Why is it such a big deal who shot first?

Seriously, when Han and Greedo are talking in ANH. Lots of people complain about how Han shot first and they should change it to Greedo shooting first. Why is it such a big deal? Greedo was threatening to kill Han or take him to Jabba who would probably kill him in a way far more unpleasent than a blaster bolt. Han killed him in self defense after that threat, plus, Han's on the wrong side of the law. Why is it such a big deal for him to "get his hands dirty"?

EV Edit: See 1st reply

 

Why did Greedo shoot first?

It honestly doesn't matter to me, though. I just watch the scene and be done with it. It changes nothing about Han's character to me as most people claim.

 

Actually, it isn't just Han shooting first in the original version. Greedo doesn't shoot at all. It's an old west gunfight. Greedo flinches, and Han is the faster draw.

That's why the revision changes things, and not for the better in my mind. It reduces Han's skill level, and makes him less of a force to be reckoned with.

 

I don't mind the change, just like I don't mind any of the changes in the special editions. Greedo was about to shoot in the original, anyway, it doesn't change anything for me. Actually, I find it slightly cooler that he's able to sit there while a laser blasts the wall at the side of his head, than if he just shot first like a blood thirsty maniac.

 

Pssh, I don't even care.

 

Come to think of it, what really needed to happen in that scene was for Greedo to say, "Mr. Solo, put your hands on the table where I can see them."



Then Han could have jumped up and started a really rockin' bar fight.

 

I don't mind the change itself, just the execution of it. It doesn't look good. The DVD is a vast improvement over the SE. Hopefully the scene will be even more fixed when the UE is released.

 

, thats hillarious

 

I've really never had a problem with it. The only thing that bothers me is that Han looks like "The One" when his head dodges Greedo's blast.

 

Personally it doesn't matter to me, I just have a hard time believing how someone could miss a shot like that at point-blank range. So I sympathize with the people who prefer the original scene, but don't find it as such a big deal as most do. Lucas is going to do what he wants, simple as that.

 

It took away from Han's bad boy image.

Han Solo is a smuggler, which is a cut throat biz, and sometimes you have to kill or be killed.

An experienced smuggler wouldn't have waited until being fired upon to kill a bounty hunter who was dishing out threats across the table from him.

It was either, let Greedo collect on the bounty, or kill him right then and there.

I think by having Greedo shoot first, GL thinks this makes Han look like more of a good guy who doesn't fire unless fired upon. No smuggler could live with those types of morals IMO.

Change it back GL, I beg you.

 

In my opinion the change was a mistake. Firstly, it doesn't make a lot of sense. Why would Greedo shoot Han? He's got the drop on Solo and he wants to turn him over to Jabba. Wouldn't it be better to take Han in alive, that would probably please Jabba better and there would be no need to lug Solo's corpse through the city streets. Also, how could Greedo miss? He's 4 feet away! His blaster is pointed straight at Solo's chest. If you watch the altered scene closely you see that Greedo's blaster must be defective -- the shot comes out of the barrel at an angle. And Solo's non-reaction to having the wall blasted inches from his ear is just not visually believable. An explosion inches from his face and he don't unconsciously flinch?

Secondly, and more importantly, the change alters our preceptions of Han's character. Remember, this is his introduction in the film. At this point in the story we're unsure about Solo. Is he a good guy? Is a scoundrel who will abandon Luke and co.? Han's character is a major subplot of the 1st film. Seeing him shoot Greedo through the table makes him dangerous and cool. Seeing him shoot second or simultaneously makes him look stupid-lucky (dare I say Jar-jar lucky?) and somehow less cool.

I like the Special Editions for the most part and the Han/Greedo change doesn't bother me too much but I do think it was a bad move.