Question: On Cloud City, why did Vader surprise Han and the others in a dining room? Lando says that the Imperials arrived before Han's group. But they've had time for Leia to change clothes, change her hair style, and for her to ask people about C3PO when he is missing.
raywest
21st Apr 2024
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
21st Apr 2024
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Question: Han wants to leave the Rebels because Jabba the Hutt still has a bounty on him. Why not stay and be protected by a large group of friends? Safety in numbers, basically.
Answer: There may be safety in numbers, but Han is not going to put his comrades' lives in danger to protect himself. He also doesn't want the bounty hanging over his head, or be constantly on guard for an ambush. The longer he waits to pay it off, the greater the consequences, which is what eventually happened. He wanted to pay it and be done. This also shows Han when he chooses to come back and help his friends win the battle.
21st Mar 2022
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Question: I know that Jeremy Bulloch played both Boba Fett and Sheckil, but I read that someone else was supposed to play Sheckil before Bulloch replaced him. Who was initially supposed to play Sheckil before Bulloch took his place?
Answer: There doesn't seem to be any info on who the actor was that was cast to play Sheckil. The only information I could find was that the original actor didn't show up on the day of shooting, and Bulloch replaced him at the last minute. He was probably a minor actor who mostly worked in bit parts and as an extra.
Question: What would have been the correct thing for Luke to do in the cave?
Answer: I'm sure there will be many interpretations about this, and I can't wait to read them. My take was, Luke's mistake was ignoring Yoda's instructions to leave his weapons behind before entering the cave. Rather than using calm reason and logic, he confronted his fears with force and attacked an enemy that turned out to be something else entirely.
Answer: I wonder if Luke was supposed to allow the illusion of Darth Vader to "kill" him, similar to how Obi-Wan allowed himself to be killed. A lesson about how you can still lose in the long run, even if you win a fight with weapons. Obi-Wan trusted the Force and did not need to win the last duel with Vader. Vader won, but was still trapped by his choices and his obligations to the Emperor.
Question: Why is Han still wanted by Jabba in this movie? I'd got the impression that at the end of the first movie he'd been paid adequately by the Rebel Alliance for delivering Princess Leia and the Death Star plans and that he was going to use it to pay Jabba back. Why didn't Han pay Jabba back after the destruction of the Death Star?
Answer: He may have got his reward, but he never went back to pay off Jabba. If you recall everyone referred to him as General Solo, which means he stayed with them, especially for Princess Leia. Being gone for so long, Jabba put the bounty on him. If you recall, in Return of the Jedi, after he was thawed, Solo said, "I was on my way to pay you Jabba, but got sidetracked."
Answer: It could just be that he was irresponsible. I know people who will owe a debt or bill, but when they somehow get money that could pay it off, they spend the money on other things instead. Maybe he felt more secure by being with the Rebels, and became careless.
Answer: Han was paid by the Rebel Alliance, so he had the money. Why he never paid off Jabba is never explained in the movie. There's much Internet discussion about this, such as he became dedicated to the rebellion, didn't want to leave Leia, somehow lost the money, and so on, but it's mere speculation. This is a plot hole.
26th Aug 2018
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Question: Vader tortured Han to lure Luke into a trap because he knows Luke will sense they are in danger and will come try to rescue them since they are his friends. How did Vader know Han, Leia, and Chewbacca were Luke's friends?
Answer: Vader would be able to piece together information from the time Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and Ben Kenobi were on the Death Star in Episode IV. Luke was Ben's apprentice, Luke escaped with Princess Leia and Han, so it's logical Vader would make the connection that they are friends and allies. Spies would also be feeding him information.
12th Nov 2017
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Question: If Obi Wan is so powerful now that he is one with the force, how come he couldn't help Luke in his fight against Vader?
Chosen answer: It's not known how or in what way Obi Wan is powerful or if that power can be physically extended to the living world. Also, for various reasons, Luke, to fulfill his destiny to be a Jedi, must be the one to confront and defeat Vader, though Obi Wan can still guide him.
There seems to be a common theme (in movies, shows) that a dead person must "move on", and those who are still alive must forge their own path, complete their own journey, etc. This also happens when Dumbledore dies in the Harry Potter series.
16th Feb 2017
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Question: When the Rebels are evacuating from Hoth, Luke says goodbye to Han. Then we don't see him until he's running to his Snowspeeder. In that time, Vader has found out that Ozzel has messed up and promoted Piett, General Rieekan sends the transports out and one gets past. What was Luke doing in all that time?
Chosen answer: It's unknown what Luke was doing because nothing is shown. Any answer is speculation. Also, you are viewing the scene as a linear timeline, with events happening one after the other. In movies, the action often jumps back-and-forth and is unfolding simultaneously. The on-screen timeline can be more compressed than it appears.
10th Oct 2016
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Question: Why did Vader cut off Luke's hand? It seems like a strange thing to do right before you request that someone join you.
Answer: The intent was to disarm Luke and end the fight and prevent Luke from gaining the upper hand (no pun intended). As seen at the end of the film, Luke received a new prosthetic hand that was nearly as proficient as his real one. There is also a bit of symbolism here. Vader had been severely mutilated by Obi Wan many years before, resulting him becoming more machine than man. As Palpatine later attempts to sway Luke to the Dark Side, Luke's lost hand serves to remind him that he could easily become a monster like his father.
Question: I used to have a VHS version of this movie - I don't remember if it was the original or restored version. On the VHS, when Vader mentally speaks to Luke after the fight on Bespin, Luke calls him "Father" (before trying to talk to Obi-wan). Am I just remembering wrong, or did he really say that? If so, does anyone know why it was removed on the DVD?
21st Apr 2008
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Question: Was there any reason why Vader had Han "tortured" with a machine? Han later tells Leia and Chewbacca that he wasn't even asked any questions. I know that Vader is scary, but would he want to waste time by just toying with Han and not even questioning him?
Answer: Vader is not interested in extracting information from Han Solo, nor is he wasting time; he is using Han as bait to lure Luke Skywalker into his trap. Vader knows that Luke will sense Han's agony through the Force and will try to rescue Han and the others.
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Answer: No answer is given. Maybe Vader needed more time to negotiate with Lando and wanted to ensure the group would feel "safe" and then be caught off guard. It's more about plotting, though. The scene is constructed to build suspense and doubt. Han thinks the friendly and charming Lando is trustworthy, but Leia is wary, especially after C3PO disappears. The group, and the audience, are then taken by surprise when Vader is revealed and Lando's true character and motive is exposed.
raywest ★