MovieChat Forums > Star Wars (1977) Discussion > Making Greedo shoot first was ridiculous...

Making Greedo shoot first was ridiculous, but I don't see how it changed Han's character.


Making Greedo shoot first was ridiculous, but I don't see how it changed Han's character. People seem to think Han shooting first was important for character development, because it shows he was a cold blooded murderer, whereas Greedo shooting first made it self defence. But even when Han shot first, it was still clear self defence, as Greedo was still pointing a gun at him.

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It was a change that showed Lucas was now into making babyish films, hence the prequel fiasco.

I can't think of one good thing that Lucas has added to star wars after the release of Return of the Jedi. It's like his golden touch just turned to shit overnight.

I blame that two timing wench Marcia Lucas for wrecking his brain. Lucas was a bad ass in the 70s & 80s, hence Han blowing away Greedo. She pumped the help and took half his money. No one wonder he lost it.

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Because originally it made it clear he's not willing to take any chances and will straight out kill you if he believes you're a threat. Whereas in the SE it shows he wont kill someone until they make the first move.

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excellent explanation

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But how did Greedo miss? He was sitting across maybe 4 feet from him at the table?

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That too is a reason its a stupid change

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Of your 9,743 posts, this is your best one ever!

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Stay tuned. My 10,000th post will be the best one this board has ever seen

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It was because he said "Maclunky". He puts himself off! If he'd just shot him, there's no way he misses. He would have said it back in the 70s but the technology just did not exist back then.

That's why George Lucas added the MacLunky line to rectify things. It's as per his original vision for the scene and makes Greedo look less stupid.

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Oh please. If someone has a gun in your face you have two options. Either be killed or kill the person who is pointing the gun in your face. In a situation like that you don't wait for the other person to shoot first.

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Much as I agree , Greebo has already made "the first move"
Does that apply in all situations?
What do think of these 3 examples ?

1) mugger in alley way points gun demands wallet . You've got a gun . Do you start a gunfight or just give wallet , lose the cash, and cancel your credit card when you get home?

2) You're in the line at the bank , A bank robber says "everyone down on the floor and no one gets hurt!"
Do you do that? or start shooting?

3) Or to take it to the extreme , what if its a cop pointing a gun at you at a traffic stop (his gun is drawn because , say , your car matches description of a different more dangerous one)
Surely thats not license to start shooting?

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It makes the scene sloppy and untidy. The original version is very clear as to what happens and why. As stated above, why does Greedo miss at close range? It makes the whole scene muddled and ridiculous. Better to cut it altogether if it offended Lucas that much.

Also, claiming "it doesn't change Han's character" is false. It is essential that we see how violent, and ugly Hans world is, and how jaded he is as a person. That makes his return at the end to save the day more impactful and moving. What's even the point of having Greedo "kinda sorta shoot first but not really"? Audiences understood the scene perfectly in 1977... it's Georges Lucas who forgot.

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I liked the original scene much better. It was both funny and showed how much of a badass Han was.

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And it was logical, but fan boys don't care about logic.

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Weren't most fanboys against the change? It's the audience who Star Wars doesn't cater to who haven't seen nor are they aware of the original unaltered trilogy.

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