While the upbeat music that lines “Han Shoots First” is easily something that one can imagine would be played in the Mos Eisley Cantina on dance night, there’s the unshakable feeling that Lee Vehe’s film was accepted just because of the subliminal advertising contained within it. Of course Han shoots first. It’s well known. But why devote nearly two minutes to that fact? It becomes clear when “in 2006” appears in yellow lettering: The world knows about the original Star Wars movies coming to DVD in September. But those who watch the Star Wars Fan Film Awards finalists apparently need to be even more aware of it. And since Han will forever shoot first when September comes around, well, that’s the reason for the existence of “Han Shoots First.” It’s a low point for this competition, which once prided itself on filmmakers who could crank the most creative humor out of what was already in the Star Wars universe. I miss those guys.
