50 Greatest Star Wars Movie Moments
19. Yoda Lifts The X-Wing Out Of The Swamp - Episode V
Don't know about you, but I think the scene in Empire Strikes Back where Yoda lifts Luke's X-Wing out of the swamps of Dagobah serves as the quintessential Force scene. Up to this point, Luke has assumed that his powers are based on his physical strength and the size of the object facing him. It is only in this moment when he (and the audience) truly realizes the power that is the force. Yoda lifts the dripping X-Wing onto more or less dry land and Luke shakes his head: "I can't believe it." Yoda answers with the classic come back parodied so many times already: "That is why you fail." This part of the movie had me wanting to believe in the Force as a little kid for the longest time. 18. The Grotto Of The Dark Side - Episode V
It took me years to understand fully understand this scene. During his training on Dagobah, Luke feels a strange presence coming from nearby. Yoda informs him that it is a place that resonates with the dark side of the Force, but that Luke will not need his weapons to face it. Luke shrugs off his suggestion and takes them anyways. No sooner has he entered the dark grotto than a vision of Darth Vader steps out of the gloom. They duel for a moment, before Luke decapitates him. Vader's mask explodes, revealing to Luke that he has just cut the head off... well, himself. My first question was what was Vader doing on Dagobah and why the heck would Yoda tell Luke that he did not need his weapons? I figured it must be a vision and Luke's face in the helmet was symbolic of the truth he would uncover later on in the film's twist, but little did I realize just how much this scene fulfilled the mythology Lucas employed to write the films. Vader represents the shadow of Luke's psyche that he will have to overcome to become the master of his own world and complete his destiny. Anyone interested in understanding this fully should read Joseph Campbell's book, "Hero with a Thousand Faces," where he basically lays out the steps and character archetypes that inspired George Lucas to write Star Wars. 17. Luke Vs. Darth Vader - Episode V
It seems that the lightsaber duels in Star Wars just get better and better. There was something extremely theatrical about the carbon freeze chamber to begin with, but Vader's mechanical breathing filling the air, red lights and fog really make it one of the best scenes in the entire saga.
Did anyone else notice how Vader hardly tries in this fight at all? Luke is fighting him with two hands as hard as he can and Vader is basically just brushing him off one-handedly. Parry, parry.... yawn. It's only when Luke begins to surprise Vader by jumping out of the freeze chamber and kicking him off the platform that Vader truly begins to try. I love it when Vader just stops and begins throwing junk at Luke like: "Okay, so this is what you get for practicing too much with your lightsaber."16. Meeting Han Solo In The Cantina - Episode IV
Oh, the cantina scene. Perhaps out of all the scenes in the entire Star Wars franchise, this scene holds more nostalgia than all the others. Especially since it's the moment the audience first meets Han Solo. That and the bit with the band playing that iconic ragtime tune. Seriously, how many spin-offs has the cantina sequence itself inspired for the Expanded Universe? When Lucas first created Star Wars, the ability to make all those aliens in the cantina look realistic outside was beyond the special effects they had at the time. Even Yoda was made by some of the most complex puppetry ever designed. This is why the cantina scene is so interesting - Lucas filled it with as many bizarre creatures as he could. This is also why I almost never watch the special edition of Star Wars and instead prefer the originals. There are some awesome additions and all, but I don't want to watch Greedo shoot first. It just looks ridiculous. 15. The Chase Through The Asteroid Field - Episode V
The reason why Star Wars has stayed with us so long and has become a huge cultural phenomenon is that so many of its moments take us on flights of fantasy, such as the one where the Millennium Falcon runs into the asteroid field to escape the Empire. After Han, Chewie, Princess Leia, and the droids make their escape from Echo Base on Hoth, they quickly land themselves into another Imperial trap. A couple of Star Destroyer's begin bearing down on them. Han attempts to engage the hyperdrive and realizes that the Falcon is still not fixed. He then tries to fix it mid-flight, but is forced to steer the ship into an asteroid field. Flying through asteroids sort of seems like the worst idea ever, which is exactly why Han does it. He knows it's their only way to escape. This scene also has one of the musical cues on the soundtrack, too.