Star Wars Trilogy on DVD (1977)

Jonathan Gear from Lyme Regis, England , 21/09/2004

It has become fashionable to knock George Lucas. The prequels (Phantom Menace & Attack of the Clones) rarely get a fair review as they had impossible expectations to overcome. These reissues, rather than remind us of George?s genius, have aroused many fans antipathy - he?s tampered with them again (even sneaking in the new Anakin Skywalker at the end of the Jedi). But despite the flaws (e.g a lot of dodgy acting and dialogue, cutesy simplicity etc.) these films are magnificent, still evolving classics. Personally, I love the digital upgrade, the larger vistas, sweeping cityscapes and tidied up special effects. The extras come from behind the scenes and charter a cultural phenomena that changed movies for ever. But don?t rent it, buy it!

  27 out of 33 people found this review helpful

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TheDave from Leighton Buzzard , 08/02/2005

I've just had one of the most disturbed feelings (as if a billion voices cried out at once... and were silenced) whilst at the same time having the best nostalgic evening in a long while.

Whilst watching the first two (original) Star Wars films back to back it dawned on me that if Geroge Lucas had access to the technology he does now at the time he made the first trilogy, we would have been treated to a totally different, and somewhat more shallow experience.

The eveidence is there in spades in this new DVD set. What erks me more than anything is that the DVD is the 'all new special edition (TM)' Star Wards box set, with those horrible digitised outtakes. We got them on video when they first came out, and I had hoped Lucas would have decided against making them the official product, but it appears we have no such luck here. Star Wars has been brutally 'updated' with all the finess and artistic flair of a drunken wookie, and in this 'crystal clear' format, the cracks are REALLY apparent. You could just about get away with it on Video, but it all just looks so tacky on DVD.

Star Wars itself has been damaged the worst. Very badly overlaid digital images are everywhere, Han Solo bullies (a very slim and young looking) Jabba, and (worst of all) Greebo shoots FIRST! ARRRGH!!! One of the most defining scenes for the character of Han Solo, and he is robbed of his menace, mystique, and darker nature. Bah! Not bad for 2 minutes of extras. To be fair, there are some nice touches (any cgi-ed Tie Fighter or Millenium Falcon action is a great improvement on the dodgy models), but the loss of pace and atmosphere throughout the Tatooine section is a big sore point.

The Empire Strikes Back is much better, but mainly because it is a better film. It still stands up as a great improvement on the first one, and is the grittiest of the three. Better still, all they have done to 'improve' the film is add slightly improved visuals (mostly in Cloud City). This is largely down to the fact that Irvin Kirshner, not George Lucas directed this one. George Lucas CANNOT direct gritty. All the films he has directed of the series have been shiny and bright interpretations. I bet if you got Lucas filming Dagobah, there'd be comedy ferrets or something!

Give George some special effects and he polishes up EVERYTHING: Look at the Phantom Menance.

Now without wincing.

It's so shiny and bright it HURTS. That's what he has tried to do to the first 3 films and, well let's face it, it comes across as a very 'friday afternoon' job.

On balance, it being lovely to see the films again for the first time in years. The soundtrack is really great in this new format, and the stories are exciting and engaging. Even the acting is better than I remembered. However, at the first sign of a digitised Jawa, or a cute robot, I wanted to scream.

If any studio exec ever reads this take heed - do NOT give George Lucas access to digital technology EVER AGAIN. After seeing R2D2 fly, the Saarlac gaining a beak, and Greebo shooting first, you have to get the impression he was better off with the complex airfix models that took years to get right. At least first time round he could claim he got lucky getting it right rather than nowadays being all smug whilst getting it so wrong.

***** for the films

* for the 'new' special effects.

Looking forward to the RotJ and Special Features disks now!

  15 out of 22 people found this review helpful

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Matsy from Lancashire , 23/10/2004

Good, I think, just about covers it. Sadly, the Disney influence obviously struck home when the film was made - quite what George Lucas was thinking when he thought up the ewoks is beyond me. (Of course, that pales into insignificance when compared with Jar Jar Binks in Phantom Menace!)

Highly watchable - it has to be if you want to see what happens in the trilogy! - and includes a memorable fight scene between Vader and Luke. Shame that George can't leave it alone (again!), and had to change the end scenes in the DVD release.

Definitely not an improvement on the original.

  13 out of 15 people found this review helpful

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Flippertbk from Milton Keynes , 28/09/2004

I was 6 when I first saw Star Wars - I was blown away. For the following decade or so Star Wars was shown every Christmas; I never missed it. Whenever I am feeling low or depressed there is only one thing I need. Star Wars always cheers me up, makes me smile and reminds me how wondrous life is. It is my all-time favourite film and I doubt will ever be bettered. There may be ‘better’ films, but none will make me feel as I did as a 6 year old truly learning the difference between good and evil.

As for the other two films they tell a story and complete the masterpiece and show that love (in all its forms) will conquer all. "Lord of the Rings" is excellent and a very thought-provoking film, but Star Wars takes one back to being a child and there is nothing better than how you feel when you have the mind of a child. There is no end to a child’s imagination and they are too young to know of the ‘bad’ things in real life.

There is no entertainment like this trilogy and scores 100% on the feel good factor.

  12 out of 16 people found this review helpful

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A customer from WOODFORD GREEN , 01/11/2004

Seen it on TV and VHS a zillion times but watching it on DVD made it a whole new experience

  4 out of 6 people found this review helpful

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A customer from BIRMINGHAM , 30/05/2004

The original and still the best. 1978, age 14! sitting inside the curve of the screen and the space ships fly overhead filling my entire vision. WOW! Seen on the small screen the impact is lost, plus we've seen so much more since but this is still one of the best SF movies of all time, as for the more recent prequels.. forget em! A New Hope along with Empire and Return are by far the best. If you've not seen them befeore you wont be disappointed.

Excellent effects, good characters and lovable robots plus one of the best space battles seen. Add to this Peter Cushing and Alec Guinness for great actors and the best baddie ever.. enough said.

  6 out of 7 people found this review helpful

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