Star Wars Greedo Actor Weighs In On The Notorious Maclunkey Scene
Oh, George Lucas, we love you, but it’s time to leave the Greedo scene from Star Wars: A New Hope alone. Every fan of the franchise is continually baffled by Lucas’ continued decisions to tinker with the scene over and over again. Greedo’s actor Paul Blake is just as confused as we are, especially with the most recent “Maclunkey” edit, saying, “What was his fascination with that scene,” adding, “I’m forever grateful, but it seems bizarre that he’s tinkered with it so much.”
Greedo Is Just As Confused As The Rest Of Us
When asked what he thought about the scene, Blake replied, “Extraordinarily bemused is what comes to mind.” Blake’s reactions are held by millions of Star Wars fans, with everyone wondering why in the world Lucas felt such a superfluous and strange change was necessary. For those unfamiliar with this Greedo edit, it was added in 2019 by Lucas when the movie was added to the Disney+ streaming platform.
Maclunkey Added In
In this extremely odd Star Wars edit, Han Solo and Greedo have their sit-down shoot-off like normal, but Greedo suddenly screams out “Maclunkey” before taking Han’s laser bullet. This isn’t even the first time Lucas adjusted the scene, with the previous changes being just as odd and controversial. The original scene is a perfect introduction to Harrison Ford’s charming scoundrel Han Solo, and changing it didn’t make much sense.
Originally, Han Shot First
In the original Star Wars scene, Han Solo is approached and threatened by Greedo in a bar full of scum and villainy. Instead of panicking or getting worried like some characters, Solo makes the quick and decisive decision to unholster his blaster under the table and blast Greedo before he becomes a problem. In a short scene, we establish Solo is cool under pressure and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.
Lucas Made Multiple, Terrible Edits
This Star Wars scene remained untouched for a long time until the release of the film’s Special Edition in 1997. This edit was perhaps the most infamous, with VFX added to make it seem like Greedo shot first before Han fired. The “Han shot first” movement quickly followed, as fans (rightly) felt like this took away from Han’s characterization as a morally gray character when we first meet him (not to mention the implication that Greedo is a quicker, though less accurate draw).
George Lucas heard the complaints of Star Wars fans about the Greedo scene edit from the Special Edition, and he attempted to remedy it in 2004 when the film was released on DVD. But, instead of changing the scene back to its former glory, he made a slight edit to make it look like the shots came simultaneously. Even worse, Ford was digitally altered to make it look like he was ducking, which took away from his calm, cool, and collected demeanor.
Greedo Got Everything Wrong
So, the Greedo scene got progressively worse over the years, and “Maclunkey” definitely didn’t fix things. Maybe the scene would be better if we had some idea as to why he shouted the word, but the best explanation comes from Paul Blake, who said, “he’s got Greedo shouting out ‘Maclunkey,’ which George says was not Rodian but Huttese, and translated basically means ‘you’re dead,'” adding, “But Greedo even got that wrong like he got everything else wrong.” So yeah, maybe we should just go ahead and put the original scene back, George.
Source: Fantha Tracks
