Rating: Summary: Music at the end of ROTJ Review: I don't see how anyone can think the music at the end of the SE ROTJ could be cheesier than the music it replaced. Listen to the original with the lyrics - it's hideous! Star Wars was my childhood, but I cringed every time I heard that music!I'm reserving judgement for this release until I see it, so I'm giving it 3 stars for now. I have no problem with revising a work, if the changes are for the better (after all, even Tolkien revised the Hobbit, completely changing Gollum's role). I've heard that Lucas is still tweaking it - let's hope he changes the Greedo thing back to the original version.
Rating: Summary: Come On People Review: Everyone needs to get off their soap box and be quite. We have ALL been waiting for Lucas to get off is rear end and release the first three movies on DVD. Let's cut out the crap about one release being better or worse then the other. They are ALL great in their own right. I for one think this DVD release is simply awesome. The interviews are excellent and the picture and sound can't be beat. Now lets all of us put our little opinions down and be thankful that they are finally availbale on DVD. After all it is the world of Star Wars we all love to watch. And these movies are fun to watch as well. This is a GREAT BUY for any collector.
Rating: Summary: Fairy tales for a new generation Review: It's nearly impossible to review such an enduringly integral component of pop-culture out of that context, but Star Wars was the new fairy tales for a generation who had outgrown the old ones. A post-Vietnam, post-Watergate, jaded, cynical society was looking for new legends in which to believe, and they found them in the form of the Death Star, Darth Vader, and Luke Skywalker. To this day, Star Wars is big business (just look at merchandise sales and box office grosses) which still has a rabid group of fans, but recent installments have been critically panned and lukewarmly received by viewers. So, not having been able to hold back fan response any longer, Lucas has released the first three movies on DVD, in a move that is sure to give him even more money. This time, though, we know we're getting good stuff: two classic films and a pretty good finale. Star Wars brings back a lot of nostalgia for a lot of people, and for good reason: it taps into the ever-powerful good vs. evil motif, it gives us a hero to root for and a villain to hiss at. There's space battles, jailbreaks, and a powerful emotional payoff at the end. It is the template of what makes a good movie, and happens to be pretty entertaining to this day. Its sequel, though, is my favorite of the group. The Empire Strikes Back adds shades of gray to the Star Wars universe, its much darker look and feel and mythic overtones (and less than happy ending) make this the least favorite of some and the favorite of the rest of us. The Empire Strikes Back also has one of the best plot twists in history, and aside from all the spoofing throughout the years, I still get a tingle down my spine when Vader tells Luke, "I am your father!" We get a gritty melodrama where things don't turn out all right at the end of the day, but it is not a grim tale, there is a balance in the storytelling that really works for the movie. The final installment, Return of the Jedi, is less than the sum of its parts. Good vs. Evil -- good. Father vs. Son, Vader vs. Skywalker -- good. Ewoks -- not so much (they were born to become collectible teddy bears for Star Wars fans). This movie did end the trilogy in a very satisfying manner, though: the emotional payoff made the entire journey worthwhile. There's still a lot to like about these movies: I think the special effects look great (and unlike recent installments are not at all gratuituous), the fairy-tale like narrative style and fantastic locations and images are indellible. Although there is a high probability that everyone in the world has seen these movies, and many own a set, the DVD set promises to be worth the buy (until Lucas releases another one in a year). Enjoy.
Rating: Summary: These aren't the movies I grew up with. Review: I grew up watching Star Wars, but these aren't the movies I grew up watching. George Lucas has, for some reason completely inexpicable, significantly changed the films for this release. The changes unnecessary and often change the characters and flow of the films significantly. If he releases the movies I grew up with, I'm sure I'll purchase them, but I have no desire to watch these versions of the films.
Rating: Summary: I Like The Special Edition Movies Review: Yes, I really do like the Special Edition versions, and I am glad George Lucas is releasing these films in this format and not the original. It is looking at the big picture. I don't think George Lucas would have made special editions of these films if he wasn't planning on making Episodes I, II and III to complement the original trilogy. The first three films needed to be updated in effects and style so that a person could sit down and watch all six episodes in a row and have it seem like one long picture. With the update in technology available since the original trilogy came out, it only makes sense to update Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi as well. All six films can fit perfectly together after the release of Episode III in 2005. Yes, it would have been nice to have the original trilogy in the original format alongside the special editions. However, the bigger picture is for all six Star Wars pictures to look the same for the story's sake, not because of George Lucas' ego.
Rating: Summary: To buy, or not to buy..... that is the question..... Review: Are Star Wars Episodes IV, V, & VI great movies? YES!!! Are the Special Edition versions great movies? In my mind, yes. No, I was not happy with some of the editions made to these movies. For example: Greedo shooting first (by far the biggest blunder George Lucas made, aside from Jar Jar, in all five movies.) I didn't read all the reviews so I don't know if anyone mentioned how the actual explosion of the Death Star in Episode IV was altered. Personally, I like the original explosion better. It may be a minor point to some, but it bothered the heck out of me. Yet, I still must give these movies 5 stars. If we didn't have the original versions to compare the Special Editions too, people would like them just the same (think about that for a second or two). In response to a few previous reviews; Dune and Star Wars are ABSOLUTELY nothing alike. Yes, I read ALL the Dune books and enjoyed them all, but to say Lucas copied Dune when he made Star Wars is ridiculous! And another reviewer mentioned how a REAL moviemaker like Speilberg has never gone back an altered his works. That reviewer has obviously not seen the NEW version of E.T. (Handguns mysteriously changing into walkie-talkies.) Thank goodness neither of them got any funny ideas with the Indiana Jones series. Bottom line is that the SE versions are still great movies.
Rating: Summary: An immensely disappointing release Review: George Lucas never ceases to confound me. He was responsible for arguably one of the most important and influential science fiction films of all time (Star Wars, 1977), a film that broke down special effects barriers and helped show that sci-fi can be an incredibly fun, energetic and exciting genre to watch. Star Wars is a technical marvel and a joy to watch. Why then, does Lucas feel the need to disrespect the brilliance that went into the original film - brilliance from co-writers, advisers and most specifically the technical geniuses behind the effects - and spoil that artistry with computer graphic special effects that do nothing to enhance what made the film great in the first place? Turns out he's not the great film maker so many - himself included - believe him to be. In trying to over-write cinematic history by replacing a classic version of a film entirely with a plastic-fantastic wannabe, Mr. Lucas spits in the face of everyone who helped make Star Wars the brilliant film it was. I would implore anyone with a sense of cinematic appreciation to reject this DVD release - let's see Star Wars released as we remember it, as it should always be remembered, in its original theatrical cut.
Rating: Summary: Can't believe Lucas didn't release the ORIGINAL trilogy Review: Man, I LOVE Star Wars as much as anybody else and I was so looking forward to the original trilogy as it was first shown in theatres to be released on DVD. What a disappointment that Lucas decided to release the "Special Edition" versions instead with the added footage of Jabba walking around, etc. I guess I have to wait another few years until this version runs it course and runs up the total in the bank account and then Lucas will finally release the original versions on DVD or whatever the new format is by then. (...)
Rating: Summary: Close, but no cigar. Review: I was pretty excited when I heard that this set was going to be released on DVD. I mean, Star Wars was the last movie I saw at a drive in, way back in 1970something. However, what's being released isn't the movie that I remember. I don't have anything against the new versions, but they don't hold the same interest that the original did. I guess I'll just have to hope my old Pioneer laserdisc player holds out until Lucas decides to release the movies the way most of the people I know remember them.
Rating: Summary: Is Star Wars Original? Review: No, no, no. He ripped off Dune and all those other great Sci fi and fantasy books. A finger to Star Wars!
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