Lightsaber fights have always been fantastic in the Star Wars saga, but it’s one thing to watch them at the cinema or on the telly, and a totally different thing to take part in one (preferably on the winning side).
Vader Strikes Back, as this clip was called by its creators, brings Episode IV to mind, and with such a name, it hints at being a sequel. This is indeed the case, as the Stunt People shot a similar video, titled Vader Strikes, back in February. Eric Jacobus, of Mortal Kombat Legacy and Stryker fame, played a Jedi Master, while Alain Bloch acted as a Padawan. The role of Nasty Daddy Darth Vader was given to Gary Ripper, who did a pretty good job at breathing in and out through the mask while going Medieval on the behinds of the Jedi.
The similarities between Vader Strikes Back and its prequel don’t stop here. This one was filmed with GoPro cameras, as well, not to mention that the team made use of the same lightsabers. More specifically, their weapons of choice were some Hasbro Force FX sabers that had their LED strips replaced with a single LED placed in the blade holder.
The clip starts with a motivational dialogue between the Jedi Master and his (not so young) Padawan. The latter learns that he must control himself in order to win, but he doesn’t have much time to think about that as in the next shot we see Darth Vader doing some breaking and entering. I don’t really see the point of running the lightsaber through the door if the next move is to kick the door down, but if that’s how the writers of the script envisioned the scene, then that’s how it must be.
In the following scene, Darth Vader is already the POV character, so we get to see a few minutes of the fight through his eyes. The impressive choreography that we witness next was prepared by Saber Combat. Halfway through the fight, the Jedi Master becomes the POV character and we get to watch his style of fighting. The duel does not end very well for the Jedi, mostly because Vader cuts off his left arm. As the Sith Lord prepares to deliver the final blow, the Padawan jumps to his Master’s rescue.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j25nl8xGdbo&w=600&h=338]
This is only the second episode of what is meant to be a long series. In case you enjoyed this video as much as I did, feel free to back the project on Kickstarter.
If you liked this post, please check this robot lightsaber duel and the Star Wars lightsaber book stands.
