![]() ![]() But contrary to the party line espoused by Lucasfilm spokespeople, there is a difference between remastering a film and actually changing the content, as Lucas did for the 1997 re-release and the 2004 DVD so the addition of an anamorphic transfer and remastered sound (faithful to the original audio track) would be welcome to virtually all fans and absolutely without compromising the integrity of the original edition. Additionally, the volume, clarity and stereoscopic accuracy of the audio presentation is less satisfactory - if only by today's standards. Suffice it to say that the general presentation in terms of picture quality and sound is not as good as any previous DVD version of the film: from the opening scenes to the finale, the film doesn't glow with the same vividity that the 2004 discs did - but then again, that's because they came out in 1977. (The missing material is from the fourth disc in the boxed set, which features a documentary and other goodies.) So if one does not have any Star Wars DVDs, or worries that the new discs won't suitably replace their existing sets, then fret not: all of the same information from each individual film is maintained in this collection. LEGO Star Wars II video game demo and trailerīasically what this description means is that each of the original versions are added to the original release as bonus material, which is a seeming admission by Lucas that they have completely deprioritized the films in favor of their technically superior 2004 editions.Audio options: English Dolby 2.0 Surround, French Dolby 2.0 Surround, Spanish Dolby 2.0 Surround.4:3 letterbox format (aspect ratio 2.35:1).Original theatrical version of Star Wars. ![]() Audio options: English Dolby 5.1 Surround EX, English Dolby 2.0 Surround, French Dolby 2.0 Surround, Spanish Dolby 2.0 Surround.The Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (Limited Edition) DVD was released September 12, 2006, featuring the following materials: Commentary by George Lucas, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren and Carrie Fisher.Audio options: English Dolby 5.1 Surround EX, English Dolby 2.0 Surround, French Dolby 2.0 Surround, Spenish Dolby 2.0 Surround.The original The Empire Strikes Back DVD was released Septemin a four-disc set entitled The Star Wars Trilogy, featuring the following materials: Then of course there's the matter of the asteroid field chase, which is not only one of the better sequences in all three of the films, but in my humble opinion one of the absolute best compositions John Williams ever wrote, Star Wars film or no. The most happy change (or restoration) here is the reinstatement of the original exchange between Vader and the Emperor, which originally did not telegraph the fact that Vader and Luke are related. McDiarmid in 2004.Įmpire is my favorite of the three films, partially because it's the darkest of the three but mostly because it has the most compelling emotional core: Luke discovers the truth about himself and his family, Leia and Han fall gingerly in love, and Yoda bunds the universe together with his combination of benevolent philosophy, cheeky humor and homespun wisdom. So now that these original versions are available on DVD, what is there to think about them? Should we be happy they exist at all in a legitimate version? Decry the less-than-stellar way they have been produced? Use this as an opportunity to judge once and for all which edition is the definitive one? I am inclined to agree that in many cases fans will never be happy, just as I believe that a filmmaker has an obligation to satisfy the fans who made his films a success but looking at the spanking-new Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back DVD, the only feeling I can immediately identify is gratitude - maybe not for Lucas, or Fox for distributing the disc, but just in general - for now having a real-deal copy of the film that I loved as a child in the version that first enchanted my imagination. Unfortunately, keeping in the filmmaker's proud tradition of withholding, misdirecting and otherwise, yes, offering what audiences want but not necessarily when they want it, he chose to release them in non-anamorphic widescreen, without any retouches, changes or improvements since their original remastering in 1994 - which most know is substandard in the context of today's expansive home-theater offerings. When Lucas announced after some reluctance that his namesake company would finally release the original versions of the first three Star Wars movies, unencumbered by CGI changes and digital upgrades, many (including yours truly) were rightfully thrilled: finally the time had come for Lucas to recognize his fans' wishes.
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