Yahoo Lifestyle The top 20 all-time greatest moments of Star Wars
In a cinema a long, long time ago ... the world went to see Star Wars. Not a New Hope (episode IV), but Star Wars as written and directed by George Lucas. Cinema has never been the same.
Star Wars not only delivered us a great viewing experience, it's impact on culture continues. Most of us believed that this would wane as the films (particularly the derided prequels) edged into the past. But with a new film opening in a few weeks, and a series of Star Wars movies planned over the rest of the decade, trying to avoid the world storm troopers and the Force will be like flying through an asteroid field in the Millennium Falcon.
For those who have lived under a womp rat over the past 38 years, or for those who want to re-live a bit of history, here is The West Australian's take on the top 20 moments of the six existing Star Wars films.
And we also have a stab at the worst 5 moments.
You'll find Jar Jar Binks on just one of these lists...
1. I am your father (Empire Strikes Back)
Before the internet, before the fax machine, before mobile phones there existed a world where movie-goers didn't actually know what was coming. The biggest of all reveals occurred almost at the end of Empire Strikes Back - and no one in the audience knew it was coming. Darth Vader telling Luke that they were father and son remains one of the defining moments of cinema. It also cast the entire saga up until that point in a completely new light. Obi-Wan wasn't completely truthful, there may be darkness in Luke, and why did Anakin Skywalker become Darth Vader. So many questions created by a single line of dialogue that then rippled through the movie series and popular culture. And all delivered to millions of unsuspecting audience members without a Twitter account between them.
2. Opening crawl/Star destroyer chasing Leia's ship (New Hope)
The magic started early with Star Wars. Viewers were immediately told they were watching a story from a long time ago but also in a galaxy far, far away. And then came the story - a civil war, rebel spaceships striking from a hidden base. There's the Empire and its Death Star. So within a minute we are up to date with events. Then those events descend upon the viewer as a small ship attempts to avoid some huge Star Destroyer. Factor in the John Williams score and you have the perfect opening to a movie. Move along a little further and you get introduced to two droids and one of the great villains of cinema in Darth Vader.
3. Trench run on the Death Star (New Hope)
The tension builds as wave after wave of Rebel ships fail to send their proton torpedoes through the Death Star's exhaust that is no bigger than a womp rat. (The obvious question - who built such an obvious fault into a space station that could destroy a planet but could not fend off a few X-Wing fighters?) It draws from a history that dates back to aerial dog fights from WWII. But this is in space; with a man who not only wears a black hat but black everything; with a dead man giving guidance to our hero.
4. Luke and the two suns on Tatooine (New Hope)
Mute this and watch it without the soaring John Williams score. It loses so much even though the visuals are clearly spectacular. It's a grand example of the importance of music - and particularly music in Star Wars - to all of cinema.
5. Alderaan gets blown up (New Hope)
The Empire really is bad. Up until this point we might have thought all this stuff about the evil Empire was just propaganda. But after Grand Moff Tarkin warns Leia he will destroy her home planet unless she gives up the location of the Rebel bases and then blows up Alderaan anyway the audience knows this Empire are a bunch of tough nuts. There is now a whole industry given to trying to determine if the Death Star could destroy a single planet and the actual cost of the space station (approximately $8.1 quadrillion).
6. The Phantom Menace light sabre fight (Phantom Menace)
For all the talk about light sabres the original Star Wars had just one short duel where the protagonists barely moved. The three-way battle between Obi Wan, Qui-Gon and Darth Maul, however, showed what could really be done with the jedi weapon of choice. Not only are the three men acrobatic but there is a tension built through the scene as they move through energy doors that stop the action. Darth Maul brings a double-ended light sabre to the fight, suggesting the Dark Side does have something going for it. And the musical score also grows through the scene.
7. The jump to hyperspace (from New Hope)
As anyone who has flown a space ship knows, travelling at hyperspace "ain't like dusting crops". The concept of travel at faster than light had developed in 1940s sci-fi - but George Lucas actually gave the world a visual representation as the Millennium Falcon escaped a couple of Star Destroyers outside of Tatooine.
8. Battle of Hoth (Empire Strikes Back)
The first real pitched land battle of the Star Wars original trilogy is set on the ice and snow plains of Hoth. We get our first view of the imposing All Terrain Armoured Transports, the small Rebel ships are dismissed like moths, Luke shows his Jedi nous to take down one of the invading machines while Han, Leia and Chewbacca struggle to get out of the base intact. The fact the Rebels lose the battle tells viewers that this is a war that is truly in the balance.
9. Yoda's death (Return of the Jedi)
A pivotal moment for so many reasons. Luke loses his one living link to the good side of the Force. Yoda warns not to under-estimate the Emperor otherwise he'll end up like his dad. And then the kicker - there's another Skywalker out there (which Luke works out is the woman who snogged him on Hoth, Leia). All done without CGI.
10. Han in Carbonite (Empire Strikes Back)
Reportedly, Harrison Ford wanted Han killed off. Instead, he got frozen in carbonite shortly after one of the great exchanges in Star Wars (Leia: I love you. Solo: I know.) Fans of Star Wars knew that characters could be killed off so there was real speculation it may be the end for our scruffy-looking Nerf Herder. Instead, it gave a new life to the overall story which led us directly into Return of the Jedi.
11. The Pod Race (Phantom Menace)
There are some good scenes in The Phantom Menace. This may be the best. While it has little to do with the overall plot, the great special effects (the CGI doesn't feel like CGI) throw you into this race around Tatooine. The pods themselves sound like motorcycles while there is a real tension to seeing how Anakin can make his way from the back of the pack to snatch victory. Ignore the two-headed race-caller - the real excitement is out on the track.
12. Luke's fight with his inner self (Empire Strikes Back)
One of the true dark moments of the darkest film in the original trilogy. Even now it's a little bit scary. Don't you feel a little cold like Luke? And the real scary point is when Vader's mask comes off and reveals a dead Luke. Perhaps that should have been taken as a sign of his relationship to Vader.
13. Yodi lifts the X-Wing (Empire Strikes Back)
One little puppet delivers a singular example of the true magic of the Force. In the original trilogy this was the only full scene showing off the Force in its mystical majesty. And it came with some great inter-play between Yoda and his not-so-young padawan. Viewers learn a lot about the Force ("its energy surrounds us") and also the huge challenge facing Luke and Yoda. Skywalker says he can't believe what Yoda had just done, to which the jedi master replies "that is why you fail".
14. Obi Wan v Anakin on Mustafar (Revenge of the Sith)
Discount the wall-to-wall CGI elements of this and you end up with a true battle to the death between the master and the learner. The angst on Obi-Wan's face (played well by Ewan McGregor through the prequels) appears real as he leaves Anakin to almost burn to death. We also get some real emotion as Obi realises he has had to kill Anakin to save everyone.
15. You're a scruffy looking Nerf Herder! (Empire Strikes Back)
One of the failures of the prequels was their lack of humour. The original trilogy had plenty including in this scene. Princess Leia enjoyed the best put-downs of the entire original trilogy. From telling the fly-boy to jump into garbage chute to urging someone to get the walking carpet out of her way, Leia showed princesses did not have to be dainty Disney-like ornaments. And, in this scene from Empire Strikes Back, she manages to introduce us all to Nerf Herder. Apparently, to herd nerfs is below working at the sewerage plant in terms of occupations. The scene is also made by the reply "who's scruffy looking?"
16. Escape from Jabba's ship (Return of the Jedi)
Put to one side Leia's metal bikini. Try. Ignore the groovy music onboard Jabba's ship. Focus instead on the way the new jedi knight takes down a bevy of bounty hunters, R2-D2 takes out a large rat, Leia kills Jabba and Lando is now firmly on the side of the good guys. It's the first real positive moment for our Rebel team since the Death Star was destroyed more than a full movie ago.
17. Obi Wan v Darth Vader (New Hope)
The only light sabre battle in the original Star Wars was also a major plot point as Obi-Wan, the wise guide to young Luke, is struck down by Darth Vader. Many "blockbuster" films manage to keep fans happy by not killing off key characters. But Lucas had no compunction. Without Obi-Wan's death, Star Wars itself would fail to progress. The disappearance of Obi-Wan into the Force is also a key moment in this one-on-one battle inside the Death Star.
18. Han and Leia finally kiss (Empire Strikes Back)
George Lucas got so much wrong on the romance front through the prequels. But in this short scene from Empire, he got it absolutely correct - even down to the point of C3P0 interrupting the moment. It added more spice to the whole movie and, with the way it was portrayed by Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford, it hit the mark perfectly.
19. Order 66 (Revenge of the Sith)
How did we get to the point of having just a couple of jedi in the whole galaxy? The use of Order 66 showed the extent to which the Emperor had planned out everything through the prequels. It was also a bit tough to pick on Storm Troopers after that, given they were hard wired to obey orders - even if they were terrible ones.
20. Vader kills the Emperor (Return of the Jedi)
The redemption of Anakin Skywalker. The whole point of the six movies is played out in a few seconds as Darth realises his master is about to kill his son. A few minutes later, as Anakin lies dying he confirms that he had been truly saved. See Star Wars - from Phantom Menace to Return of the Jedi - as the redemption of Anakin Skywalker and the emotional hit of these two scenes is obvious.
