Millennium Falcon

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The Millennium Falcon is a fictional spacecraft in the Star Wars universe commanded by smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his Wookiee first mate, Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew). The highly modified YT-1300 light freighter first appears in a brief cameo in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith on Coruscant and subsequently in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. The Falcon also appears in a variety of Star Wars expanded universe materials, including books, comics, and games.

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[edit] Origin and design

According to Star Wars creator George Lucas, the Falcon's design is inspired by a hamburger, with the cockpit being an olive on the side.[1] The ship originally had a more elongated appearance, but a vessel called the Eagle with a highly similar look in Space: 1999 prompted Lucas to change the Falcon's design.[1] The original model was modified, re-scaled, and used as Princess Leia's ship Tantive IV.[2]

The full-scale Millennium Falcon built for The Empire Strikes Back was created in a hangar by Marcon Fabrications in Pembroke Dock, west Wales.[3]. It weighed almost 23 tons and used compressed air hover pads for movement around the set. Half of the Falcon was used for Return of the Jedi's ultimately unused sand-scene sequence after the destruction of Jabba's barge. All other views of the Falcon in Return of the Jedi were matte paintings and models. The full-scale Falcon replica was scrapped at about this time.

[edit] Depiction

Han Solo won the Falcon from fellow rogue Lando Calrissian in a game of sabacc.[4] In A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker charter the ship to deliver them, C-3PO, R2-D2, and the stolen Death Star plans to Alderaan. Skywalker appraises the ship as "a piece of junk", but Solo counters by noting that the ship can "make point-five past lightspeed. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've made a lot of special modifications myself." The group later conceal themselves in hidden smuggling compartments below the floor after the Falcon is captured by the Death Star. Solo seemingly abandons the Rebels before they attack the Death Star, but his return in the Falcon allows Skywalker to destroy the space station.

Solo flies the Falcon, with Chewbacca, Leia, and C-3PO aboard, to elude the Imperial Starfleet in The Empire Strikes Back. They take refuge at Cloud City, where Darth Vader captures Solo and freezes him in carbonite. Calrissian helps the others escape and, at the film's end, he and Chewbacca set out aboard the Falcon to rescue Solo. Calrissian again flies the Falcon during the climax of Return of the Jedi, leading the Rebels' successful attack on the second Death Star.

The Falcon is often connected to the Kessel Run, a pathway from Kessel past the Maw Black Hole Cluster used by smugglers to transport precious Glitterstim spice.[5] Solo in A New Hope brags that the Falcon made the Kessel Run in "less than twelve parsecs", referring to his ability to move the ship closer to the Maw's black holes and therefore cut the distance traveled.[5] On the A New Hope DVD audio commentary, Lucas comments that, in the Star Wars universe, traveling through hyperspace requires careful navigation to avoid stars, planets, asteroids, and other obstacles.[6] Since no long-distance journey can be made in a straight line, the "fastest" ship is the one that can plot the "most direct course", thereby traveling the least distance.[6] Solo's twelve-parsec Kessel Run is depicted in Rebel Dawn by A. C. Crispin.[7] In a Dark Horse Comics issue, "The Kessel Run," the Kessel Run that Solo mentions is a scam that Lando uses to win money back from Solo after losing the Falcon to him. Lando and his friends trick Solo into thinking if he did the Kessel Run quickly, he would gain notoriety among smugglers. Ultimately, it is a scam and a kind of initiation for new smugglers.

[edit] Cultural impact

Joss Whedon credits the Millennium Falcon as one of his two primary inspirations for his short-lived television show Firefly.[8] The Falcon and the Falcon's distinct shape have made appearances in Star Trek: First Contact (for which ILM produced the special effects), Blade Runner,[9] Starship Troopers, and the Star Wars spoof Spaceballs. The ship is referred to in The Simpsons,[10] Hellsing OVA, and Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code. The manga series Berserk includes a "Millennium Falcon" Arc. ILM inserted the Falcon in both Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones[citation needed] and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. A Millennium Falcon toy can be seen in the episode "Something nice back home" of Lost.

Many toys have been made of the Falcon, including a Transformers version of the ship.[11] A LEGO version of the Falcon with over 5,000 pieces was, at the time of its release, the largest LEGO kit in production.[12] Kenner, Hasbro, and Micro Machines have all released Millennium Falcon toys.[citation needed]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Star Wars: Databank: Millennium Falcon (Behind the Scenes). starwars.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-27.
  2. ^ Peterson, Lorne (2006). Sculpting A Galaxy - Inside the Star Wars Model Shop, 1st ed., San Rafael, California: Insight Editions, pp 2-3. ISBN 1-933784-03-2. 
  3. ^ Towns secret Star Wars history. BBC.
  4. ^ Star Wars: Databank: Millennium Falcon (Expanded Universe). starwars.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-27.
  5. ^ a b Star Wars: Databank: Kessel (Expanded Universe). starwars.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-27.
  6. ^ a b Commentary track on A New Hope DVD
  7. ^ Cripsin, A. C.. Rebel Dawn, Han Solo Trilogy. Bantam. ISBN 0553574175. 
  8. ^ Joss Whedon. (2005). What's in a Firefly.
  9. ^ www.brmovie.com/Locations/Falcon.htm.
  10. ^ www.snpp.com/episodes/AABF06.
  11. ^ Star Wars: Collecting: Till All Are One Millennium Falcon. starwars.com (2006-03-02). Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
  12. ^ Block, Gerry (2007-02-12). Lego Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon Announced. ign.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.

[edit] External links

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See also