Star Wars Trilogy (A New Hope / The Empire Strikes Back / Return of the Jedi) (Full Screen Edition with Bonus Disc)
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Actor: Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, James Earl Jones, Peter MayhewBrand: Star Wars
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; Spanish (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, THX
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 388 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-09-21
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Reviews of Star Wars Trilogy (A New Hope / The Empire Strikes Back / Return of the Jedi) (Full Screen Edition with Bonus Disc)
DVD Review: Untouchable?
Summary: 5 Stars
I think if this box set release proves anything, it's that nothing can diminish the astonishing achievement of Lucas' vision and determination in creating spellbinding adventures in other worlds.
I first ran into Star Wars in 1977, when my dad took me on a holiday to California (we're from Australia) to Grauman's Chinese theatre to see this new "science fiction" film. I was seven years old and the experience literally changed my life. I now work as a director in television commercials and films in Australia, probably largely because of that day.
By self description then, I am I guess, a 'classic' Star Wars fan.
But do I believe in the originals over and above the new reworked special editions and amended DVD editions?
Well, frankly I'm divided... Let me tell you first, without hesitation, buy this collection - no amount of tweeking by Lucas can obscure what is, above all else a brilliantly constructed universe and epic narrative.
I must say that even though I am highly critical of the prequel films, that fact that I had seen I, II and III added immensely to my enjoyment of watching the classic trilogy again. Knowing the background storyline somehow is a perverse thrill, as if you have power over these characters struggling to find meaning as they are thrown into peril and adventure!
A few comments though on the experience of watching this trilogy evolve. Listening to Lucas on the commentary track (he participates on the audio commentaries for ALL of the films), Star Wars is like the most expensive, and detailed train set a Hollywood whiz kid ever conceived and he literally cannot keep his hands off it. An adjustment of colour here, an extra creature there, tweeked audio, enhanced skies. Some of the changes are very subtle, others are jarring. The general rule seems to be - if you don't notice it, it's good.
For example, the cleaning up and enhanced shots in the battle for the Death Star in 'A New Hope' are brilliantly executed and seemless with the spirit and excitement of the original. To be honest, it's never looked so good. If all of the fixups had been this classy, I'd be ecstatic.
The use of additional digital creatures in Mos Eisley on Tatooine is ill advised because it intrudes on the mood of the original film. Why does every new creature need to demonstrate some slapstick hijinks to make it's presence felt? Couldn't it simply form part of the backdrop as it would in reality? It's as if Lucas felt that, having spent money on the new creatures, they bloody better DO something to get noticed.
Unfortunately, many of the enhancements belie the problems with the prequels - and most of these problems are associated with story and character deficiencies.
Han Solo's added conversation with Jabba in 'A New Hope' adds nothing whatsoever dramatically to the film and in fact holds it up, when the rampaging pace of the original film is what made it such a revelation at the time. Likewise Luke's catching up with an old buddy before getting into his x-wing for the Death Star battle is clunky and slow - that's why it was cut in the first place! Put it in the deleted scenes section for crying out loud!
I am one of the reviewers who definitely DOES have a problem with Han Solo's scene with the bounty hunter which Lucas altered so that Solo shoots only after the Hunter's first shot. The fact that Solo beat the Bounty Hunter to the kill told us a lot about who he was (and don't forget this is the FIRST time you see him). He's a mercenary, not a girl scout who waits to be fired on. These touches are politically reactionary. No wonder Lucas struggles to create good characters now when he's afraid to give them light and shade.
It has become obvious following the prequels that Solo is still THE most successful and popular character in all of the 6 films. why is this? It's his humanity and cynicism that holds the sympathy and amusement of the audience. Lucas' fantasy world is so much more powerful because of the wisecracking disdain that Han Solo has for it. HE dominates his environment as a character unlike every protagonist in the prequels, most of whom are developed little more than Playstation characters, completely dwarfed by the special effect landscape.
The prequels sadly lack characters with Han Solo's attitude. Ewan McGregor has a crack in ROTS but he's struggling against a witless script. Whack on Episode 4 and 5 and watch Harrison to see how it's done. It's impossible to take your eyes off him. Still, even in the classic trilogy, you could see Harrison Ford starting to look accutely embarassed by having to act against Ewoks and by that stage the acting and space opera whoops-a-daisy was starting to suffer drastically from a serious case of 'the cutes'. As you can probably tell, I'm not a huge fan of 'Return of the Jedi' - Ironically, being the most recent of the classic trilogy, it's also the most dated with an unhealthy reliance of eighties pop influenced music (especially the dire 'variety entertainment' scene in Jabba's palace at the beginning of the film (mystifyingly extended in the special edition), and also by the over reliance on Ewoks (clearly small people in relatively inexpressive furry suits). Still, despite it all, at it's best, for me ROTJ still betters 95% of the prequels - possibly ROTS outdoes it occassionally due to better plotting and vastly better special effects. The main cast from the classic films (Ford, Hammil, Fisher) can still act rings around anyone in the new films, especially in TESB, where they are at their dramatic and comedic peak.
'A New Hope' and 'Empire' are simply magnificent on every level and 'Empire' has been far the best treated by any Lucas updates on this release. It looks absolutely breathtaking and Irvin Kirschner's direction is just the kind of planet hopping adult science fiction adventure that we all feel we have been promised, and, aside from Blade Runner and Alien, have never had since.
So, for my money, Lucas has done enough to make this one of the most satisfying experiences you'll ever have with your DVD player. For consistency and attention to character and emotions, I think he has now been outdone by Peter Jackson and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but these films were here first, they changed the world and even made us feel that we had a new religion in a flagging spiritual era. For all of these reasons, I think Lucas has earned the right to keep playing with his train set as he sees fit. I'm still happy to watch on and enjoy.
It's worth mentioning that the 150 min doco on the making of the films included in this set is absolutely wonderful, full of fascinating and frank details on the mountains Lucas had to move, both technological and political to make these films happen. Enjoy!
More Star Wars Trilogy (A New Hope / The Empire Strikes Back / Return of the Jedi) (Full Screen Edition with Bonus Disc) reviews:
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Description of Star Wars Trilogy (A New Hope / The Empire Strikes Back / Return of the Jedi) (Full Screen Edition with Bonus Disc)
Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 11/01/2005 Run time: 387 minutes Rating: NrBestsellers in DVD
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