ROTJ Chapter 21: Speeder Bike Chase 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 21: Speeder Bike Chase
DISCUSSION: December 2, 2005 - December 6, 2005
DVD TIME INDEX: 58:41 - 62:37

Synopsis:
Luke and Leia are chasing scout troopers on speeder bikes across the forest expanse of Endor. They hit one of the troopers and come along side the other one, where Luke commandeers the speeder bike. Two more troops enter the scene. Leia takes the ones ahead and Luke takes the ones behind. They get separated. Leia jumps off her speeder bike far away. Luke forces the first trooper to crash and the other one crashes due to Luke chopping off the front end of the bike. Luke returns to the rebel base and tells them that he and Leia were separated and now they have to go look for her. END OF CHAPTER

Opinion:
Like every other Star Wars film, we have to have a speeder bike chase. Along side the Podrace, the Coruscant chase, the Utapau Chase, the Death Star trench and the asteroid field, this scene fits in perfectly.

I like how Luke and Leia work as a team on the bike and then how Luke commandeers the other bike is pretty humorous. And it is supposed to be. This is the perfect plot point to split the two up and works very well in how they get to the Ewoks.

The chase itself is realistic and it was only just a walk through through the California park at one frame per second or something like that. So instead of walking 5 miles an hour, they're speeding through at 200 mph.

I like the return to the rebel base with Luke and Han and you have to love Threepio's exchange with Artoo "and you thought this place was pretty". Definitely classic Threepio, now as this chapter ends we gets introduced to the Ewoks. Good chapter.

 

This was always fun to watch still is to. Not much else to say about it though.

 

Me too love the way Luke and Leia work together.

 

Whenever I watch this scene, I always see the forest go whizzing by and think, "How do Luke, Leia, and the Stormtroopers keep from getting dizzy?"

I definitely think it's the best action sequence of RotJ.

 

It was an excellent action scene that was a really nice change of pace.

 

When I was a kid I thought this was a great scene and now that I am an adult I still think it?s a great scene. It is way better then the pod race from TPM and considering the special effects technology at the time it turned out really great. I consider it is a surprising scene because I really didn?t see a high speed chase scene happening on the planet, I was expecting to see that in the space battles.

 

It's also worth noting this includes one of the only onscreen lightsaber deactivations of the OT. All I can think of is this scene, and later on the stairs in DSII.

 

I remember feeling quite ill in the theatre watching this. It all went by so quickly that I got a bit of motion sickness!

It's still one of my favorite movie scenes to this day.

 

the chase is awesome! one of my all-time-fav-scenes is Luke with green saber in the forest

 

I loved this scene as a kid. I thought so much of it, that in setting up my Star Wars collection section, I added a Leggos speederbike scene to it. However, I changed the setting a tad, placing them on Yavin 4 instead. I had a small sculptured pyramid which resembled a Massassi temple, so I added that to the scene. A friend recently got me a Yoda Leggo. I added that in the background so that it looks as if Luke is being guided by the ghost of his Jedi Master.

 

By and large an awesome sequence. except for one shot where Luke and Leia are in the shot. You can see two full speeder bikes. It looks like colorforms were stuck on a board.

 

I always loved how Leia was the impulsive one in this....

 

Jedi Ford Prefect-

There were some other lightsaber deactivations in the OT.

ANH-Luke practices on board the Millenium Falcon. Right before he asks Han, "You don't believe in the Force, do you?"

ROTJ-When Luke turns off his saber and throws it aside rather than kill his father.

And I don't remember now...in ESB, after Luke makes Vader fall off the edge of the platform, do they show him turning his saber off before he jumps down to follow Vader?

 

Thank you for all your participation in CBC (Chapter by Chapter). ROTJ Chapter 22: Leia Meets Wicket DISCUSSION will be made available 6:00 PM 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.

-Moleman1138