By For some godforsaken reason, the standoff between Han Solo and Greedo in Star Wars: A New Hope has become the most controversial movie scene of all time. It’s not good to the graphic nature of its violence or some kind of outdated stereotyping, but for all of the edits it has received in the many different re-releases the film has gotten. The legacy of this spawned the ridiculous “Han Shot First” meme into the zeitgeist years ago and it seems fans are up in arms about it again.
When Disney+ launched earlier this week, fans were pleased to see that most of the Star Wars saga was available for streaming. This included the original trilogy, which many hold as the absolute pinnacle of the brand. While the versions contained are mostly comprised of their original edits, for some reason, the Han and Greedo standoff has received another edit.
Yes, 42 years after its release, Star Wars: A New Hope has yet another edit to this otherwise standard moment. We still have Greedo shooting first (as was done in the Special Edition from the 90s), but before he takes the shot, Greedo utters the word, “Maclunkey.” An extra explosion triggers and the creature dies. Roll credits…
In an interview with Empire, Paul Blake (the man in the Greedo costume) admitted he doesn’t even know what Greedo is saying there. “I couldn’t understand a word of it,” Blake laughingly said. “It confused me incredibly, but I’ve never understood anything about the movies anyway, particularly that.”
Offering an explanation, Blake said, “Yeah, well he’s talking about his Scottish grandmother there. Greedo had a Scottish grandmother and an Irish grandfather, and a Rodian step-mother. That’s why he shouted ‘Maclunkey’ just before he died. He’s about to meet his grandfather.” Obviously tongue in cheek, I now accept this as official Star Wars canon. It makes more sense than some word being randomly inserted.
Greedo Actor On ‘Maclunkey’: ‘It Confused Me Incredibly’ – Exclusive [Empire]
