A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the greatest science-fiction film franchise was born. Star Wars set new standards in CGI and is highly regarded as one of the best films ever made.
To celebrate the achievements of this monumental film, here are 10 + mistakes that fans didn’t notice in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope !
1. That had to hurt!
When C-3PO and R2-D2 are in the control room of the Death Star, a barrage of Storm Troopers enters and break down the door.
When they enter, you can clearly see one actor smack his head. Ouch!
2. Luke Skywalker scares C-3PO
While cleaning R2-D2, Luke accidentally triggers the hologram message from Princess Leia. When he jumps back in surprise, he clearly startled actor Anthony Daniels.
If you watch, you’ll see 3PO’s foot slip off the steps, but he manages to keep his balance and not ruin the shot.
3. Exactly how many escape pods jettisoned from the rebel ship?
Right after C-3PO and R2-D2 manage to escape Leia’s ship, we hear one of the Imperial Commanders remark “There goes another one,” implying that several others have made the jump.
But when he reports to Lord Vader, the Commander reveals that only one pod managed to escape.
4. Why would Luke assume that Obi-Wan knew his father?
While eating dinner, Luke’s uncle Owen explains to him that Obi-Wan “died around the same time as your father.” To which Luke then replies “He knew my father?”
Owen didn’t actually say anything at all about Obi-Wan having known Anakin, so why would Luke think to ask?
5. Darth isn’t Vader’s first name.
During the lightsaber battle between Obi-Wan and Vader, at two separate points, Obi-Wan refers to him as Darth.
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Darth is a title that roughly translates to ” Dark Lord “. He should have called him Vader or (spoiler alert) Anakin!
6. Never forget that Han shot first.
This is one of the most contested questions of the entire Star Wars series.
But if you watch the original VHS version of the film, you clearly see that Han shoots Greedo from underneath the table first.
This was amended in subsequent remastered versions in an attempt to make Han seem more likable.
In the 1997 version of the film, George Lucas changed the scene so that Greedo is shown to shoot first.
Then, in 2004, the scene changes yet again to make it appear that their guns go off simultaneously.
7. How did Luke and Han change into their Storm Trooper outfits?
More importantly, how do they manage to change back?
After the trash compactor scene, wherein Luke is nearly killed by a giant worm, both he and Han have somehow magically changed back into their streetwear.
8. That rebel soldier is still alive!
When Darth Vader first appears on Leia’s ship, he forcefully and brutally breaks the neck of one of the rebel soldiers.
However, if you look closely as Vader tosses his body into the wall, you can see the actor hold up his hands to avoid hitting his face.
9. Luke’s speeder has wheels on it.
We only see Luke’s speeder for a brief period of time, but it’s without a doubt one of the coolest props in the film.
However, if you look closely at the back, you can clearly see where the wheel wells are.
10. C-3PO is too shiny for his own good.
One of 3PO’s defining features is his brilliant shimmering gold plating. But as incredible as it looks, it would wreak havoc while filming.
If you look closely, whenever there’s a closeup of the droid, you’ll be able to see the reflection of the camera crew.
11. You can see Kenny Baker if you look closely.
A little known fact about Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope is that there’s actually a man inside R2-D2; his name was Kenny Baker.
If you look closely during a few of the closeup scenes with R2, you’ll see a faint outline of Kenny!
12. How did they all manage to fit into the trash compactor?
Leia fires a blaster shot into the well of the compactor, creating a small hole.
Yet in the next cut scene, when it comes time for everyone to climb through, the hole is noticeably bigger.
The trash compactor doesn’t actually compact either.
While Han, Leia, and Luke are in the trash compactor, something very odd seems to be taking place. Mainly, the trash isn’t rising!
The physics of the machine should have caused a trash pile to slowly rise as soon as the walls began to move, yet the level remains exactly the same until the walls are feet apart.
13. Han doesn’t understand parsecs.
Han famously remarks to Obi-Wan that the Millenium Falcon once “made the Kessel run in under 12 parsecs.”
A parsec , however, is a measure of distance, not time. So this description actually doesn’t make any sense at all.
