EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

Snow Lizards and Yeti

The first we see of the Rebels this time out is Luke riding a snow lizard (don't blame me, that's what they're called in the screenplay). Both the Alliance and the Empire can't resist enslaving the local fauna. Stormtroopers rode dewbacks in the last movie and the Rebels ride tauntauns here. Both sides have a real fetish for giant lizards.

The theory is that the tauntauns are local beasties. The Rebels could have imported them, but the screenplay refers to them as "snow lizards" and no mention is made about the troubles of transporting them aboard space vessels. Local or imported, they're still enslaved animals. For people who can make machines and vehicles that can go anywhere and do anything, you might ponder a moment just why they feel the need to harness critters that would otherwise live a peaceful, unshackled life.

Immediately after radioing Han that he'll be heading in a little later, Luke and his trusty steed are jumped by a snow-beast. So much for the Force granting heightened senses. Luke later shows up with tell-tale wounds, so it's safe to assume he really was attacked by some giant predator. What we've got here, essentially, is a polar/grizzly bear attack scenario.

This abominable snowman creature is called a wampa. At least that's what the script calls these beasts - they're never named in the movie. There had been several scenes with wampas, but they were cut from the movie for some reason. There are cut scenes dealing with the wampas breaking into the base, a battle with them in the halls, and a couple of scenes involving trapped wampas. For a good rundown of those scenes, visit starwarscutscenes.com.

This whole scene, as well as the follow-up in the wampa's cave, is a rare departure for the kind of cinematography of the vast majority of the movies. Suddenly, we can't get a full view of a beast that is RIGHT THERE. We're shown quick cuts of severe close ups, obscuring most of the action.

This would be cause enough to suspect these wampa scenes are actually re-creations of Luke's survival ordeal. The scene in the beast's cave has several more elements (discussed on page 5) that indicate the strong possibility that it's a re-enactment.

What recording equipment Luke had with him could easily have been lost during the attack, buried in the snow or forever trampled under frozen wampa shit in the creature's cave. Why is this point relevant? Because what makes this whole scenario truly suspicious is Luke's tale of new-found telekinetic ability.

Luke's claims about what happens to him while he's alone (here in the wampa cave or later with the unverifiable Yoda) are, quite literally, unbelievable.