Apparently so, it was a trap. They all thought it wasn't but they proved it was by firing at the ship. (IIRC)
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Apparently so, it was a trap. They all thought it wasn't but they proved it was by firing at the ship. (IIRC)
Ah yeah you're right, hence the legendary quote. Strange indeed.
Good god, A New Hope really does glow in comparison to the prequels. This is the first time I've ever watched them within a relatively short space of each other, and it really does help accentuate just how much better it is as a film in almost every single aspect. Even the fact that it doesn't have new technology and what not makes it better.... all the practical stuff (that George hasn't edited out... wanker) makes it better... but more importantly, the fact that it makes a lot of stuff in the prequel not make any sense, and instead spells out what would have been a better background story- makes it better.
Some notes, :
So yeah, great fun, great film.... though not quite as fun to write about, but there you go.
Some notes, :
- Why is R2D2 even friends with C3P0? Surely only through circumstance... because otherwise, I can't see any reason for it. C3P0 just verbally abuses him, constantly puts him down... and generally just acts like a bit of a cnut towards him. In fact, everyone else hates C3P0 too right? I can't stand him.
- Luke : "Obi Wan Kenobi.... I wonder if she means Old Ben Kenobi" .... No fecking shit! just how many Kenobi's does Luke know exactly?! Also, props to master of espionage Obi Wan at this juncture... Old Ben Kenobi aye, nobody's ever going to crack that code. In terms of arts of deception, this ranks alongside Optimus Prime in the original animated Transformers film, who cunningly named his two "secret" bases on Cybertron's moons - "Secret Moon Base 1" and "Secret Moon Base 2"
- Here's where the prequels immediately start making little sense - Obi Wan doesn't remember R2D2, he hasn't heard the name Obi Wan "since before you (Luke) were born", tells Luke his father wanted him to have a lightsabre, generally goes against what Uncle Ben wants (which begs the question, why not raise him as a Jedi yourself?), etc. etc. etc.... Basically, Lucas is an idiot.
- Vader "The power to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the force" - Alright dickhead! I love this line... makes it sound as if Vader just goes around pushing the force on anyone who will listen. "Yeah yeah, this Espresso machine is great, but imagine if it were powered by the Force!" / "Oh you're getting Married are you? Well Congrats, but I'm married to the Force, so we all know who's won out of us two" / "She rejected you did she? Should have used Force... wait a minute..."
- Death Star destroying a planet= awesome. That's how you establish a threat.
- Barkeep "We don't serve their kind here" ... Droids? What the hell did Droids ever do to this guy?!
- Han Solo... everything Han Solo does is brilliant. Everything. In fact... The man is so badass, he throws himself down a garbage chute HEAD FIRST. feck health and safety.
- "The student has become the Master" .... "Only a Master of Evil Darth" ooooooo ZING! Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Finally the prequels make sense! after two films of shitty Jedi banter between these two, they've finally got it right! You're a genius Lucas, a genius I say.
- Undoubtedly my favourite bit of this film - possibly the entire series - comes directly after Vader "kills" Obi Wan. With his empty cloak on the floor, Vader - hilariously - stamps his foot around on it! For what reason I have no idea, presumably to check if there's a body still there - which there most obviously isn't - it's bloody fantastic.
- Great climax to this film - 'tis a bit silly that the Empire would build the Death Star with such a flaw - but at least they give a justification for it within the film... and ultimately, it's a really cool sequence anyway, so who cares!
So yeah, great fun, great film.... though not quite as fun to write about, but there you go.
Love your reviews AN!, though it's obvious you struggled for that one! 
You're gonna find it difficult to come up with a lot of stuff for Empire Strikes Back which is the only worthy film in the Star Wars saga. Return of the Jedi should be easier, with the bloody ewoks and all.
You're gonna find it difficult to come up with a lot of stuff for Empire Strikes Back which is the only worthy film in the Star Wars saga. Return of the Jedi should be easier, with the bloody ewoks and all.Please tell me you procured a version in which Han Shot First, or you are aware that Han Shot First in the original release.
Also I dig your Transformers the Movie 1986 references
(It was basically a ripoff of Star Wars as well when you think about it)
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Please tell me you procured a version in which Han Shot First, or you are aware that Han Shot First in the original release.
Also I did your Transformers the Movie 1986 references
Yeah I'm aware, and to be honest, I didn't actually concentrate to check - because in my mind, Han always shoots first.
It's the blu-rays I'm watching... so if I had to guess, it'd either be same time or Greedo first. I could have made a bunch of points about the daft shit that Lucas changed, but yeah.
Nothing beats Kenobi's new shout to scare off the Raiders in the Blu-rays. I bet Lucas walked into the recording studio and did that one himself.
Good.
Now I don't want to hear a bad word about The Empire Strikes back you hear me.
I want to hear loads, I'm sure AN! is capable!
Luke doesn't know any other Kenobi, but what does it matter? Leia didn't made the message for Luke and for all we know, Kenobi might be the equivalent of Smith in a galaxy far away
Nothing wrong with that line and from both the movies and EU is totaly spot on.
Your other reviews were better.
In the Kenobi novel, it reveals that there are 3 Kenobi's living near Anchorhead alone and the Wiki cleared up that little pause Obi-Wan has after Luke mentions R2's name. Obi-Wan did infact remember R2, but decided to play stupid until the time was right. In one of the comics, Vader also has an intimate moment with C3PO, on Cloud City. He holds 3P0's head towards his own mask and reminisces about his past life.
The Krayt dragon call, according to TFN, was changed so that the projection mimicked Anakin when he murdered the Tuskens. Not sure how valid it is though.
The Krayt dragon call, according to TFN, was changed so that the projection mimicked Anakin when he murdered the Tuskens. Not sure how valid it is though.
Force-crushed...
Thanks for that. I am reading (listening) the Kenobi novel but haven't got to that part. I didn't also know why Kenobi didn't remember the droids (though I guessed that he just was acting).
Droids not remembering Kenobi was explained on Darth Plagueis novel. C-3PO memory was wiped out by the orders of Bail Organa while for R2 units the memory gets wiped out every 6 months or so (though Luke changed this practice for R2-D2 and didn't do it ever - this is from The Thrawn trilogy).
Ahh, that explains why R2 doesn't tell 3PO. How is the Thrawn trilogy btw? I'm ashamed to say I've not read much into the New Republic era, but I've recently picked up a huge collection of them so do you have any recommendations on which book to start with or should I just jump into the first Thrawn book?
I know! I love that line, it's legitimately great!
Brilliant. 'Heir to the Empire' (part one of Thrawn trilogy) is by far my favorite Star Wars book I have read, and the other two books are very good too. They are must read for any Star Wars fan and also have another value for single handedly reviving Star Wars.
My opinion on those I have read:
Darth Plagueis - brilliant, very good writte, a ton of backstory on Darth Plagueis, Palpatine, Darth Maul, Anakin Skywalker, Trade Confederation etc. My second favorite SW book.
Darth Bane trilogy - good novels, there are more Kotor-like than New Republic era. I loved them.
Revan - okay I guess. But to a lot of fans was contraversial because it removed Revan' status as an omnipotent Jedi (something that personally I liked). I didn't like how Exile was downgraded to just an ordinary Jedi Master though. Must read if you have play Kotor games.
Hand of Thrawn dualogy - skippable
Shatterpoint - I read 1/3 of it a year ago and left it there. Terrible writing and not that interesting. It doesn't help the fact that I really dislike Mace Windu. Mainly because he is the biggest idiot of all time.
Movies novelization - The first three are ok (Revenge of the Sith is brilliant and I must say is a must read). The last three are completely useless cause they don't add anything from movies.
The Force Unleashed novelization - if you have played the games, give them a go. Especially the second one because it completes the game, which was cut in hal.
Currently reading Kenobi and after it likely I'll go with 'Jedi Apprentice - The Adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi'. There are around 20 novellas or so (typically 50-80 pages long).
What books would you consider to be "must-read" for fans who haven't had any prior exposure to the EU?
1) Thrawn Trilogy
2) Darth Plagueis
3) Darth Bane trilogy (some very nimor references to some EU characters but that is all)
I have heard a lot of people saying that X-Wing series is in the level of Thrawn Trilogy but because I haven't read them yet, I can't comment there.
Sounds good, will have to get reading the Thrawn stuff after I finish this Maul book. Agree with the Plagueis and Bane books. All of them were great, I'd also recommend the Dark Lord and Labyrinth of Evil books. Both flesh out the Anakin/Vader storyline, with the build up to his descent into the Dark side and how he deals with the aftermath of becoming Vader.
The thing that irks me about it all though is - A New Hope paints a far, far more interesting picture of a backstory then the prequels managed to complete. It gives you the idea that Anakin was a great and noble Jedi warrior (we never really get to see this, mainly pissing and whining) who, at the very least, knew and raised Luke for a small portion of his life - but was slowly consumed by the dark side and killed by Vadar (where as the films rush the turn, and even when he is Vader, he's still concerned about good ol' Padme - though thats a minor point really).
Also, the idea that Anakin was actually present for some of Lukes life, for me, makes the end of RotJ far, far stronger. I remember when the first time I ever watched it, thinking that the story went that Vader, having remember a happier time of his life when he was actually with his son, saved his life - which is far more powerful then saving a son you never actually knew.
The meeting rooms in our office are named after Star Wars characters. I'm having a meeting in Obi-Wan in an hour, it's gonna be grand.
If you're new the to New Republic era of Star Wars fiction (ie set after Return of the Jedi) the best place to start is probably X-Wing: Rogue Squadron and go chronologically from there because that explains how they managed to take Coruscant from the Empire, whereas Thrawn just sort of cold cuts to them all high and mighty on Coruscant and the Empire no where near the core systems.
If you're looking to get a broad overview of the era you'd probably want to go
X-Wing: Rogue Squadron
X-Wing: Wedge's Gamble
X-Wing: Krytos Trap
X-Wing: Bacta War
Thrawn Trilogy: Heir to the Empire
Thrawn Trilogy: Dark Force Rising
Thrawn Trilogy: Last Command
Jedi Academy Trilogy: Jedi Search
Jedi Academy Trilogy: Dark Apprentice
Jedi Academy Trilogy: Champions of the Force
I, Jedi (parts of this are the same stuff from Jedi Academy but from a different point of view)
Hand of Thrawn: Specter of the Past
Hand of Thrawn: Vision of the Future
Survivor's Quest
Those aren't necessarily the best (none of the Aaron Alston books are there for example, and neither is the Black Fleet Crisis), but the most important in terms of things that happen during that era.
Err, I think that Vader didn't know about Luke in the first movie. Even before I watched the prequels, I thought that Vader realized it only after the destruction of the first Death Star (something that was later confirmed).
About Anakin being a great Jedi, you have a point. From the movies the only great thing he does is defeating Count Dooku (which to be fair was his biggest achievement anyway) while all the other times he doesn't do anything special as a Jedi. He did a lot of stuff in TV show and other parts of EU (especially the movie novelizations which does a great job on him and Kenobi) but the majority of people haven't seen/read that stuff, and anyway the portration of him would have been good if you don't need to read other stuff to realize it. From the movies we only hear that he's great.
"The Clone Wars" also sounds way more epic than it turned out to be.
As a side note, whatever happened to all those clones? Do they have kids and stuff? Was that basically the start of a slightly inbred race of space New Zealanders? You'd think someone would mention them at some point.
But Obi Wan says when giving Luke the lightsabre "Your father wanted you to have this when you're old enough" or words to that affect?
I realise you're probably way more correct then me about this, but yeah, my impression from the film when I first saw it was Vader raised Luke, or at least saw him as a baby/child... and then later realised "feck, that's my son! I remember him..." sort of thing. Which again, is far more compelling as a story when he turns back.
Should've named it after places, non?
"I'm having a meeting in the Death Star, catch you for drinks later"
Gary Oldman has met with the producers for a role in the new movie. To counter that news, so has Zac Effron.
feck sake.
Damn that's a fine idea, I might have to suggest this!
I didn't like the Hand of Thrawn dualogy. It looked to me very pointless and just traying to build something on taht story. Wouldn't recommend to many people to read it.
Basically the clone army was eventually dismantled and stormtroopers ook it place. While they have the same uniforms, the stormtroopers aren't usually clones (though there are clones there too).
It looked to me like Ben was manipulating him in the same way he said that 'Darth Vader killed your father'.
They are worthwhile in terms of development though as they
Introduce the Chiss
Luke and Mara get engaged
The official end of the Empire Remnant
Foreshadowing the Vong invasion
Luke and Mara get engaged
The official end of the Empire Remnant
Foreshadowing the Vong invasion
I thought they were decent - the first book and the beginning of the second had me hooked like nothing else, and then it basically just entirely and wholly died. All the momentum, all the suggested intrigue, all of the shadow play and crescendo it was building to basically just die in the ass. the last third is a very boring read I will agree.
Yeah, the first one was okay but I found the second book very boring. I almost left it on half. The parts with Palladeon were good (in some way he was becoming a mini-Thrawn) but the parts with Luke Skywalker were crap.
I haven't read much about the Vong (not the books I mean, though hav eread countless stuff on Wookieepedia for them) but I don't find it good. The Clone Wars rom the movies was supposed to be one of the biggest wars ever and if you compare it to the Vong Invasion it looks just like a big protest. Same about Abeloth (and to a degree clone Palps) and then of course the old Luke. Star Wars there became DragonBall Z. Also, I think that the post Thrawn Trilogy events are very inconsistent. In Thrawn Trilogy, Luke is still just a normal Jedi, possibly not even in the level of Kenobi. In the Hands of Thrawn he is a bit stronger but still not extremely powerful (I don't think that he is near the level of Yoda, Nomi, Revan etc there). But for example between those events he defeats clone Palps which is easily more powerful than any other Jedi/Sith in EU. And then if we go a bit further (Darth Caedus and Abeloth era) he becomes that powerful that would have defeat some of the most powerful Jedi/Sith in his sleep. It looked to me like a crazy contest of which author will make Luke (and his opponents) more powerful than the other authors, which is a shame cause on other eras Star Wars expanded universe is very consistent and it is like reading a history book.
I think that decanonizing everything post Thran Trilogy wouldn't be a bad thing. There is some good stuff there, but most of it is garbage.
@Annihilate Now! when are the following reviews coming?!
When I get round to watching the last two - which may well be after I've finished Breaking Bad 
Ah right, it's for a good cause then. Enjoy!When I get round to watching the last two - which may well be after I've finished Breaking Bad
New toy!
Never knew the R in R2D2 stood for Racist.