Sometimes, as fans of our beloved Star Wars saga, we get a little too carried away with really tiny changes to these films.
We need to stop.
Seriously.
So here I present to you 3 Controversial Changes to the Saga (and Why they, really, truly, and honestly don’t matter)
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
Ewoks blinking
There it is! See it? There! It did it again! So what? Everyone’s favorite cannibalistic bears now blink.
Let’s not have a cow.
Think about it. Cute little Wicket will EAT you. The fact that he blinks now should hardly be of concern.
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
Obi Wan’s Krayt Dragon Call
Tusken Raiders attack Luke Skywalker. Obi-Wan Kenobi mimics a Krayt Dragon call to scare them off.
I will be perfectly honest. I watched ANH for years before I even figured out the original sound was even made by old Ben. I thought it was just some random wild animal in the desert. At least you can tell what Obi-Wan’s trying to accomplish now.
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
Yoda upgraded to CGI
People seriously complained about this.
Jimmy Mac from Rebel Force Radio put it well.
“The old Episode I puppet looked like a green catcher’s mitt.”
Well said.
Nuff Said.
Thanks for stopping by!
I agree that these changes aren’t really a big deal and in fact the CGI Yoda is a substantial improvement. My criticism is that a lot of the changes don’t improve the movies. So why tinker just to tinker? If you’re not improving the film then it’s just making a change for change’s sake. I really don’t care if the Ewoks blink or not (it’s fine to me) and the Krayt Dragon call is whatever.
I’d also argue that these changes aren’t really all that controversial. The bigger issues are Han/Greedo (obv.), Vader’s “Noooo!” in ROTJ and Hayden Christensen replacing Sebastian Shaw. Personally, I think all 3 are awful changes that actually hurt the story in various ways. It’s been argued to death so I won’t rehash, but my point is that there have been changes that really do matter.
I don’t see how Christensen being put into the final scene hurts the story; it’s simply who portrays the character. If a different actor had portrayed, say, Luke Skywalker – and acted it in the same way, obviously – would that have had any impact on the story? No.
I never had any real issue with Greedo shooting first, apart from the fact that it was stupid. Greedo shooting first is obviously silly, but I don’t believe it affects the story. Admittedly I will agree that the final scene on board Death Star II does affect the story, but I don’t think I can really argue that it actively hurts the story.
Again, why make changes if they don’t improve the story? I don’t think anyone can argue that the changes I mentioned actually make the OT better.
Having Christensen as a Force Ghost makes no sense. How would Luke even recognize him? He just saw an old, scarred Anakin die in his arms and suddenly a 20yr old. kid shows up standing next to an aged Obi-Wan and an aged Yoda? Who in their right minds would think “oh that’s my dad!” Plus, why are Obi-Wan and Yoda in their old forms but Anakin appears as a youth? From a story-telling point of view, it makes no sense. It’s just fan service to try to bridge the the trilogies when no bridge is needed.
This actually has been analyzed to death but Greedo shooting first does affect the story. It undermines the only developmental arc that Han goes through in the OT. He’s supposed to be this smuggler with questionable morals who looks out for himself first before anything else. That’s what Han shooting first represents. You meet a character who you think is a wild card. At that stage in the story you really don’t know if Han will help or potentially hurt our heroes Luke and Obi-Wan. THEN after he changes and grows into a hero who serves something greater than himself. That development loses its impact without Han shooting first.
Oh and the Vader “Nooo” change…that’s 100% awful. No two ways about it. That scene was full of drama b/c you had no idea what Vader would do. You couldn’t see emotions you could see facial expressions and the tension was built up like crazy. The “nooo” completely ruins that tension AND makes Vader sound whimpy…again.
Just to clarify, I’m not one of those that are up in arms about this stuff (cept maybe the Vader one). I don’t own a “Han Shot First” shirt and rant about it. I just think they’re poor changes. Do they completely ruin the story? Of course not. SW is awesome regardless. But objectively, those changes are not good changes. And back to my original point, why make changes if they don’t IMPROVE the story?
Nope. It makes perfect sense. If you spend, hours watching the saga from start to finish its immensely satisfying to see the kid redeemed. Sebastian Shaw would be fine if the prequels were never made since that would have been the only version of Anakin we knew, but since we have now have seen Anakin in his Jedi glory as Hayden. Shaw’s appearance, barely on screen for a couple of minutes, makes little sense now compared to Hayden’s six hours and provides no dramatic power whatsoever.
The Force was inspired by elements of Christian religion; Lucas is doing a vintage change up and using some of those elements to define the Force and why young Anakin returned to his pristine self. He lost his soul when he turned to the Dark side, (the shot in ROTS with Anakin arriving on Mustafar and looks into the camera shows this) Lucas has said it is akin to being possessed by a demonic spirit, squelching all humanity from his soul. This is where he truly died, not years later on the Death Star.
He died young and Vader was mostly machine- he died young in the Force as Anakin, not Vader. He didn’t live to be an old man in the Force as Obi Wan or Yoda, (which is why they are old when their ghosts appear) he lived to be an old man in a burnt, destroyed body as Vader a Sith. When he died, his ghost represents when he was a Jedi… returning… and not a Sith. Most theories of the afterlife depict people returning to their prime selves, not as some withered, ugly old man.
People have to remember something vital about the character – Anakin was a slave his entire life, either literally, as he was on Tatooine, or metaphorically as a Jedi in training, as he constantly remarked how stifling it was. Especially the last 20 years as a Sith, he was a slave emotionally, physically, and most importantly psychologically- he wasn’t using the Force for his bidding, it was using him. Palpatine especially was using him, stringing him along, and lying to him. The same way he felt the Jedi treated him.
People miss the point of the NOOOOO from Revenge of the Sith. I can see where Uncle George was going with this. It was the last remnants of humanity, emotion, and freedom being purged from his soul as Anakin realized, and subsequently accepted his fate. As a young man, he was too consumed with hate, ego, power, and jealousy to fight it; he felt his loved ones had betrayed him he had no choice but to succumb.
In contrast, to Return of the Jedi, he sees a reason to reject it. You have the slumbering Anakin slowly awakening, (this begins in full when Vader is defensive about Luke calling him Anakin) remembering his humanity and compassion, and making a mindful choice not to let it continue anymore. Palpatine had stolen everything Anakin ever cared for, and as he witnesses his only son being murdered, unlike Mace Windu’s death, instead of Vader; Anakin decides to act, so the vocalized NOOOOO in this instance is wholly appropriate, finally shaking the chains of oppression and being released by killing his oppressor, Emperor Palpatine.
The NOOO is echoed from Sith to Jedi. The first NOOO is of defeat, the second is for freedom. It actually makes a ton of sense that I hope fans will learn to investigate and appreciate.
As for Han/Greedo- doesn’t change a thing. Han is still a scoundrel, BUT his wild card status was rendered moot once he helped Luke blast his way out of the Death Star battle at the end of ANH.. Anything else that was applied to him was never there. Tubby Fanboy projection/conjecture. The changes are details, and details do not nullify the total. If the changes altered my experience, (for the worse) or the story, I would join in the outrage, but they do not, none in the slightest actually. If all these changes bother you, go away, stop watching and being interested; unless complaining and hating is more fun?
If anyone has anymore bouts of ignorance, please let me know so I can straighten you out.
What final secene on the death star II effects the story?
None of them hurt. See below.
I think that ‘old puppet’ image of Yoda was a spoof, wasn’t it? I don’t think that is the correct photo. It isn’t the original trilogy Yoda.
The issue is that cgi animation is too unrealistic or cartoonish in lighting and physical movement. I couldn’t care less if the movie was all cgi, if i couldn’t tell the difference between reality and cgi.
A cartoon is too difficult to become emotionally invested in. Hence, why it is so easy for original trilogy fans to dislike it.
Also, the cgi was mostly to add comic relief and ‘kiddie’ entertainment. That is the main reason that old school fans don’t like the new movies and special edits. Older fans like the realism of the old movies i.e. there was a sense that sh.t was real. There weren’t any kids and cartoons taking out the empire (which were also cartoons).
Cheers.
Realism? Shut up. I’ve been there from the begining so this bitching is tiresome. THE only change I never liked was Han/Greedo. The rest are neeeded and work just fine. CG Yoda looks fantastic. A damn fine improvement. I read somewhere the reason puppet Yoda looked off was that the orignal mold had detriorated since JEDI, the new one didn’t quite make it. Ah well, CG Yoda looks damn fine.