Rating: 
Summary: Three Stars for the First Film
Review: If you weren't anywhere near the summer of 1977 it would be hard to really explain the excitement that the first STAR WARS film caused. I was 14, perhaps the best age to see it, and I completely fell in love with it. Of course, so did everyone else.
(By December, I was also completely sick of it and ready for the next great sci-fi film released that Christmas: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND).I still think the first is the best, no matter how much tinkering George Lucas does with the special effects. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK was good until it stopped. It did not end. It stopped. I remember being infuriated walking out of the movie in 1980. My sci-fi nerd buddies were ecstactic and I was asking, "How long do we have to wait now to find out what happens?"
Three years later came RETURN OF THE JEDI and I hated it. Harrison Ford's Han Solo, the most interesting character, took a backseat to adorable little furballs. I'll always remember watching JEDI in a theatre filled with little kids making the laser sounds and then walking out to see the toy store across the mall with piles of Ewoks and crap from the movie. A 2-and-a-half hour toy commercial that ends with the signature "yearbook photo" shot of everyone standing together, all smiles (even the bad guys return as happy ghosts to wave from the sidelines).
So I was pretty disillusioned with the FIRST three films by the early 1980's. (I saw THE PHANTOM MENACE in theatres. Snooze-fest. Caught part of ATTACK OF THE CLONES on HBO. Like the online newspaper parody, The Onion, said, it was "like C-SPAN from another planet." But I'll probably see the last one when it comes out, out of loyalty for the first film that entertained me in a lifetime far, far away....)
Rating: 
Summary: A Classic!
Review: I just recently purchased a DVD player and knew that the Star Wars Trilogy would have to be in my collection ASAP. Of course I've these three movies many, many times, but for some reason I never tire of seeing them again. The first one brings back many childhood memories (my brother had a Star Wars themed bedroom!) and it's comforting to put it on just to have as background noise when my apartment gets too quiet. I guess that is the true meaning of a classic movie - you love it so much that it becomes a part of yourself. The added interviews and such on this DVD were pretty insightful to me and the bonus disc of "never before seen" footage from making the three movies had me giddy with delight! I can't imagine anyone not wanting to have this set in their collection!
Rating:
Summary: Must-Have DVD
Review: STAR WARS-A NEW HOPE(1977), THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980) and RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983) are three of the greatest movies ever made. So its difficult to differentiate between them. The Battle of Yavin, AT-ATs on Hoth, Luke and Vader on Bespin and the destruction of the second Death Star are all among
the most memorable movie moments in history. Who could forget the sardonic smuggler turned-rebel alliance hero Han Solo and his faithful wookie companion Chewbacca. Or the whiny but heroic Luke Skywalker saving the striking Princess Leia and the accompanying droids R2-D2 and C-3PO on the death star. Throw in some tusken raiders, stormtroopers, an ageing jedi master, a dark lord, an unlucky rodian and you've got a great movie. Just like JAWS before it, John William's fantastic soundtrack adds so much to all three films that it becomes another character in the story.
George Lucas' incredibly detailed universe and its accompanying multitude of great characters make New Hope imminently re-watchable and timeless. A perennial favorite of most film buffs, what's not to like? The 'Special Edition' re-releases in 1997 added several impressive CG vistas and creatures, but the shots are sometimes jarring. No matter how compelling a story is, or how good the acting is, special effects will kill any scene they're used in if they're not up to scratch. Jabba the Hutt's conversation with Han Solo was in my opinion badly done, and Darth Vader and Obi-Wan's lightsabers weren't even touched. Thankfully, all the quibbles about the effects can now be forgotten, as the aforementioned scenes have all be rectified for this highly-anticipated DVD
release.
But SFX, 20-odd years of fan obsession and subsequent classic status aside, is NEW HOPE actually a good movie when you sit down and watch it? While its a good start to the saga, EMPIRE outranks NH in terms of action and character depth. JEDI is commonly regarded as the lesser of the three, however there are some great action scenes and the characters prove to be more likeable when they've all gone full circle; especially Luke, from quiet farmboy to powerful jedi. And the end lightsaber fight with Darth Vader and Luke is one of my favorites. Any film fan must own these classic films on DVD.
Rating:
Summary: M-I-G-H-T-Y F-I-N-E
Review: the star wars trilogy was byfar the best trilogy I have ever seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!! all of the star wars movies were MIGH-TY FINE, and to the guy that said star wars was a LOTR rippoff, I can't see where you are going with your story, its nothing like LOTR, and I for one are one of those people you were talking about and as long as the star wars movies come out i'll help make Lucas richer!!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!!
Review: I love this set, especially the documentary, which informed me a lot about the chaotic journey that Star Wars had before becoming so successful. I own the original versions on tapes as well as the DVD set and I have to say that I prefer the DVD version. Looking at alot of "special effects" in the original had me laughing out loud at how crappy they looked.
Rating: 
Summary: Star Wars Trilogy DVD
Review:
As three of my favorite movies growing up as a kid on the outskirts of suburban Sydney in the conservative 1980s, these timeless and wonderful films were a welcome and enjoyable means of escape from the pressures of day to day life. So I am glad to say that the Star Wars Trilogy are still great entertainment after all these years. Now they are finally available on DVD cleaned up and restored to a stunning and pristine condition. We can now enjoy them again and again after what seemed like an eternity of waiting by devoted fans worldwide. One can now watch these quasi-mystical space operas replete with Jedi knights, wookies, Androids and light sabers in all their epic glory. These groundbreaking films quite literally, forever changed the way that Hollywood made movies.
Although as an adult I can be very critical and expect much more from a movie than mere spectacle...and even though they have dated quite a bit, and the dialogue might be somewhat corny, and seem "naïve" in these very dark and troubled times that's okay. They might also seem a bit simplistic, too black and white, then most folklore or myth is. But I none the less still thoroughly enjoy watching these visionary and swashbuckling films from time to time.
I watch them with a strong feeling of romantic nostalgia, as I guess many people around my age do (people in their late 20s and early 30s) for a time when life seemed to be simpler and less complex, a time when people were less jaded, selfish and cynical. I don't actually have much of a problem with the changes George Lucas has made to his films, after all Western art history is full of artists who have gone back to change and rework a piece of art (mainly paintings) they have never been satisfied with, some have even obsessively worked on a piece for many many years, Its just a shame that he hasn't saved the original theatrical release versions as well, for posterity, if not for fans.
I was surprised at the relatively small amount of special features included and think that this is a bit cheap and stingy especially considering how many studios put a lot more effort into the "extras" these days George Lucas has no excuse! A gallery of concept art would have been great for example, or featurettes on Ralph Mcquarrie who did so much to define the look and feel of the films, and one on John Williams who composed and conducted the exhilarating and Iconic soundtracks for the Star Wars movies, two creative artists who together arguably did as much to establish the popularity and success of the Star Wars franchise as George Lucas himself.
Inspired by such diverse sources as the gripping serial adventures of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, romantic tales of medieval chivalry, the Japanese art of bushido, people like the legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa or the pop folklorist and writer Joseph Campbell, ancient myths, legends and fairy tales, old documentary footage from both world wars and art styles such as Art Nouveau and Art Deco, George Lucas deftly weaved all these varied inspirations together to create an archetypal and mythopoetic masterpiece of good and evil, heroes and villains that taken together as a whole, form a unified and prime example of science-fantasy in film. He had in so doing created a modernistic fable for the late 20th century and beyond that inspired a whole generation.
Rating:
Summary: Suh-WEET!
Review: Man, the originals were so boring. I'm glad they've been so thoroughly jazzed-up with extra effects and whatnot. And for those who disagree, you still have your precious little plastis figurines to cuddle with every night, and keep trying, maybe someday you really will use the force to mind-trick an actual female into going out with you. Until then, you can hide your shame behind a bobo-fett mask and pine away, pretending that the real problem is some new effects added to some 70's b-movie about aliens, robots, rubber masks and spaceships. Oh, and magic powers. Don't forget that.
Rating:
Summary: No matter what anyone says, it's STILL Star Wars...
Review: You can either take it or leave it, but no matter what you may believe, Star Wars will always be Star Wars. I have seen ALL the films so far (Including the untouched versions of the original trilogy) and enjoyed each and every one of them. (My favorite being "The Empire Strikes Back" out of them all) Truly, I am very glad to finally see these classic gems on DVD and revealed the way they were meant to be when they were released. Of course the purists will not be interested, considering the fact that they grew up watching them in the late 70s and early 80s. The reason why George Lucas had updated these movies in 1997 was due to the fact that he had a limited budget and very little time at the time they were originally made. Obviously, if this had been differently, nobody would be complaining... PERIOD! The changes BARELY affect the films negatively and they are still watchable for ANY SW fan, young or old.
I myself am one of those for the changes due to that they help fix many of the bugs and glitches in the movies. (One being the transparent cockpit of the ships during the battle for Hoth in ESB) Another problem was the white and yellow boxes, which would sometimes appear around some of the star ships. This error has been fixed in the DVDs and I am glad because to me it REALLY got distracting at times. (The same goes for that funny orange blob below Luke's landspeeder on Tatooine)
However, there are also some of the changes seen in the 1997 Special Editions that weren't really necessary at all but fit into the movies okay. One was with the Greedo shooting first in Episode IV, which didn't exactly look as realistic but luckily in this DVD version it has been slightly fixed up a bit, still making Han Solo look like a badass. Then let's not forget Jabba-the-Hutt, who looks A LOT more convincing and familar just like how he is in ROTJ, rather than his original makeover as a slithering piece of turd in the 1997 version. Also, it's excellent that they replaced the so-called "monkey eyed" woman with Ian McDiarmid (Who plays Palpatine and the Emperor in the prequel trilogy and Episode VI) it gives a hint of continuation to the prequels with the slightly altered dialogue. Another fix was the part with the Emperor's scream in Episode V as Luke chooses to plummet to his death. Yes, it has been edited out (as it originally was in the 1980 version) and I'm glad they did this because it doesn't make sense to have Emperor Palpatine's voice coming out of Luke's mouth! The same scream was also used in Episode VI when Vader throws Palpatine (AKA Darth Sidious) down the beam cannon. In addition, the black circles around the Emperor's eyes, has also been removed, making him look even more menacing and nightmarish than ever! As for Hayden Christensen replacing Shaw as Anakin's ghost, I didn't mind this at all. (Again, it gives a sign of continuation) Finally, the lightsaber effects for ALL three films, has been enhanced and even the Obi Wan VS. Vader duel looks more epic than ever with all the added in flashing effects and sound!
The DVDs themselves are in their best picture quality (It looks almost as new as the quality in Episodes I & II), and the 5.1 Dolby Digital EX sound transfer has never sounded better than ever! (Of course you also get the choice to watch them in 2.0 Surround Sound) When I first opened the package and popped in the first disk, it felt like I was watching the movies all over again for the first time! Never have I seen Star Wars like THIS! I do agree that we should've also gotten the original 1977, 1980, and 1983 releases because it would have been nice to reflect back on how they were originally made. (Without the added CGI effects, scenes, etc.) This would also appeal to diehard fans of the series. Sadly, George Lucas doesn't want to put them on DVD. (For now, at least) However, we do get to see BTS footage for Episodes IV-VI (including a bit of a sneak peak at Episode III) and the original theatrical trailers/T.V. spots.
For those who are against this release, I would have to disagree because this is the best [and ONLY] DVD experience of the films you will be getting for now. Honestly, I don't see what the problem is and I would've bought this set whether it was the Original or Special Editions, because it clearly makes no difference unless you have nothing better to do than to waste your time obsessing and whining about it. After all, the special effects, added scenes, and altered music/actors are NOT the only elements these movies are about! It's also the wonderful storytelling and acting, the many different planets and creatures that inhabit them, which George Lucas introduces us to, & the beautifully composed score by John Williams that will always be there! Just buy the set, pop in your favorite episode, pop a little popcorn, sit back and enjoy the movies with an open mind. I'm very glad that I bought this set and am now waiting patiently on the theatrical release for Episode III which will be coming May 19th! Once that one comes to DVD the following year, I will finally be able to own all six episodes!
"THE FORCE WILL BE WITH YOU ALWAYS..." -Alec Guiness as Obi Wan Kenobi
Rating:
Summary: STAR WARS THE LEGEND
Review: I would like to grant *****FIVE STARS to the icon place that this movies represent in the film industry. Although I do have the main complain as others, why aren't the original version available, I saw it as a kid and I don't mind at all, they're like the ones we loved. Watching this movie retouched is a treat but not a pleasure. As a casual fan and not a StarWars convention maniac, I do believe too that the original thing should be release in DVD. That said, I couldn't imagine another space saga that has so much influence in the movies than this one.
Rating:
Summary: Best trilogy ever made
Review: I was very impressed with the cleanliness of this re-masted DVD edition. All of the blue screen shadows have been removed entirely and the audio is epic. I hear a lot from the "purists" out there who want to see the theatrical release on DVD I say NO. These minor improvements only add to the movie.
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