I've been reading, with growing amusement, the furious reviews of others who are getting very hot on under the collar because various bits have been changed and added and the classic trilogy has been tinkered with. I first saw Star Wars in 1977 when I was five and then spent the rest of my childhood pretending to be Luke Skywalker. Now I watch the films with my son (who want to be Darth Vader)and though they have changed, the magic is still there, It really doesn't matter how many stormtroopers where there in the original and how many were pasted in at a later date. These are timeless pieces of swashbuckling adventure, like the Adventures of Robin Hood or the Crimson Pirate before them. I think the problem with Star wars is that the phenomonal success has pushed the films to a level of importance which they were never intended to reach. To truly enjoy these films and to realise there wonder, I look at my sons face as Darth Vader questions the rebel by squeezing his neck or when the century ships sweep onto the falcon and the music gives you gooosebumps.
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Lucas' original Star Wars trilogy was a masterpiece. Now that he has revisited them, improved the picture and sound quality and added new and previously deleted scenes, the opinions are pretty varied.
The first thing you will notice is that the picture quality is indeed fantastic, although those with regular 4:3 televisions will feel somewhat restricted by the 2.35:1 letterbox widescreen.
The sound quality is also marvellous, although the first film seems to lack the same high quality as the two sequels, with the dialogue sometimes lacking clarity, and with music sometimes booming over everything else.
Finally, fans of the new episodes (1, 2 and 3) will appreciate the new features, such as references to the worlds of the new films (naboo and coruscant) and even a cameo appearance by the new Anakin Skywalker. However, some may find Jabba's new appearance in IV and the 'Music Video' in VI unnecessary and a little silly.
However, for those of you who want the true cinema experience and don't mind the odd glitch and niggle, this is a fantastic package that should not be missed!
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The original trilogy certainly stands the test of time. It has a rawness, innocense and naivity to it which enhances the overall feel of 'myth' or 'legend'. It is hard to recapture the wonder of discovery - the famous scene in Empire Strikes back with Darth Vaders revelation to Luke.
But so many scenes take me back to my childhood - so many scenes are still awe inspiring - despite the 30 years of special effects in between. The opening scene in episode IV is unrivalled - the Star Destroyer chasing down Leia's ship. The complexity of the battle above Endor, with hundreds of Tie Fighters, massive capital ships...these scenes are still unrivalled.
There are so many heroes and anti-heroes to latch on to. Han Solo - the rogue, C3PO and R2D2 as a comedy pair, Lando Calrissian, Bobba Fett...
People talk of wooden acting and dubious dialogue - but this all seeems to fit with the feel of the films.
Overall, I would give th original trilogy 5 stars. 6 if it was possible. But some annoying tinkering by George Lucas destroys certain elements; the extra scene in episode IV with Jabba. This was un-called for and embarrasing. The altered scene in Jabba's palace with the band performing a song which is so incongruous, so ill-fitting, it destroys the whole atmosphere. Not to mention the 'wrong Annakin' at the very end of Episode VI. This is why I give this version of the trilogy 4 stars instead of 5.
When buying the boxed set, go for the original theatrical versions. They have been digitally remastered and are of top-class quality.
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The Star Wars Trilogy is a must have for star wars fans, it is the definitive collection of this wicked saga. However be warned if you are a traditionalist and love the original movies you may be slightly outraged at this collection. I was watching the films and thought A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back were absolutely breathtaking with re-mastered graphics and THX 5.1 surround sound, they could not be better, however I was slightly disapointed when it came to the Return Of The Jedi. Why Lucas made the changes he did I will never know. The changing of Boba Fetts voice I can handle as it is fairly small however don't wreck the end of the entire saga by changing the original Anakin Skywalker spirit (Sebastian Shaw) with Hayden Chirstensen, it just doesn't make any sense.
All in all, the Star Wars trilogy is amazing and it a definite must buy for all fans of the films, but don't watch it expecting it to be the originals, or even the re-mastered editions as you will be disappointed with some changes made.
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I won't rate the movies as most people have seen them, if not make sure you do.
The set is the special editions, not the originals. They're good transfers to DVD and work in 6.1 sound. Each film has a commentary that's interesting and functional, but not exciting.
This set follows the Indy one with 3 film discs and one of extras. The focus is one documentary following the creation of all 3 films. Plus smaller featurettes and trailers.
Sadly it doesn't follow the prequal DVDs with extras for each film. Hopefully they'll do this in future.
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The Star Wars DVD trilogy at last! Four discs, well-packaged, containing the biggest film trilogy in movie-making history. The DVD transfers are among the best I've ever seen - needle-sharp, crystal-clear (insert cliche as applicable) and makes the original Star Wars look like it was made last week instead of nearly 30 years ago. The THX engineered soundtracks are also fantastic; the opening sequence of Star Wars with the room-filling rumble of the star Destroyer passing overhead gave me a shiver down the spine and transported me back in time to the summer of 1977 when I first saw this film with my mum!
So what if the released versions are the CGI-afflicted "special editions"? Agreed, Lucas missed an opportunity by not including the original theatrical versions on the discs, but hey! That's how it is. As the massive documentary on the making of the three films shows, these films are not just popcorn blockbusters; they are milestones, no better still, turning points on the Hollywood road. Nothing can touch Star Wars for its box-office return, revolutionary marketing, massive cultural influence and plain old humanity. Lucas' perceived "tinkering" (which obviously is a huge sore point with die-hard aficionados) partly serves to demonstrate his commitment to his orignal vision, but I suspect it is mostly about his hard-won freedom to change whole parts of his work as he pleases, having fought so long to retain full creative control over his work without having to sell out to the studios. I say let him have his day!
This is a good DVD release, well-timed and very well-presented, with special features that complement rather than swamp the films themselves. The release as a whole neatly showcases both Lucas' vision and the timeless quality of the films, and aptly reminds us of the impact of Star Wars as a cultural phenomenon in 1977 and ever since. And at this price, you'd be completely nuts not to get a copy.
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I think all the controversy surrounding the Star Wars 'Special Editions' is all a bit silly. At the end of the day, it's a series of films for kids, escapist fantasy. I saw the original trilogy back in the late 70s / early 80s, and hugely enjoyed the movies. Now i'm not a purist, so if George wants to update his films by 'enhancing' them with the use of modern technology, then so be it. Jedi. I personally find that certain scenes from the original trilogy (Rancor monster matte effects) look terribly dated now, so a spruce up of the effects are a welcome addition to the DVD box set. The two exceptions to this rule of updating are the CGI Jabba from the 1997 Star Wars Special Edition, which was entirely unconvincing (reducing a supposed fearsome crimelord into a quivering wreck when trodden on) and the inclusion of a James Brown-esque CGI soul singer in Jabba's house band (Return Of The Jedi) which again looks out of place and odd. Sprucing up effects is fine, but if you're gonna do a job, do it properly. However, i'll still enjoy the trilogy for what it is, a piece of my childhood.
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12 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
Im one of THOSE im affriad..., 13 April 2004
By A Customer
Yes, im one of the die hard fans of the origionals. By this i mean the pre special addition movies. When u have something so perfect, its foolish to alter it. I felt that the new movies, ep 1 and 2 relied far too heavily on computer animation, and that was something lucas brought to the special addition also. He added little, supposed comedic links between scences, all fully computer animated that just look out of place. On the plus side the explosions look a lot better, but the whole han on jabbas tail thing....man thats dodgy. For these reasons i only give 4 stars. Its just a shame that the digitally remastered origionals won't ever be available on DVD
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I recently went the 'full way' as regarding HOME CINEMA, ----and , using proper cables and connections, I can confirm [after viewing 'RETURN of the JEDI ' in 9-foot wide glory through a projection system [NOT TV]----- [with multi-channel sound]---that the results are very good indeed, and compares not badly at all even with the theatrical experience.....
I have tried all sorts of films through the projector, and the 'STAR WARS' saga is certainly one of the most suited.
Until hi-def editions become available, THIS does very nicely indeed.....if you are TRULY into home theatrics, I suggest upgrading to the full front-projection experience--this saga alone [there are many other types of film that work well] justifies the additional cost.
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I'm not really a Star Wars buff but having seen Episode I before all others I was interested enough to finally see the original trilogy after Episode II. I bought this DVD set and have really been impressed by the story, the content and the quality of the film, considering its an oldie, of its presentation on DVD.
Lucas has also packed it full of extras which make its a very good buy. For me, the restoration of the film and the brushing up of characters, lights and "special effects" is the best thing done in this DVD set, it makes the films virtually modern in their quality, you don't get the 1970s or 1980s feel at all (except perhaps for Luke's haircut!).
Overall, well worth the bucks for any new Star Wars fan.
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