My top five favourite Star Wars characters…. Whats yours? Number 3 is Luke Skywalker

My top five favourite Star Wars characters…. Whats yours? Number 3 is Luke Skywalker.

My top five favourite Star Wars characters…. Whats yours? Number 3 is Luke Skywalker

At number 3 of my all time favourite Star Wars characters is that young farm boy from Tattoine Luke Skywalker.  My favourite scene with Luke in it will always be the shot of him staring out into the setting suns of Tattoine with Binary Sunsets written by John Williams playing in the background.  The first time we see Luke he is with his uncle Owen buying droids off the local Jawas.  The purchase of those two droids leads Luke on his path to becoming one of the greatest Jedi of all time!!!!!  The young Luke was very much like his father, an excellent pilot and a desire to see the stars!  In the films we see Luke grow up quite a bit, from a young farm boy rushing head on with danger to help his friends and then we see the more grown up mature Luke who will still rush in to help his friends but this time he has more confidence in his powers and all ways has a plan first!  Luke finally creates the New Jedi Order learning from the past mistakes that the old Jedi order made which made them easy pray to be culled by the Sith.  He also marries Mara Jade, an ex Emperors hand who originally wanted to kill Luke and together they have a son Ben.  As the years go on Luke becomes one of the most powerful Jedi ever, even more powerful then his father but see’s little peace in the galaxy as he fights in one war after the other!  If the rumours are true in the next movie we will see Luke Skywalker hiding out on Tatooine after 30 years of fighting off Jedi hunters.  I was hoping that the story line would be more in line with the expanded universe but alas that does not seem too be.  I am hoping  that they explain what Luke has been doing over the last 30 years to expand his Jedi powers and if he has been training up new Jedi.  The rumours that he are hearing about the new film makes it sound like a reboot of Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope but we will just have to wait and see.

Luke facts

When Luke was dragged under by the a Dianoga in the trash compacter Mark Hamill had to hold his breath for so long that he ended up blowing a blood vessel in his face.  After that he was filmed from one side till it cleared up.

Mark Hamel did all his own stunts in Star Wars Episode VI Return of the Jedi except in two scenes.  First scene was when Luke jumps of the plank at the Sarlacc pit and the second scene is when he is fighting Darth Vader on the Death Star and Vader hurls his light saber cutting the supports of the the catwalk that Luke is standing on.  Both of these stunts were performed by Colin Skeaping who was Mark’s stunt double.

Mark Hamill kept Luke’s boots from the first Star Wars film

When the first Rebel ships escapes Hoth the voice on the PA that says “The first transport is away” was actually Mark Hamill’s voice.

Mark Hamill has played Luke Skywalker in The Muppet Show, Family Guy and Robot Chicken

Mark had to bang his head 16 times in Yoda’s hut until the director was satisfied.

Just before Star Wars was released Mark Hamill was nearly killed in a car crash.  He had to have re constructive surgery on his face.  The scene when Luke was attacked by the Wampa was used to disguise his injuries.

When on Dagobah when Luke is just about to leave and Yoda and Obi Wan are trying to purswade Luke to stay and complete his training, Luke pulls a snake from one of the X Wing engines which ended up biting him on the hand even after being ensured that none of the snakes would bite

.

The music of Star Wars

When I look at the setting sun the music (Binary Sunset) from Star Wars IV A New Hope all ways pops into my head.  John Williams wrote all the music for all six Star Wars films and is on board for the next three films as well.  Born on the 8th February 1932 in Long Island, New York, John Williams was the son of a percussionist who worked for CBS radio and the Raymond Scott quintet.  At the age of 15 John was playing piano and was the leader in his own jazz band.  At the age of 19 he premièred his first original composition: a piano sonata.  John Williams attended UCLA and Los Angeles city college, studying orchestration under MGM associate Robert Van Eps.  After a stint in the United States Air Force John eventually found work in Hollywood as a piano player, working on sound tracks for TV and film such as Peter Gunn, South Pacific, Some like it hot, The apartment and To kill a mockingbird.  In the 70’s John became king of disaster scores working on films such as The poseidon adventure, Earthquake and the Towering inferno.  John gained his first Academy award for original score on Steven Spielberg‘s movie Jaws.  His collaboration with Spielberg led him to be introduced to George Lucas and soon after he wrote the score for Star Wars Episode IV a New Hope which became the best selling score only sound track of all time.  After this success John Williams worked on Superman, 1941, Raiders of the lost ark, E.T, Empire of the sun, The accidental tourist, Born on the fourth of July and Star Wars episode V Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars episode VI The Return of the Jedi.  More recent films include Jurassic Park, Schindlers List, Saving Private Ryan, Star Wars episode I The Phantom Menace, Star Wars episode II Attack of the Clones and Star Wars episode III Revenge of the Sith.  John has also appeared on The Simpsons.

John Williams has a very impressive lists of awards: 41 Oscar nominations (5 wins) over 20 gold and platinum records, 2 Emmys, 3 Golden Globes, 18 Grammys, National Board of Review (including a Career Achievement Award), 6 Saturns, 7 BAFTA’s and over 13 Honorary doctorate degrees.