Rating: 
Summary: The Best Trilogy in Film History
Review: George Lucas' first instalment in the immensely popular STAR WARS franchise is generally regarded as the greatest movie ever made. Why? Well, what's not to like? From the opening shot of the Blockade Runner accompanied by that great theme tune by John Williams, you know you're in the unique world of the STAR WARS universe. Before George's prequels THE PHANTOM MENACE and ATTACK OF THE CLONES, A NEW HOPE was known only as STAR WARS. Audiences had never seen anything so original and amazing. Now, the series has entered into the fanboy culture all over the world. In comparison, Episode 4 seems somewhat tame compared to AOTC in terms of action, but it's still an astounding adventure filled with great characters and wonderful escapsim.
From Hero Luke Skywalker's symbolic journey from his home Tatooine to the moment of victory at the finale, we are greeted with a myriad of fantastic characters, especially Han Solo, played by a pre-Indy Harrison Ford and his buddy Chewbacca. And the ultimate incarnation of evil, Darth Vader. And that, more than anything, is what made TPM so hollow. While the action was good, the lack of good characters is disappointing. But AOTC has regained much of the sense of adventure that this film started off.
Lucas' grand vision illuminates the entire film, with inventive creatures and events. Several scenes that are my favorites are Obi Wan's conversation to Luke about the Clone Wars and Vader, Solo's disposal of Greedo, Obi Wan and Vader's last confrontation and the battle of Yavin. One of my all-time favorite films, STAR WARS is THE great adventure.
Directed by Irvin Kershner, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK moved away from the high-sprited antics of the first film and took a step towards the dark side. The Empire is preparing to seek revenge on the Rebel Alliance, C3P0 gets blasted to bits and Luke Skywalker finds out that Darth Vader is his dad! Even John William's score is much darker in tone than his previous efforts. But the film is an excellent adventure that many fans consider to be superior to the original. Mark Hamill returns as Luke, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia and Harrison Ford as the sardonic Han Solo. And we are introduced to the wise Yoda, who trains Luke about the ways of a Jedi. The action ante is upped considerably, with fantastic chases through asteroid feilds, battles between snowspeeders and the AT-ATs and Luke's rescue mission. And the Bespin Duel, where the confrontational battle between Vader and Luke ends with one of the most shocking revelations in movie history (Even if it's somewhat un-surprising for future fans who watch all the completed films in sequence).RETURN OF THE JEDI starts off with Luke and Leia rescuing Han Solo from the crime lord Jabba the Hutt. While the film is less exciting than it's counterparts, it does have some good action, including the rescue on the desert skiff, the speeder chase through the forest of Endor, the dark final battle between Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine and Luke and the destruction of the second Death Star. The lightsaber fights are some of the best in the Star Wars cannon and Princess Leia is hotter than ever! John William's score is even more exciting than ESB.
If I were to place the Star Wars films in order from best to not-as-good, they would go THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, A NEW HOPE, RETURN OF THE JEDI, ATTACK OF THE CLONES and THE PHANTOM MENACE.
This presentation is very impressive, with added scenes and improved SFX. We see more of Jabba the Hutt, there are some great additions including the amazing Bespin City and the added celebration scenes at the end of JEDI. A classic trilogy, and a must-buy when it gets on DVD (Hurry up George).
Rating:
Summary: The One And Only - Episode IV, A New Hope
Review: When episode III is released in 2005???? it will bring the Star Wars saga ALL together and not a nanosecond too soon. I'm extremely impressed by all the knowledgeable details that fans have regarding the entire Star Wars series but as Bill Shatner said on SNL, they REALLY need to get a life. To be honest, I think I'm one of many millions that truely enjoyed the original Episode IV, A New hope - augmented with episodes V,VI,I,II,& eventually III. But in my humble opinion none of the sequels, enjoyable as they are, have ever come close to duplicating the pure magic and fantasy of ANH. ANH was groundbreaking and revolutionary for it's time and Lucas should have a heart and release it in DVD for us old timers. After all, it HAS been 25 years. OOHH, I know I'm gonna get slammed for this review but give me Episode IV, A New Hope anyday!
Rating:
Summary: Hard to find...but worth buying
Review: 'A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away'. I was 14 when I first saw this now-famous opening 'card' to what was then just Star Wars. It had not yet been given an Episode number or a subtitle. It was simply Star Wars back in the summer of 1977, and George Lucas was not sure - and neither was 20th Century Fox - whether his dream of a six-chapter Skywalker/Star Wars saga would be realized. After all, this mixture of space adventure, Western, war movie, and old-fashioned mythology was, according to some studio executives, a souped-up comic book story with no chance of making money. Yet, the adventures of farmboy-turned-into-hero Luke Skywalker somehow defied the logic of skeptics and fuddy duddy critics, and Star Wars went on to make movie history (and billions in ticket sales and licensed products). Lucas went on to write the next two films' stories and screenplays (with the creative talents of the late Leigh Brackett and writer-director Lawrence Kasdan to assist), and with the success of Star Wars (which by 1981 would be renamed as Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) to build up Lucasfilm Limited (LFL) into a huge multi-media empire. And even though it would be almost two decades before the prequels could be made and released, the Star Wars Trilogy's completion in 1983 laid the groundwork for the creation of Episodes One, Two, and Three. This boxed set of the Star Wars Trilogy consists of the 1997 Special Edition films. These were released to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Star Wars, which was a good promotional tool for LFL to build up fan enthusiasm for the still-in-production Episode I. The Special Edition re-release featured not only a restored print of the film, but also some deleted scenes (mostly with Jabba the Hutt) were incorporated into Star Wars: A New Hope. Mos Eisley was practically reinvented digitally, and some scenes were tweaked digitally, pleasing some fans while annoying others. The other two Episodes (The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi) were given less drastic retouches' or at least there were fewer gripes about the changes there. Of course, none of the elements that made the Classic Trilogy such a big part of our lives is missing in this Special Edition. Luke's earnest quest to be a Jedi, Leia's resolution to restore the democratic Republic, the droids' Laurel-and-Hardy friendship, Han's casual courage, Chewie's fierce loyalty, Obi-Wan's quiet nobility, Yoda's quirky teachings, Palpatine's unremitting evil, and Darth Vader's dark power are all there, just as we aging teenagers of the Star Wars Generation remember them. Industrial Light & Magic's then-visionary effects have been cleaned up (there are none of those unsightly mattes that are evident in home video transfers), and John Williams' classic score still sounds fresh and timeless. The Star Wars Trilogy - at least this is my impression - is the movie series that has been most shamelessly re-released and re-packaged since the advent of videotape. Since 1992 four boxed sets (original, THX, 1997 Limited Edition, and 2000 re-release) have been launched like so many probe droids. This latest video release has the fewest extra features of the last three - the 1992 boxed set has no extra features. While the THX version from 1995 opens each film with a short intro by George Lucas and Leonard Maltin, and the 1997 limited release comes with explanations of how and why the films were altered and/or restored, the 2000 boxed set only has a short promotional featurette about Episode II. This boxed set comes in an easy to find pan and scan (full screen) format and a harder-to-find Widescreen version. Until the DVD set comes out sometime in 2005, this boxed set is the best way to enjoy the original Star Wars films. --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition
Rating:
Summary: The Movie Really is Finished.....
Review: Well there have been all sorts of rumors that Lucasfilm will be adding even more new scenes, new music, and some slight editing corrections when this movie comes to DVD. But George Lucas has continued to deney these rumors. The Special Edition work that was done on this movie in 1997 is the "final" version that Lucas wanted for the movie, and thus will be the only version shown on the DVD when it's released two years fron now.
Rating:
Summary: 5 stars? Waaaay to low!!
Review: Truly amazing. How can I say more? These movie are my all time favorite. A mystic "force" draws me to them. The newest episodes I & II are horrible, but if you're a BIG fan like me yo'll buy them. You just can't beat relaxing for a day, clearing your scedul and watching "A New Hope" "The Empier Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi."
The films have some lines that stick in my head like glue,"May the force be with you" who could foret that one?!
These movies will go down in histoy as classics. And may they NEVER be forgotten.
Rating:
Summary: Space Opera? Fantasy? Drama? Classic.
Review: Star Wars' blend of Fantasy, Action, Sci-Fi, Drama, and so many other elements makes is a truly landmark piece. Trying to summarize the story requires that you address a person's own taste. This movie can be as easily described as a "Coming of age film from the perspective of a young space farmer" as "A legendary story of lasers and lightsabers" as "A soap opera in space". If you enjoy deep plot in movies, you may enjoy the complexity of interstellar politics in a crumbling galaxy under the foot of an Imperial opression. If you enjoy fantasy, the story of the mystical "Force" will take you away. Romance enthusiasts can appreciate an underlying love story. Special effects junkies and action fans will love the colossal space fights and abundance of action- and yes, much of the special effects hold up even now. Criticism of "flat" characters and other common complaints often only come from those who aren't open to what this movie truly is. If you're the type that always has to classify a movie as one specific genre to enjoy it, you probably won't enjoy this movie. Go into this flick with an open mind and a bucket of popcorn. And if you hate camp, yes you'll hate this flick. "Wipes" between scenes are often used to make quick transitions. Period style makes its way into characters' dress and actions in minor but not invisible ways. However, unless you're a complete movie buff, you'll never even notice these elements until much later. This legendary work comes from George Lucas in the era when he was still closely involved with Stephen Spielberg in movie making- what could be called the golden age of George Lucas. This movie was also the birthplace of ILM- Lucas essentially founded the company that has become the state of movie special effects to bring this epic movie to the screen way ahead of its time- much as Steve Jackson birthed WETA Workshop for the current Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The technology necessary to make the sheer scale of these movies pushed the industry beyond its limits- and so the directos invented new limits. I recommend this movie to people of all ages. Most of all, I reccomend it to casual moviegoers looking for a little more mystique in a movie. Fans of The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, Blade Runner, Indiana Jones, and other such groundbreaking movies fit naturaly into the Star Wars scene. If you hated the ridiculous character issues in Episode I&II but loved the action enough to see it again, you should know the origional movies don't have any such problems. Interestingly, I also reccomend this to Mel Brooks fans who don't mind watching a fairly dramatic movie. The directors do share a lot of camp and period influence if you know where to look for it. On that note, Mel Brooks fans should buy Spaceballs with this movie for a total experience- and a hilarious spoof of a great movie. Viewers who think that the potential of seeing a "space opera" is overwhelming might even want to see Brooks' Spaceballs first for a good transition into the movie. Regardless of your taste in movies, everyone should see Star Wars at least once in their lifetime. Its importance in the history of movies could be stacked beside movies as classic as Casablanca or Shaft Goes to Africa- simply in terms of historical influence. Buy it, rent it, borrow it, just see it.
Rating: 
Summary: Four Stars for content, Three Stars for widscreen transfer
Review: What more can possibly be said about the original Star Wars Trilogy....George Lucas in his prime...as well as everyone else.
The Widescreen version of this package has fair transfers...but I'm just probably spoiled from DVD.
Rating:
Summary: The Star Wars Trilogy remains unbeaten!
Review: I would like to say that surprisingly, each of the three films of the Star Wars Trilogy has been my favorite at one point, which is proof of their quality. For me, each Episode provides new elements to the story, and helps the plot to progress, ultimately leading to the great finale. To this day, no other sci-fi film or franchise has reached the level of these awesome movies; not even the new Star Wars films. This Trilogy remains the best entertainment you can get.
I have only one question: when are they going to be released on DVD?!
Rating:
Summary: Star Wars Trilogy
Review: Here are somethings you will need to know, before buying
The Trilogy. It's VHS not DVD. The DVDs will not be out till about
3 to 4 years. So this is the best quality you can get.
The picture is remastered, so is the sound. Nothing like
what it could look like on DVD though, but good for
VHS. Don't buy Full-Screen, buy Wide-screen, you lose half
the picture with Full-Screen. With Wide-Screen you do have
the black bars, but you see the the whole picture. If you like this try: The Phantom Menace DVD or VHS Attack of the Clones DVD or Vhs
Rating:
Summary: Greatest Sci-fi movie ever BUT.....
Review: Lucas said THEY WILL NEVER RELEASE A NEW HOPE, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, OR RETURN OF THE JEDI ON DVD. THAT IS THE STUPIDEST THING I'VE HEARD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE BUT GEORGE LUCAS SAYS WHAT GOES! Buy em on Ebay! Thats the only way you'll ever watch em on DVD anyway GOOD LUCK FORCE BE WITH ALL OF YOU
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