Rating: 
Summary: A Long Time Ago, In A Galaxy Far Away....
Review: When Star Wars opened in 1977, theaters were packed, with audiences waiting in lines to see the "space opera" that George Lucas had masterfully crafted. The movie, which became one of the top-grossing films of all time, changed forever the way science fiction movies were made, elevating the genre from the realm of B movies to serious fiction, so much so that the original Star Wars movie, subtitled "A New Hope", was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar that year.The technology of the time was somewhat limited, and though it was considered "cutting edge" in its day, special effects limited the vision which George Lucas had hoped to present to his worldwide audience. It seemed only fitting therefore that on the anniversary of his Opus, he would return to the world of Star Wars once more, re-inventing the movie that launched a franchising monstrosity in a galazy not so far from home. What was created was the extended edition of the Star Wars movies, with a special focus on the first installment, "A New Hope". Industrial Light and Magic, Lucasfilm's effects house, which was in its infancy at the time Star Wars was produced, was brought back on the project once more to expand the film into the vision Lucas had originally envisioned. While all three films were to be "touched up" for the 20 year anniversary release, it was "A New Hope" that was given the biggest facelift. Scenes that had been cut were re-introduced to the film, new scenes, with the aid of some cutting edge CGI were created, and the film as a whole was retouched, enhancing the color and sound through the use of digital processing. The movie opened with much of the same hype as it had 20 years earlier. Storylines, which had been developed in "the Empire Strikes Back" and "The Return of the Jedi" were fleshed out some in this first film, and for the first time, we saw the famous scene where Han has his initial run-in with Jabba the Hutt (a scene that was omitted in the original release due to a lack of effects technology to create the slug-like Jabba). Additional sequences included a greatly enhanced Mos-Eisley spaceport, full of droids, strange alien lifeforms and a barrage of businesses and settlements that gave the city a much greater scope than the original. Similar additions were created for the sequels, though most of the revision work there surrounding the enhancement of exisitng scenes. As with "New Hope", the films were cleaned up, providing new digital effects where blue screen and miniatures had been used previously. The changes, more subtle than the first, are still impressive, especially the altered ending to "The Return of the Jedi." Though this reviewer will not ruin the ending for the viewer, lets simply state that there will no longer be a need to suffer through the Ewoks song that seemed sadly anti-climatic at the end of the original release of the film. The special effects in these films play more like characters than situations, and ILM has done a great job of cleaning them up. Especially impressive are the new fight/flight sequences at the end of "A New Hope" when the Rebel Alliance is engaged with the Empire with the intent of destroying the Death Star. The new visuals, which were blended in many cases with existing effects, are much more fluid, providing a greater sense of reality to the viewer. For anyone unfamiliar with the story surrounding the Star Wars franchise, it begins with a farmboy named Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), whose greatest dream is to be a pilot in the Imperial Fleet. When his uncle purchases a pair of droids for their farm, he uncovers a secret message recorded by the beautiful Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) for the mysterious Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi (Alec Guiness), which begins a string of events that will forever change Luke's life. With the aid of rogue pilot Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca, Ben and Luke, along with C-3P0 (Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2, head out to Alderan where they hope to aid the rebel alliance in overthrowing the Empire by destroying the Emperor's most lethal weapon, the dreaded Death Star; a spacestation capable of destroying entire planets. Upon their arrival,they run head-long into the Death Star, which has recently destroyed the planet of Alderan, Leia's homeworld. Their ship captured, the crew escape capture with the aid of Han's smuggling compartments built into the floor of his ship. They set out into the Death Star to rescue the princess, dis-engage the tractor beam and ultimately return to the secret base of the Rebel Alliance. Kenobi, whose actions differ some, sets out to confront Darth Vader (David Prowse (voiced by James Earl Jones)), ambassador to the Emporer and former pupil of Kenobi. The balance of the story, and the sequels, are for the viewer to discover. These films, which have been digitally transfered to video cassette in both wide screen and full screen editions, are spectacular, with a clarity of sound and color that is better than any other release of the films to date. The extras on the video cassette are sparse, save for a three-part "Making Of" serving as an introduction to each of the films. Narrated most by Leonard Maltin (film critic) and George Lucas, these introductions to offer a good glimpse into the process Lucas and his sizable staff undertook in the re-creation of the many sequences in each film. As the original Star Wars Trilogy is not yet available on DVD, this collection is probably the closest transfer in existance of these films to a digital video. The videos are clean, with enhanced sound and color that really do make the movies seem as if they were brand new, instead of a re-release of a film that is over 20 years old. The additions to each of the film are enjoyable, though some look contrived, especially the sequences surrounding Vader's return to his Star Destroyer at the end of "The Empire Strikes Back". (You will note that the general who meets him at the end of Empire is the same as the one who greets him at the beginning of "Jedi". It would seem that Lucas spliced some spare footage from "Jedi" into "Empire" to expand the scene.) Though many critics complain that the films should not have been doctored, the extended edition nonetheless does offer up a fresh look for the films and, for the uninitiated, the closest opportunity available to experiencing the Star Wars franchise the way it was seen when it first packed the theaters in 1977. These films have stood the test of time, and now, with the release of all three in this collector's edition, are a worthwhile addition to any video library. -Scott Kolecki
Rating: 
Summary: Paging Mr. Lucas
Review: Will someone please let George Lucas know that not everyone was happy with the "updated" version of the SW Trilogy? I *hated* the new SFX. Some were good but most only looked superimposed on the old material. Changing the ending of "Return of the Jedi" really chapped my hide. It's not the film series I grew up with. I will only by the trilogy if the original theatrical version is released on DVD (and in a heartbeat, too).
Rating:
Summary: !!Great News Star Wars Fans!!
Review: TheForce.net is reporting that the Original Star Wars Trilogy (Episodes IV, V, and VI) will be released in Septermber 2004!!! If this is true, well only have to wait about nine months!! I hope that it isn't altered too much, but if it is, I hope its an improvement.
Rating:
Summary: The trilogy is the best available - but only on video
Review: The VHS release of the special edition trilogy is the n
best in the Star Wars series available so far on video. However, is it not time now thhat it should have got to DVD. Is this going to be another opportunity for G Lucas to rip us off?
Rating:
Summary: Why not the full 5?
Review: Well, I'm smart enough to know that the Force is just some weird cfreature he made up. But apperently it's Canadas #1 reiligon. I don't think that he intended to yake people away from God, which is why I'm not really mad, more as dumb-founed. Other than that this movie is great. It's about a boy named Luke Skywalker terying to deafeat Darth Vader. But he also has to learn how to use the force. And he must stop the emporor. It's great.
Rating:
Summary: WAITING FOR THE DVD VERSION !
Review: It has been said that after Star Wars III has been released (May, 2005) George Lucas will release all six films on dvd in a big box set(7 discs total, 1 for bonus footage). This will not happen til 2007. It'll probably be a $99.00 retail. But I went out and bought a dvd recorder and made all three films on dvd disc. The quality was way better than the original vhs tape. So I guess It'll be worth the wait...
Rating:
Summary: May the Force Be With You
Review: I am by means a science fiction fan. Not at all. But even I can appreciate the genius of the Star Wars Triology. It is a morality tale extraordinare. it is a vision of the future. It is comedy, drama, adventure. It is all these things and more. George Lucas wrote all three movies at once, on paper longhand. Yes, that's right. Amazing, isn't it? Worth seeing just for that small fact alone. Sheer genius. Definitely something not to miss--AND to see again.
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME!
Review: This trilogy is the sci-fi bible for all movies of this genre, and that is all I have to say!
Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE GREATEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME!
Review: the star wars trilogy revolutionized the way we watch movies forever. The plot is great and the characters are spectactular. The special effects featured in this movie revolutionized the entire industdry. If u dont have the Star Wars trilogy, buy it now!
Rating:
Summary: THIS IS A GREAT MOVIE!!!!!!!!!
Review: This is a really great movie. Mark Hammill is eally good as Luke, but Harrison Ford! Man, was he great!!! He like highlighted the whole movie it would be junk without him and Carrie Fisher. Carrie Fisher was SOOO fantastic. This is a really great movie!!!-Me
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