50 Greatest Star Wars Movie Moments

By Michael Thompson / October 10, 2013

9. Putting Captain Solo In Carbon Freeze - Episode V

If Star Wars met the Alien universe, being frozen in carbonite would be the cheap nasty motel version of cryogenic sleep for space travel.

I think what makes this scene powerful in the film is that it really hammers home the notion that the Empire has won. Before the carbonite freeze scene the rebels have been on the run. They lost Echo Base on Hoth and the Millennium Falcon has been running for its life since. However, despite the opposition, the rebels get away clean and Han Solo took the Falcon through an asteroid field and survived. Up to this moment the Empire had struck back, but they haven't really accomplished anything. Then Vader announces that Solo will be put into carbon freezing and handed over to Boba Fett. A very agitated Lando tells Han, Leia and Chewie the news. Han is torn away from Leia and Chewie and lowered down into the chamber. When he comes back out, he is a slab of gray carbonite. An evil fog rolls past Darth Vader's helmet, the red tinted lights glistening off his black armor as his mechanical breathing fills the air. That's when the audience realizes that the Empire has won a huge victory.

8. Blowing Up The Second Death Star - Episode VI

You would think that after the first one got destroyed by a handful of teenagers that the Empire would have seriously sat down to rethink the design of their new Death Star. Nope. Apparently having massive exhaust ports that small one man fighters can fit into and reach the space station's core with are just in style.

After scrapping the idea for having one at the end of a trench that's two meters wide, they went for a more conventional multi-opening ports across the entire surface that even the Falcon could get through. I mean, c'mon - live and learn, guys. At least put up giant metal grates throughout all those tunnels that a ship would either have to blast or crash through.

Oh, well. This part of the movie is freaking great despite the Empire's logic. I love it when the flames wrap around the Falcon as it barely makes it out of the exhaust port before the Death Star blows up.

7. Duel Of The Fates - Episode I

This right here, more than anything else, is what made Episode I for me when I was kid. The three way duel between Darth Maul, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan is easily the best part of the movie. It might even be the best duel in the entire Star Wars franchise. I just wish Maul had had more screen time in the movie or even survived 'til a later time. I only wish that because - besides maybe Vader and Sidious - Maul is the most powerful antagonist in the entire Star Wars saga. It would have been nice to see Obi-Wan and Anakin have to face him together at a late date or something.

6. The Death Of The Emperor - Episode VI

Not only does the Emperor not learn his lesson regarding Death Stars and exhaust ports, but he also seems to forget that force lightning can backfire. As awesome as force lightning is (just imagine for a moment you can make lightning bolts fly from your fingertips), it got him into trouble when Mace Windu reflected the energy giving Palpatine his new face. When he realizes that he has wasted his time on Luke, who will never turn to the dark side, Palpatine decides to give him death by the electric chair treatment. Little does he seem to realize that putting Luke through this agony is just enough to change Darth Vader's mind. Vader saves his son and throws the Emperor to his doom.

5. Yoda Vs. Sidious - Episode III

If the Duel of the Fates sequence isn't your favorite lightsaber conflict in Star Wars, then perhaps you like the fight between Sidious and Yoda. Somehow it just feels like the ultimate struggle of good against evil.

Their duel leaves Palpatine's chambers and carries them into the senate room, where they proceed to destroy the place by using the Force on one another. At the end, Yoda leaves, neither one of them the true victor, but the side of good having been defeated in its task. All Yoda would have had to do was destroy Palpatine and Vader would have died in the lava. Then the last remaining Jedi could have rebuilt from the destruction. I wonder how the Emperor would explain the damage to the senate building the next day?