The Epic Climax Of Return Of The Jedi

Spoiler alert, the Empire has built a second Death Star. And what do you do when the Empire builds a large doomsday machine? You blow it up. This excellent MOC by builder did b depicts the epic battle at the climax of ROTJ, where three simultaneous conflicts happen, Luke fights Darth Vader, the rebel fleet takes on the Imperial fleet, and a bunch of teddy bears kick some stormtrooper butt. And of course Lando and Wedge fly right into the Death Star, and cause just a little havoc.

Yub Nub

Ah Ewoks, those cuddly little teddy bears that overthrew an empire (or at least helped). Love them or hate them, you have to admit they're better than gungans. Builder LEGO 7 likes them, and I don't mind them, and I really don't mind this pretty spiffy little MOC featuring them. And before you start complaining that they're just cute little fuzzy critters, I'll remind you they fully intended to EAT Han and Luke, think about that.

Imperial Platform On Endor

I remember the moment a saw the AT-AT walking in the forest of Endor when I saw Return of the Jedi the first time. It was a bit jarring at first, since it's only use we had ever seen was on Hoth, but then it occurred to me that the first "AT" stands for "all terrain", which put me strangely in awe. The endless possibilities of where these had been used that we had never and would never see in the Star Wars universe seemed so expansive. Speaking of awe, look at this absolutely stunning landing platform from builder dmaclego. You can practically hear the soundtrack and smell the damp forest air.

Dispatching The Slug

Like the rest of the world, I was shocked and saddened by the loss of Carrie Fisher, but seeing all the outpouring of love in the form of MOCs has made it easier. She was my first movie star crush when I was 9, but my 15 year old brain nearly short circuited when Jedi came out and she showed up in this little number. Builder and international sock model Iain Heath has crafted a fitting tribute to everyone's favorite kickass princess, and least favorite slug crimelord.

Yub Nub

Love em or hate em, you have to admit, ewoks are quintessential Star Wars. And since they are original trilogy, I'm ok with them. Of course Wicket is the only real memorable ewok, having some time on screen to actually develop a personality. Speaking of personality, this Wicket MOC by Bruce Lowell is oozing with it (or is that ewok musk?)

"I See You've Constructed A New Lightsaber..."

I really love a minimalist build. When you can take a very small handful of parts and make something that's not only recognizable, but totally squeeable, you've got my attention. Builder Obedient Machine thrilled us last year with his 15 piece Han Solo blaster, now he's back with this little bundle of awesome, Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber from Return of the Jedi. This is just 14 carefully selected pieces, but they are way more than the sum of their parts. 

"...In His Belly You Will Find A New Definition Of Pain And Suffering"

I'm an original trilogy fan, everyone knows that. I do think that Jedi is the weakest of the three, but this scene was always fun. And hey, slave Leia (nuff said). markus19840420 has captured it perfectly with this large MOC. 

Return Of The Jedi - The Final Battle

This is some serious Star Warsy mashupness. Flickr user markus19840420 has combined all the intercut scenes in the final battle of ROTJ into a single MOC. One might have thought this impossible, but here it is. Luke is in the throne room, the Falcon is narrowly escaping the explosion as the Ewoks kick some butt.

Big Models, Motion Control Cameras And Optical Printing

While pondering what to title this post, and what to write right here, I became seriously nostalgic for some good old fashion visual effects. When men were men and we blew stuff up. I also realized it's been way too long since I've screened ROTJ, so if you'll excuse me, I have some movie watching to do.