tarnish this a little.

As far as Han being useless/different in RoTJ. Different..yes, useless...no. Han Solo's character has changed by RoTJ and rightfully so because thats the characters story arc, He goes from being the cynical anti-hero who doesn't care about anyone or anything to being a hero who does care about people and does have ideals about the importance of being free from tyranny. Han is hardly useless, like what was mentioned before he is instrumental in getting the deflector shield down so that the fleet had a chance against the deathstar.

 

I don't think it was a lack-luster performance.He just wasn't given the classic lines or situations to which we'd become accustomed in ANH and and ESB.

That's bantha poodoo. Harrison Ford was tired of Star Wars and simply didn't give his all. Mark Hamill, on the other hand, had no trouble delivering a knock-out performance despite being hampered by the same "subpar" script.

 

"Harrison wanted Han to sacrifice himself for Luke and Leia. Georgie of course didn't want that because he wanted the complete happy ending for RoTJ and having Han die would tarnish this a little."

While I kind of like the idea of Han having to sacrfice himself, it would make it a dark movie like the last one. That was not something George wanted....

 

To the comment that the films aren't about Han: that's true only partially. He's certainly not the central character; Luke and Vader's relationship takes center stage there. But Luke, Han and Leia are the heroes of the old trilogy, just as Anakin, Obi-Wan and Padme are the heroes of the prequels. Neither trilogy, nor the saga as a whole, centers no just one person.

And to those who think Han should have been killed, I can only repeat what others have said: How could you kill him off, and when, without his death being overshadowed by the deaths of Anakin and Palpatine? We've already had a tragic relationship between Anakin and Padme, do we need another? And doesn't Anakin's death make the ending bittersweet enough? Luke loses a father for the third and fourth time in that movie; in the last case, he gets only one moment to spend with him.

 

Han is not useless! What are these so called "Star Wars Lovers" saying that han is useless for?

 

Harrison Ford was tired of Star Wars and simply didn't give his all.

I've heard that many times before, Durwood, but I've never understood why people say that. Yesterday, I even thought about it when I was watching ROTJ and I saw no trace of Ford not giving his all. Your accusation simply holds no water, he gives a terrific performance in ROTJ and it's totally in character.
I've yet to see Harrison Ford give a lackluster performance in any of his movies.

 

What I want to know is where this info comes from? I was 13 when ROTJ came out in 83' and in that time since, I've never heard ANYONE, EVER, complain about HF being useless, or tired of SW. Total fabrication IMO. HF has acknowledged many times if it wasn't for his role in SW he wouldn't have had the success in Hollywood and cinema that he was given.

It's ridiculous to say Han was useless in ROTJ, because if it wasn't for him taking out the shield, the fleet would have been destroyed and Luke would have either joined the Emperor or perished and that would been the end of the Alliance and the return of the Jedi.

 

Wow! Durwood!(Cool name BTW!) Couldn't disagree with you any more than I do right now!

In ROTJ,some.....um.....people think Luke was GREAT!

He was not great.What happens is,you're impressed by him because of the stark contrast between (ANH) a whiny,effeminate DORK....AND....(ROTJ)a,reasonably o.k.-acting...GUY!

When Han is tied up,and he looks up to see his captors...and he sees that they're TEDDY BEARS,He makes a perfectly wonderful and authentic HAN ******* SOLO smirk.



If they had written in a scene that was even reMOTELY as classic as the ones in ANH where he just yells and runs TOWARD the stormtroopers or when he trys to bluff his way along in the Deathstar ("Situation normal...We're all fine...How are YOU?")


Puh-LEASE!!!!!....there wasn't a single 5 second sequence in ROTJ that was as charming/ingratiating or entertaining(in a light-hearted way) as either of those were....You KNOW it to be true!

 

Also true B.Frank.


When's the last time you ROTS-Han-haters WATCHED ROTJ?!?

Ackbar is pretty much demanding that Lando pull out,but Lando KNOWS that Han'll get the sheild down,and,against all odds,He DOES........how Wurfless!!!


reMEMBER?..."I Love You"..."I know"........."I got an idea!"...?????

 

Not to mention:

LUKE: Careful, there might be more of them out there.
HAN: Hey...it's me!

HAN: Keep your distance, Chewie, but don't look like you're trying to keep your distance. (Chewie growls) I don't know! Just fly casual!

HAN: Luke? A Jedi Knight? I'm out of it for a little while and everyone gets delusions of grandeur!

Or his almost dismantling Threepio when Threepio refuses to impersonate the Ewok's deity.

You're all right...Han's little trick with the AT-ST driver disguise was great, and instrumental in winning the battle.