9. Blowing Up The Death Star... Again - Return Of The Jedi
Let's blow up the Death Star! It worked so well in Episode IV that it made sense to try and repeat the trick with a new world-pulverizing planet in Episode VI. This time around the main heroes were tied up. Luke was facing off against Darth Vader and the Emperor. Han, Chewy and Leia were helping the Ewoks nobble Scout Troopers. So it fell to Lando Calrissian and friends to get a piece of the action at the controls of the Millennium Falcon. It's easy to apply the law of diminishing returns and claim this was a case of more of the same. But if fans hadn't been so distracted by the Ewoks would the thrilling attack sequence on Death Star 2 have been a bigger deal than it seemed at the time? The final confrontation between Luke and Vader was the main event, though you could hardly call Calrissian's mission a side issue. Most importantly it gave minor characters their moment in the sun, showing that resistance to the Empire was a team effort and it wasn't all about the big guns. The spectacular special effects, combined with the creature work on such memorable allies as Admiral Ackbar and Nien Nunb, made this one of the mothers of all galactic dogfights and an element that helped bring the classic trilogy to a close so successfully.
I am a journalist and comedian who enjoys American movies of the 70s, Amicus horror compendiums, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Naomi Watts and sitting down. My short fiction has been published as part of the Iris Wildthyme range from Obverse Books.
