So, Last Jedi's coming out soon, and I'm curious what everyone has as their moments where the movies touched them. Either when they first saw it, and/or the parts that still do. Those scenes that basically made Star Wars a franchise that you've faithfully followed for the majority of your life.

For me, I can think of three scenes from the OT (all RotJ) that still get me, and really got me as a kid.

Luke's battle on the sand skiff

I've said this before, but it bears repeating. Return of the Jedi was one of the first movies I can still remember going to see as a kid. The lines were around the block, which shocked little 8 year old me. Then we started to watch the movie, and that scene comes up. Everyone in the theater was dead quiet, everyone trying to decide how Luke would get out of it. We all knew he had a plan, he said as much, but we didn't know what he had in mind. And the tense music, amping up the tension. Then the flurry of sound as he leaps off, turns and flips back, catching the saber and igniting it to the upswell of music? Yeah, my little brain was absolutely floored by that. Watching it today, I still get that little thrill as he begins to fight the forces of evil and corruption to save his friends.

The Ewoks Ambush of the Imperials

Ah ah ah, get back here, I see you walking away. The fight itself got a little silly, I'll admit. But that first shot, of all the Rebels on their knees, the Imps around them with guns, and then you hear those trumpets calling out and answering, echoing through the woods, clearly indicating that there were a lot of somebody out there, surrounding them. And the way everyone starts looking around in confusion, then all those heads popping up and starting the attack. Sorry but that's just a really awesome scene. It's the epitome of "the cavalry has arrived". It's the trumpets that do it for me. I don't know if we've just been conditioned to associate help in the darkest hour with a trumpet sound, due to it being used in military for at least several centuries, or if the notes that a trumpet hits, trigger certain emotional responses in the human brain, but I don't really care. Chicken or the egg kind of debate. Regardless, hearing those trumpets start to call to each other, always hits me in the chest, the idea that all is not lost, and that help is here. That the choices the heroes made, to befriend a people, instead of just blasting their way out of it, paid off, giving them allies that came to their aid when they needed them.

Luke and Vader's Saber Battle

The whole thing is good, this tense battle of wits and minds, coupled with a physical conflict to try and drive Luke to a choice he doesn't want to make. But the part that really gets me is when Luke loses it, leaps up, and just goes to town on Vader. The way the music swells there, with this ominous chanting, the silhouetted figures of Luke and Vader, with Luke just wailing on Vader like a madman. The snarl on Luke's face as he just batters at Vader's saber over and over, before cutting his hand off, all of it. It's just great. Then, after Vader turns, and Luke drags him away to die, that last shot from above, as Anakin lays dead, and you hear the Emperor's march playing, as this sad, piano piece, totally switching the mood of the music from ominous, to sad and mournful, it's just great. Love that stuff.


So what about you? What bits from the movies (any of them) really hit you? The scenes that you hold up and say to yourself "This, this is why Star Wars is awesome"

The way that one Ewok just collapses in on himself when s/he sees their comrade has been killed makes me sniff every time. Suddenly those teddy bears become real characters.

The fall of the Order. That entire extended montage had me in tears and still chokes me up.

The opening of Episode 3 with the starfighters doing crazy maneuvers. Just the sheer awesome of it and seeing Anakin at the height of heroism, even if it's already tainted by his dark deeds.

Yoda just not having it in him to answer Luke's questions about his father at first. That little muppet looks so tired and beaten when he rolls away from Luke and pretends to sleep.

OT

"I Find your lack of faith disturbing."

"Only a master of evil, Darth."

The battle of Yavin in its entirety.

The battle of Hoth in its entirety.

"I am your father."

"I love you."

"I know."

Every sad Chewbacca growl.

Speeder Bike chase on Endor.

"Hey... its me!" *smiles*

*stares down at hand and Vader's lack of robot hand, finally understands the weird Dagobah Cave moment*

"You've failed your highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me."

The Emperor's cackle.

The Space Battle of Endor in its entirety.

Honestly don't care whether it was silent or the updated version with the "Noooo" but the moment Anakin Skywalker awakens in Vader at the end of Return of the Jedi.

Funeral pyre on Endor.

Ghost pals at the end.

PT

"Hello here!"

That moment when Dooku tells Obi-Wan the entire truth about the Separatist movement and the corruption of the Republic but because Obi-Wan is so blinded by the ideals of the Jedi order he doesn't believe him.

*Absorbs lightning into his hand* "Much to learn you still have, my old Padawan."

"I hate you!"

*chosen one speech, followed by leaving his supposed brother to die a horribly slow, painful death.*

Rogue One

Every Vader scene

Every K-2SO scene

TFA

"That's not how the Force works!"

Han mentioning it's just a bigger death star and suggesting they blow it up.

Leia agreeing with him.

Chewbacca's sad roar when Han dies. It was so obviously telegraphed that he was going to eat lightsaber but it was Chewy that got me in the feels.

I love ROTJ!! That's the only one I saw in the theater as a kid (though I think it was a budget re-run theater). But I also think that completely objectively, on the merits, it contains the most powerful moments in Star Wars.

There are too many great feels moments in the OT to list them all, but one of my favorites that not a lot of people focus on is when Lando catches Luke on top of the Falcon in Empire Strikes Back. These two guys had never met before, but the scene is really well done and gives you a very supportive vibe, like Lando is really there for Luke at one of the worst points in Luke's life. It's always made me like Lando a lot.

My favorite moment in Force Awakens is when Kylo Ren stares down stormtrooper Finn after the Jakku village attack.

2 hours ago, Stan Fresh said:

The way that one Ewok just collapses in on himself when s/he sees their comrade has been killed makes me sniff every time. Suddenly those teddy bears become real characters.

Yeah, that little moan of despair at the death as the Ewok slumps back down, really did hammer that nail into the heart hard.

On 12/14/2017 at 0:18 PM, DaverWattra said:

I love ROTJ!! That's the only one I saw in the theater as a kid (though I think it was a budget re-run theater). But I also think that completely objectively, on the merits, it contains the most powerful moments in Star Wars.

There are too many great feels moments in the OT to list them all, but one of my favorites that not a lot of people focus on is when Lando catches Luke on top of the Falcon in Empire Strikes Back. These two guys had never met before, but the scene is really well done and gives you a very supportive vibe, like Lando is really there for Luke at one of the worst points in Luke's life. It's always made me like Lando a lot.

I've often referred to RotJ as "days of our jedi" meaning it was almost almost a jedi soap opera, its got all of yhe drama, and a cheesey acting drama scene specifically the scenext where Luke tells Leia Tha she's his sister and Vader is their father, but other than that scene I agree with you that RotJ had a lot of powerful moments.

I still tear up when vader says "Let me look at you with my own eyes." A very Vietnam war era experience

On 12/14/2017 at 0:56 PM, Stan Fresh said:

The way that one Ewok just collapses in on himself when s/he sees their comrade has been killed makes me sniff every time. Suddenly those teddy bears become real characters.

Oh, yeah. The Ewoks may look cute to us, but they’re portrayed like real people. Th Gungans are far, far worse.

Phantom Menace
Obi-wan's yell when Qui-gon gets stabbed.

Clone Wars
Shmi's death in the arms of her son.

Revenge of the Sith
The snap-hiss of Anakin's lightsaber when he confronts the younglings. Obi-wans "you were the chosen one" spiel.

New Hope
Luke's face when he see Owen and Beru's bodies.

Empire
Chewie's roar on Bespin.

Return of the Jedi
Luke's tear when he relizes his father is dead. The little Ewok's cry when he sees his buddy wont get back up.

Force Awakens
BB-8's little moan when Finn tells him Poe didn't make it. Han's face when Kylo stabs him.

In the original RTJ when Vader was debating what to do about Palps electrocuting Luke.

Star Wars Rebels: Ob-Wan vs Maul

/thread

The Phantom Menace:
Anakin saying goodbye to Shmi.

Attack of the Clones:
Shmi's death and Anakin's first Dark Side rampage.
Anakin's "I killed them" speech. Saw this with my folks in the theater, and my Mom pointed out something: as Anakin really begins to let his anger get the better of him, you can see Padme shift her weight. She getting ready to run away from this angry and violent young man, neatly foreshadowing her eventual fate. Who says the prequels have no subtle acting?

Revenge of the Sith:
"The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise." Hands-down the all-around best scene in the whole Saga, if you ask me.
Order 66. The Dark Times start here, and Yoda's visible anguish as he feels it all happen brings it home.
"You were my brother, Anakin!" This whole speech by Obi-Wan, beautifully played by Ewan McGregor, shows just how heartbroken Obi-Wan is over Anakin's betrayal, and Anakin's "I HATE YOU!" shows just how far our hero has fallen.
The first Vader Breath. Not only do you hear it, you can SEE it. And now you know just how horrible Darth Vader's life in that suit is.

Rogue One:
"Hope." Princess Leia turning to the camera and delivering the final line of the film (and it being the film's Arc Word) brings tears to the eye every time, especially since I didn't see Rogue One until after Carrie Fisher had passed away. That's a very difficult scene for me to watch, because I grew up with Princess Leia being as important a female figure in my life as my own mother and grandmothers.

A New Hope:
"Binary Sunset." Just. . . just a perfect scene.
"Burning Homestead." You really can't go home again.
The award ceremony. No dialogue, just that amazing music and great facial acting from our three leads, and physical acting by Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, and Peter Mayhew. The pride and power of the Rebel Alliance after their first great blow against the Empire.

The Empire Strikes Back:
"The shield door must be closed." Chewbacca's mournful howl, the look of terror on Leia's face, Threepio's attempt to cheer them up by fudging Artoo's odds, just a poignant scene.
Luke igniting Anakin's lightsaber for the first time against Darth Vader. This one takes some explaining, and it's pretty subtle, but think about this: the last time Anakin Skywalker saw that lightsaber, he was burning to death with his last three organic limbs cut off next to a river of lava, while his mentor, his father, his brother snatched his weapon and walked away, leaving him in agony. Now, that lightsaber is in the hands of his son, who's come to kill him. And Vader can feel Luke's determination, even his hatred of Vader, through the Force. How utterly pissed must Vader be to see that blade again, especially under these circumstances? Really adds a new dimension to the final part of their duel, where Vader decides to stop holding back and utterly demolish Luke.

Return of the Jedi:
"This is your last chance. Free us, or die." Luke has learned the true Jedi way, violence is the absolute last resort.
Leia choking Jabba. While I like the bronze bikini for other reasons, seeing the disgusting slug who made her wear it getting exactly what he deserves is really cathartic.
Vader and Luke's whole conversation before going up to the Death Star. Luke's faith that Anakin Skywalker still lives, and managing to insert the seeds of doubt in Vader's own mind. The end of the Empire starts here.
"I am a Jedi. Like my father before me." Luke giving a massive middle finger to Emperor Darth Sidious Palpatine, refusing stray from his principles.
Anakin killing the Emperor. The swelling music is awesome, and the redemption of Anakin in his last moments is inspiring. Despite it being utter Narm Charm, the lines in the Radio Drama also work for me:
Emperor: No! Stop! Put me down!
Vader: I will! Down the reactor shaft! Down to your doom!
Emperor: I command you, I AM YOUR MASTER!
Vader: Darth Vader's Master, BUT NOT ANAKIN SKYWALKER'S!

The Force Awakens:
The flight of the Millenium Falcon. Not just a pulse-pounding action scene, but seeing the old girl alive again is like coming home.
"Chewie, we're home." Yup. Just yup.
Rey summoning Anakin's lightsaber. The mantle has officially passed to a new generation.
Rey and Luke meeting. My boyhood hero, the man I pretended to be as a child, now the old master.

On 12/17/2017 at 4:18 PM, Tayloraj100 said:

Oh, yeah. The Ewoks may look cute to us, but they’re portrayed like real people. Th Gungans are far, far worse.

Hm? Every Gungan besides Jar Jar has the sensibilities of normal people. Heck, that's why Jar Jar was banished before. Tarpals' death in The Clone Wars hit pretty hard, especially because Grievous was eventually freed.

22 hours ago, Nivrap said:

Hm? Every Gungan besides Jar Jar has the sensibilities of normal people. Heck, that's why Jar Jar was banished before. Tarpals' death in The Clone Wars hit pretty hard, especially because Grievous was eventually freed.

I don’t know about that. I am thinking of the battle in Phantom Menace where they collectively and individually have less character than the stone age trash pandas. I didn’t feel any tension, pathos, excitement or anything about how their end of the fight went. On the other hand, when the Ewoks went to war, I had already seen their homes, families, elders, and super-cuddly babies. They were people in a way that the gungans just weren’t for me — gungans just seemed like CGI fodder.

2 hours ago, Tayloraj100 said:

I don’t know about that. I am thinking of the battle in Phantom Menace where they collectively and individually have less character than the stone age trash pandas. I didn’t feel any tension, pathos, excitement or anything about how their end of the fight went. On the other hand, when the Ewoks went to war, I had already seen their homes, families, elders, and super-cuddly babies. They were people in a way that the gungans just weren’t for me — gungans just seemed like CGI fodder.

That's because nowhere near as much screen time was devoted to fleshing out the Gunguns as a whole, compared to the Ewoks. We had what, 2 scenes of their city at all, adding up to maybe 5 minutes of screen time total, if that? Whereas the Ewoks were in that movie for about 2/3's of it. We saw them socializing, at rest during storytime, arguing and debating with each other, deciding to go to war, grieving over their dead, cheering in victory, and having a celebratory party after their victory. Of course they would have more character than the Gunguns.

I'm honestly trying to remember from Phantom, but as I recall, we only got 2 scenes right? The one when the Jedi show up, which pretty much the only one to talk was the BRIAN BLESSED Gungun, everyone else was pretty much a silent prop. And then again when the heroes came to them to ask for help...which again was all BRIAN BLESSED, and everyone else being window dressing. I can't recall any other scenes, prior to the fight, that involved the Gunguns as a whole, to be used to flesh them out as a people.

So yeah, the Ewoks would most definitely have more of an emotional resonance, as they were given WAY more time to actually be characters. More than just one. We have that one that jacked the speeder, who I still think is my favorite The shaman/leader one with the stick. The little baby Ewok who cowered in fear as he heard Darth Vader's breathing (daawh!), Wicket of course, the one that cried when his friend died, the one that was furiously beating on the walker foot with a club ( ) , and a bunch more that everyone can likely recognize just from my description, even if they didn't have names. That's way more personalization than the Gunguns got.

Sadly, Lucas felt that Jar Jar would be enough of a species insert for the entire movie, to make us like them. I try to not hold Jar Jar against the Gunguns, as the rest of them at least behaved like intelligent beings, and not a bumbling idiot.

As a species, I think the Gunguns are pretty cool honestly, and just consider Jar Jar their equivalent of Johnny Knoxville

The opening to the Maul fight when Dual of Fates kicks off always gives me goosebumps. The rest of the movie... not so much.