Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thank the maker..., 28 Sep 2006
Finally, finally! Just bought these and watched them again - god it was good. Spaceships look real rather than CGI animated because they are real. The effects ILM used back then were done with real models and explosions, but done so well you couldn't tell they were models. So, so, so much better than CGI animation that just looks like a computer game. I trawled the charity shops a few years ago to pick up the originals on VHS, knowing every time I watched them it could be the last given VHS's abilty to be chewed up. Finally I don't have to worry about this any more!
And I know these are kids movies, but when I first watched them, I was a kid - watching them again now takes me back in a way to those first magical moments and that is why this film is so well loved. It's also the fact that Star Wars tells a classic story which taps into the basics of good story telling. Sure, I love the Godfather too, but I'm not so lifeless I can't enjoy moments of childish glee when the fantastic John Williams score kicks in or when the Millenium Falcon blasts out of trouble just in time!
And directors who use CGI, please could you take note of a little film called Jurassic Park. 1993 it was made and it still is one of the best films I've seen which obviously uses CGI but still manages to make it look real. It's been nearly 14 years now and we still get films which don't use the technology half as well as they did back then!
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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Accuracy of reviews . . . , 1 Jul 2007
I don't often review products on Amazon but I had to write this and respond to just a couple of points raised by a previous reviewer.
"George Lucas would be turning in his grave if he ever saw what they'd done to the original version of his film"
- George Lucas is alive and well and it was HE who decided to re-release the original trilogy as Special Editions closer to his vision. Cynics would say the unnecessary digital tweaking was a dry run to prove that the technology was capable of producing the level of digital effects he wanted in his new trilogy, and as a marketing campaign to renew interest in the franchise prior to releasing the prequels.
"Lucas first introduced the world to Darth Vader in 1975 (when Star Wars hit cinemas)
- Star Wars received a US release in December 1977. Quite what philandering Darth Vader was upto in the meantime is anybody's guess.
"Cushing turns in a rounded and absorbing performance and if one considers that the actor was in his mid nineties when he made the film, it is an achievement to behold"
- For a man born in 1913, starring in a film in 1977, I would say he makes a suitable achievement for a 64 year old.
The quality of the acting by Cushing and Guinness though did elevate the film above a typical space opera and, compared to some of the performances in the prequels that would follow, revisiting these films highlights just how much presence these actors had.
For those who haven't seen Star Wars (shame on you) then the Digitally altered Special Editions are probably the best films to watch. The quality of print and sound on the theatrical releases are far below outstanding and does spoil the viewing experience.
However for the purists (i.e. anyone who grew up with Star Wars and has seen the films many times) this is the only chance to own these original editions, free of George Lucas' additional (and most would say unwelcome) scenes.
We've had the Special Editions, now the Original Theatrical Editions.
How hard would it have been to have had the digitally improved Theatrical Editions without unnecessary scenes?
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nothing added, nothing taken away., 31 Dec 2006
A few reviewers have mentioned that this isn't the original theatrical version, despite what it says in the tin. It's true. The film on the second disc seems to be the same as the THX digitally remastered version that was released on VHS in, I think, the mid-late 90's.
There don't seem to be many differences between this one and the original 1977 effort - a couple of tiny alterations of the 'blink and you'll miss it' variety, but the sound & picture quality are certainly improved.
Like a lot of people, this is the version I bought the DVD for and after having some misgivings after reading the reviews on here I have to say I am very pleased. It is in widescrren format but I haven't had any problems with that. The picture quality is great, although maybe more VHS than DVD but again I'm not complaining. I've not noticed any grainy images yet - that's not to say they aren't there, but they certainly don't distract from the enjoyment of the film if they are.
Sound quality is very good, too, and the soundtrack (voices, music etc) has obviously benefitted from some cleaning up.
There are no extras included with the 1977 version - it in itself is regarded as a 'bonus feature' but the 1st disc includes some commentaries, including one by Carrie Fisher which could be interesting.
I have to admit, though, that I didn't buy it for that version.
This is the film I remember watching from being little - nothing has been added and nothing has been taken away, or very little! If you want the film as it should be seen, buy this! If you're after bundles of extras, however, you may be disappointed.
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