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Little Oddities in the Star Wars Trilogy

#46 User is offline   steje73 Icon

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Posted 05 February 2010 - 02:45 PM

Not sure if this has been mentioned already, but if The Empire didn't think the Death Star exhaust port was an exploitable weak spot why did they have (according to some dude in the battle)'about twenty' cannons in and around the trench defending it?
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#47 User is offline   Madam Corvax Icon

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Posted 05 February 2010 - 03:18 PM

View Poststeje73, on 05 February 2010 - 02:45 PM, said:

Not sure if this has been mentioned already, but if The Empire didn't think the Death Star exhaust port was an exploitable weak spot why did they have (according to some dude in the battle)'about twenty' cannons in and around the trench defending it?


I believe it is a viable question. We could argue, though, that the cannons were not specifically defending the exhaust port, just generally defending the perimeter. And of course, would not look half so entertaining if there were no cool spaceship battles on the way.
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#48 User is offline   Just your average movie goer Icon

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Posted 06 February 2010 - 04:57 AM

I believe it's a great question. This is exactly the kind of thing I'm going for in this thread. Looking at the things we've always glanced over before and taking the time to go "Huh?"

And yeah, that's a good one because it is rather weird and yet it's slipped under the radar every time I watch it. Hey, here's another one. What about the goofs? I've noticed a few of them. In Star Wars, you've probably all seen it but if you haven't, check out the scene where the stormtroopers bust in on Artoo and Threepio. One particularly tall lad hits his head on the door - and once you've seen it, the scene is never the same again.

Another thing is that when Luke arrives back at the base after destroying the Death Star, Mark sort of slips out of character momentarily. Carrie, in character, calls out "Luke!"

Mark, forgetting himself momentarily, replies with "Carrie!" Actually, it's kind of cute. And I'm glad it's survived all of Lucas' revisionism. May it continue to do so.

Then there's that great one in Return of the Jedi when the super star destroyer is falling towards the Death Star. Admiral Ackbar leans back in his chair with the satisfied exp​ression of a talking fish looking at a job well done... and someone off-camera calls out "Die dickheads!"

It's hilarious - and does a lot for increasing the entertainment value of that movie. So far, it too has survived the revisionism.

So, are there any more that any of you have noticed?


Now, onto another oddity: prepping an X-wing (or any fighter for that matter). In Star Wars, I rather get the impression that you don't just hop into an X-wing and away you go. They seem to need a lot of ground crew members to get them ready. Yet, just one movie later, a single pilot can have one up and running in a matter of minutes - and after it's been stuck in a swamp too. I would have thought that having lots of mud seeping through the engine components might be problematic in getting the thing started... but no, apparently not.
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#49 User is offline   Mr Pye Icon

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Posted 06 February 2010 - 09:00 AM

I was thinking that if the empire had placed a couple of ion cannons (like the rebels used on Hoth) on the surface of Endor then they could have taken out the rebel fleet and have time for a coffee break. But that's one of those 'if' things that would have ruined the story.

Anyway I figured they would be dependent on the rotation of the planet. Then I remembered the graphics for the shield that extends from the planet to surround the Deathstar.

This post has been edited by Mr Pye: 06 February 2010 - 09:05 AM

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#50 User is offline   MyPantsAreOnFire Icon

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Posted 07 February 2010 - 01:59 PM

View PostSupes, on 02 February 2010 - 12:39 AM, said:

Yeah but that also begs the question why did he not SENSE that Luke WASN'T on the Falcon. I prefer the idea of a broader plan simply because we have another example of the 'on again' 'off again' Force sense if we don't.


That ties into my question on the last page (that was lost in the rush): does the Force let Jedi read minds or not? It apparently doesn't, outside of sensing emotions and feelings, since Vader can't do things like you're talking about here and "read" that Luke is not one of the people on the Falcon. On the other hand, how the hell does he figure out Luke has a sister? That would have to be a pretty clear thought he'd have to be able to pick up on since I have no idea what emotion translates to someone's long lost sister.
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#51 User is offline   MyPantsAreOnFire Icon

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Posted 07 February 2010 - 02:03 PM

View PostJust your average movie goer, on 06 February 2010 - 04:57 AM, said:

I believe it's a great question. This is exactly the kind of thing I'm going for in this thread. Looking at the things we've always glanced over before and taking the time to go "Huh?"

And yeah, that's a good one because it is rather weird and yet it's slipped under the radar every time I watch it. Hey, here's another one. What about the goofs? I've noticed a few of them. In Star Wars, you've probably all seen it but if you haven't, check out the scene where the stormtroopers bust in on Artoo and Threepio. One particularly tall lad hits his head on the door - and once you've seen it, the scene is never the same again.

Another thing is that when Luke arrives back at the base after destroying the Death Star, Mark sort of slips out of character momentarily. Carrie, in character, calls out "Luke!"

Mark, forgetting himself momentarily, replies with "Carrie!" Actually, it's kind of cute. And I'm glad it's survived all of Lucas' revisionism. May it continue to do so.

Then there's that great one in Return of the Jedi when the super star destroyer is falling towards the Death Star. Admiral Ackbar leans back in his chair with the satisfied exp​ression of a talking fish looking at a job well done... and someone off-camera calls out "Die dickheads!"

It's hilarious - and does a lot for increasing the entertainment value of that movie. So far, it too has survived the revisionism.

So, are there any more that any of you have noticed?


You've got some potatoes mixed in with the asteroids in ESB.

One of the ships in the Rebel fleet in RotJ is a actually a sneaker/tennis shoe.

Not really a screwup, but I find it funny that when the first Tie Fighter gets smashed by asteroids in ESB they have a little model Tie pilot hurtling away from the explosion.

And then of course you have the dancer's breast popping out of her top in RotJ as the camera gives her a closeup in her struggle with Jabba. Kinda funny how that's survived all of Lucas' revisions, especially since all the various remasterings and whatnot have made it even more noticeable. Maybe George is just a fan of those green boobies.
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#52 User is offline   Just your average movie goer Icon

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Posted 08 February 2010 - 03:47 AM

Cool. I've never noticed the Tie-fighter pilot after that explosion. I checked my DVD to see it and there it was. Funny, I swear I've seen these movies a hundred times yet there's still new things to notice on subsequent viewings.

And yeah, the thing with Jabba's dancer. I've seen that before as well. It's kind of funny isn't it, considering how Lucas always goes on these days about how he's changing these movies to make them more kid-friendly. However, I think we've covered the hypocrisy in this statement when a certain unsavoury scene in Jabba's palace is considered.
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#53 User is offline   azerty Icon

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Posted 08 February 2010 - 05:19 AM

Yes, we certianly wouldn't want any childen to see a boob. I've heard that in the USA they are going to pass a law saying that it is illegal to breast feed your baby without blindfolding it first. I didn't really belive my American pal when he told me this, but it could be true all the same. I've read that if you are under 16 or 18 or 21 or something in the USA you will get prosecuted by the law for child pornography if you take a photo of yourself topless. Is that one true?
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#54 User is offline   Just your average movie goer Icon

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Posted 08 February 2010 - 08:41 PM

Hey, I've got no problem with bare breasts and I'm sure most kids can handle seeing them.

No, I hate that scene for rather different reasons and the fact that that particular character dies horribly moments after her brief 'wardrobe malfunction' really takes the shine out of that particular goof; whereas the stormtrooper bumping his head is a riot. As an added aside, if you watch carefully, the stormtrooper who bumped his head is the one who gets told to stand guard after the others go. I kind of wonder whether that was improvised.

Another funny thing in that scene is when the stormtroopers come in, the commander tells one of them to "See to him", referring to a fallen officer. I've always found the way that's carried out to be funny - cute but funny. The stormtrooper walks up awkwardly and sort of gently shakes the guy's shoulder. You can almost imagine him whispering "Hey, are you okay?"
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#55 User is offline   MyPantsAreOnFire Icon

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Posted 08 February 2010 - 11:06 PM

View Postazerty, on 08 February 2010 - 05:19 AM, said:

Yes, we certianly wouldn't want any childen to see a boob.


I don't think anyone is really getting all puritanical here over this. It's just amusing that such a clear snafu has stayed in the film even though Lucas went out of his way to shoot new footage for that exact scene years after the fact and since he appears to be so anal retentive over certain aspects of his movies.

I mean, I've made it clear that I have issues with the pointlessly mysogynist and sadistic nature of that scene, and the accidental nudity at that moment is really just the icing on a really creepy cake.

This post has been edited by MyPantsAreOnFire: 08 February 2010 - 11:08 PM

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#56 User is offline   Just your average movie goer Icon

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Posted 09 February 2010 - 10:42 PM

Yeah, that's right. The guy went back to it twenty years later and shot additional footage to expand the sequence.

Anyway, I skip over most of Return of the Jedi. The only things of value in the movie are the space battle and the showdown between Luke and Darth Vader. You can take or leave the rest of it... and I tend to do the latter.

However, while I'm on Return of the Jedi, I have a couple of new oddities for you.

The visiting dignitaries in the Emperor's throne room

You know, when the Emperor dismisses Darth Vader and then turns around to greet two weird looking guys in stupid hats. What are they there for? Why are they there when Darth Vader is there? What role do they play in advancing the movie?

These guys just show up for a few seconds, we have no idea what the Emperor talks to them about and then they are never referred to again. I think I've seen some stills of these guys on another set, which suggests that they had an expanded role in the original script but that particular part of the movie was cut. This then begs the question as to why this last little bit with them was left in.

Darth Vader can't use a shipboard communicator

I've also thought it funny that whenever Darth Vader wants to talk to the Emperor about something, he always takes a shuttle to the Death Star. It's silly. It wastes resources and creates a security risk as every time he does this, the shield has to be lowered. He really should swallow his pride and ask one of the Star Destroyer crew members to teach him how to operate the communication equipment.


Now, onto an earlier point about the on again/off again nature of Vader being able to sense things about Luke through the force (such as his whereabouts). If we're to go by Return of the Jedi on this, then we'll have to assume that that's the way it is. Sometimes, Vader can sense where Luke is. Sometimes, he can't. I say this because when he tells the Emperor that Luke is on Endor, the Emperor replies that he hadn't sensed it. He then asks Vader whether his feelings are clear - and from the tone of his voice, it sounds as if Vader's been wrong before.

Actually, I think in the context of the original movies, the on again/off again nature of the Force works well enough. After all, it's a mystical energy field, not the result of some microscopic parasitic infection.
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#57 User is offline   MyPantsAreOnFire Icon

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Posted 10 February 2010 - 08:00 PM

Still, it makes absolutely no sense that he's able to determine that Luke has a twin sister since the "sesing" aspect of the Force seems to revolve around sensing emotions and not specific thoughts. If they can sense or read specific thoughts (and why not? They can effectively hypnotize or control the minds of other people or seemingly even "speak" through telepathy as in the end of ESB) then where the hell is this ability throughout the rest of the movies?!?

Your final points makes me wonder about a potential complication with the Force that if explored would actually make their discipline seem so much more impressive. Maybe Vader "sensing" Luke isn't so much him sensing him there in the Endor area at that moment but him seeing a number of potential futures where Luke is there. We can gather from ESB that the Force allows people to see vague outlines of possible futures, so maybe part of the skill of being part of Jedi is determing which future is likely or even whether what they're sensing is in a potential future or happening then and now.
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#58 User is offline   Just your average movie goer Icon

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Posted 10 February 2010 - 11:04 PM

It's all rather odd, isn't it? Actually, if Vader can pull the fact that Luke has a twin sister out from his mind, then why couldn't he have pulled the location to the rebel base out of Leia's mind in Star Wars?

Actually, that'd be kind of funny:





DOOR OPENS. ENTER VADER.

Vader: ...

Leia: Um... yes?

Vader: ...

Leia: (perplexed)...

Vader: Aha. Thank you, your highness.

EXIT VADER. DOOR SHUTS.





It'd be a rather different movie of course but it'd still be pretty funny.


Ah, the telepathy in The Empire Strikes Back. That reminds me of another oddity. However, this time, it's not so much an oddity in the movies as an oddity in the minds of some fans. So many fans argue that because Leia heard Luke's call through the force, she must therefore be strong in the force herself and therefore the fact that Lucas revealed that they were twins was intended all along. If anyone who believes that is reading this, I'd just like to point out that Luke calls Leia. The fact that Leia heard him doesn't necessarily mean that she is strong in the force. For all we know, Luke could have called Chewie instead but undoubtedly in a state of some distress (suspended above thin air and missing one hand), he called for the person closest to him. Actually, you can see that he's going through names in that manner as he's so confused, he calls out to Ben first (momentarily forgetting that he was dead). If he couldn't reach Leia, you can bet that he'd try Chewie next, then Yoda and if that failed, possibly Wedge. Anyway, the point is that the only person we know was drawing on the force in that scene was Luke.
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#59 User is offline   MyPantsAreOnFire Icon

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Posted 11 February 2010 - 09:47 AM

Hell, to be frank, he called for Leia at that point because he totally wanted to bone her. She's the one he cared for the most out of the Falcon group because he was all about gettin' some of that, so of course she's the focus of his mind when he's calling out to his friends.
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#60 User is offline   MyPantsAreOnFire Icon

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Posted 17 February 2010 - 01:06 PM

I was thinking about Leia being Luke's sister and how it's such a horrible, horrible plot development on so many levels, especially with the scene between Luke and Leia on Endor where he asks about her mother. The revelations on that scene simply do not work on any level. Leia is potentially talking about her adoptive mother (who she thinks is her real mother), which is ultimately a pointless diversion and a cheap ploy to the audience since Leia's adoptive mother is completely irrelevant. Presumably we're supposed to take away that she's NOT talking about her adoptive mother since Luke specifically asks her about her "real" mother and in Lucas-land it's not like were talking about any kind of subtlety. So if she is vaguely remembering her real mother, that means that half of the brilliant plan to hide Vader's kids was to leave his daughter with his ex. Then the prequels compund this by showing that the other half of the plan was to hide Vider's son on Vader's home planet with his stepbrother. What is the logic behind any of this? Even without the prequels it's still stupid since it is clearly implied that Leia is for some period of time living with her mother, Vader's ex, and you still have Luke living as "Luke Skywalker" with "Ben Kenobi" living nearby.

Maybe Anakin wasn't kididng when he said that he hates sand.
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