Last night one of the networks here played Return of the Jedi, which as a child was probably my favorite movie. I’ve seen that movie hundreds of thousands of times in my life, so I was surprised when U-rim asked (completely seriously), “What is this?” I was shocked. She had never seen Return of the Jedi…or any of the Star Wars movies for that matter. She didn’t know what the Millenium Falcon was, or who Darth Vader was, or who Billy Dee Williams was. I was always under the impression that even those who didn’t like Star Wars had a knowledge of it, but he she was, a living breathing Star Wars virgin…so we busted that cherry!
Watching Return of the Jedi with someone who had never seen it was pretty odd. She was surprised when Luke crushed the Ranccor with a door by throwing a skull. When the ghost of Obi-wan Kenobi told Luke that he had a sister, she gasped. And when she saw Admiral Akbar the first time she was repulsed (which is ironic since here in Korea, real Admiral Akbar types are avalible for purchase and consumption at most restaraunts and supermarkets).
Speaking of Admiral Akbar brings me to the second thing that made this the wackiest viewing of Return of the Jedi I’ve partaken in. The entire movie was dubbed (as opposed to making use of subtitles). That’s right kids…Korean speaking Han Solo. Some of the voices were a little bit off. To begin with, Admiral Akbar in the original (English language version) sounds like a sea ceature would sound, or at least like a guy with a bunch of marble in his mouth would sound. The Korean Admiral Akbar, sounded like my landlord…just a regular middle aged Korean guy voice. C3-PO on the other hand went from sounding like a gay British thespian to a 1950’s robot…again speaking Korean. “저는 로보트임니다!” But the most disappointing of the voices was Billy Dee Williams Lando. Lando went from being an intergalatic pimp, to sounding like the guy I buy fruit and vegetables from in my neighborhood. That guy couldn’t convince me to drink Colt 45, and neither could the Korean version of Lando.
“맛있는 맥주야! 많이 마시세요!”
Sorry Lando…I for one am not buying!
