[jariten]

Read it and weap

[HK 47]

Why would it make people here weep? Oh noooo, TF.net writes a positive review on the DVD set! I'll never criticize it again!! Hold on, yes I will! Here we go:

Why not give us the original films, too? We saw the bar set with E.T. so we know this is possible. Give us the best copy you can of those original award-winning films from 30 years ago. Bitrate issues aside, there was a way to get these on the disc. Or maybe even a “choose your own adventure” type of seamless branching to make your own definitive vision. This is a pipe dream, I know all about “artistic vision” and his “right” to do what he wants with the film. Still, I would love to see this happen – and I’ve got a thousand emails here at TFN that agree with me. Not to mention 62,629 signatures in the official Original Trilogy online petition.

Yeah, that makes me weep. TF.net understands the importance of releasing the OT in its original form.

Do you really have to mess with perfection? For the love of all things good, please just leave the Greedo scene alone! It still looks terrible, maybe even worse than the Special Edition from 1997. Let Han just blast the sucker and get rid of the bounty hunter once and for all. Jabba is an improvement but still that scene just pains me from the get go. Of course, some of the changes were positive to be sure, at least for continuity’s sake. Jango Fett being the voice for Boba Fett is cool connection to the prequels – but that familiar voice I once loved is gone. Again, some of these are good, but man, where does it end? I’d bet in 2011 or so - or maybe George will just start messing with the new TV series.

Actually seems like a decent review to me. But no, it's not a cool connection with the Kiwi accent. It's mega lame. Peoples accent changes over the years, why not let it be? TF.net hates the Greedo and Jabba scene and they do not even mention Hayden at the end of Jedi. The things they praise are picture quality and sound and that the DVD is out in the first place. Hmmmm. I feel I have something in common with these guys, except of course I'm not buying the DVD set.

[jariten]

well thats up to you. i was just trying to show you all that maybe these DVDs might be worth you taking a look at. massivly improved sound and picture quality vs. greedo shooting first/Hayden in ROTJ. and they got rid of Lukes rubbish scream in ESB.

[Xombie]

Wow, a review that begins:

"These things are freakin’ awesome. They will blow you away."

And to think I thought intelligent film criticism was dead. Is Pauline Kael still alive and writing reviews under an assumed name? Still, I was not totally satisfied with this review since it didn't include even one "This totally rocks!!!!" or even a "Play some Skynrd! Wooooo!!!!"

[Chefelf]

I was watching some old clips of these movies and was shocked to see how abysmal the effects work was by today’s far-evolved standard. I was taken aback by the poor picture quality from back in a day and immediately felt the budren of what Lowry Digital had to carry.

Jesus CHRIST! The movie is almost 30 years old! Compare it to any of its contemporary Sci-Fi movies (or even movies released nearly 10 years later) and it holds up brilliantly. Why can't he just deal with the fact that they are older movies.

If directors continued to go back and touch up their past work with new technology, no new movies would ever get made.

I'm not surprised that TFN loves the movies... after all that is the home of the Star Wars fanboy.

I am happy that they removed Luke's scream from ESB. I would say that that is the best change in this release, however, I will withold that compliment seeing as how the scream should never have been added into the Special edition in the first place.

[Despondent]

"Frank Oz as Yoda (voice)
Jeremy Bulloch as Boba Fett
Sebastian Shaw as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader's face"



That's just great. Selective credits.

[barend]

"These things are freakin’ awesome. They will blow you away."

read between the lines

"These things are freakin’ awesome. They will blow you away."

...that's better.

[Paladin]

I am happy that they removed Luke's scream from ESB. I would say that that is the best change in this release, however, I will withold that compliment seeing as how the scream should never have been added into the Special edition in the first place.

I'm happy too. I absolutely hated that scream! :yuck:

[Just your average movie goer]

I would like to see these DVDs for the beautifully restored picture quality, etc... except that the changes are really bad. These are changes that ruin the movies.

Star Wars

Greedo shooting first turned a really cool scene into a nothing scene.

Jabba the Hutt does not need to be introduced in Star Wars. He is introduced already in Return of the Jedi. Geez, what is it with Lucas always introducing characters who already have good introductions to begin with? Add to this that the dialogue in the scene basically repeats the exchange between Han and Greedo word for word. This weakens the movie.

The other changes are fine and changing the lettering on the tractor beam controls is welcome. A nice touch. But...

The Empire Strikes Back

The new wampa footage looks terrible. It doesn't fit with what was already there.

The new dialogue between the Emperor and Darth Vader. This is TERRIBLE, truly truly TERRIBLE. This would prevent me from enjoying the film.

Temeura Morrison dubbing Boba Fett... this kind of thing makes me want to cry.

Return of the Jedi

And to save the best/worst for last..... Hayden Christensen replacing Sebastian Shaw is criminal. He is unwelcome. These are not his movies. He's in the prequels, fine. Leave the horrors of the prequels out of our movies, George. Not only that, but it is extremely disrespectful to Sebastian Shaw, a nice man who made a good performance in the last Star Wars film. Considering that he, like Alec Guiness and Peter Cushing have since passed away, this kind of thing really feels like stepping on their graves. For shame, George.

[Despondent]

but S. Shaw gets a credit. He's the Face of Darth Vader!

And even (sacrifice film to include the voice of) Temmy doesn't get his voice credit. for shame.

[thrawn]

I don't know about you guys, but one scene that particulary bothers me about the new Special Edition and SE in 1997 is the victory celebration scene in ROTJ where it shows people in Coruscant celebrating the victory. This gives us the impression that the Empire was destroyed, this is bullshit!, how can u destroy an entire Galactic Empire from just one battle. Coruscant is the heart of the Empire and I really doubt that its residents would be celebrating defeat, . Did people in Nazi Germany celebrate the defeat at Stalingrad? No. because the Nazis had control over Germany, and if its people started something like that, well you could imagine what the Nazis would do. Stalingrad was the turning point of WWII for Germany and with a force of a few million it still took another 2 years for it to fall, but thats talking about one continent on a small planet. But here it is on a GALACTIC scale and the Empire is composed of hundreds of millions and millions of personnel.
The Battle of Endor was the turning point of the galactic war, so its pretty stupid to see celebrations on a planet were the Empire has most of its control. If you recall in Stackpole's X-wing series it took another 2.5 years for the rebels to take Coruscant and after that remenants of the Empire still existed.
Another thing to point out is the celebrations on Tatooine. Why the hell would people on Tatooine care if the Empire is destroyed, the Empire has no control over Tatooine, most of its people are smugglers and farmers who don't care or are unaware of the war thats going on. And finally the newly added Naboo celebration is stupid and pointless, Naboo had nothing to do with the OT.
Anyway, all I know is that there is no fuckn way I'm gonna buy the new SPE dvds!!!! NEVER!!!!

[jariten]

Why the hell would people on Tatooine care if the Empire is destroyed, the Empire has no control over Tatooine, most of its people are smugglers and farmers who don't care or are unaware of the war thats going on.

if you watch ANH though, you see that the Empire does in fact have a firm hold on Tatooine, judging by the way its inhabitants run in fear from the stormtroopers.

"fear will keep the local systems in line"

And finally the newly added Naboo celebration is stupid and pointless, Naboo had nothing to do with the OT.

so? its still part of the SW universe, and hense we can imagine that the Empire had a stong strangehold on that peaceful, fun loving planet too.

This gives us the impression that the Empire was destroyed, this is bullshit!, how can u destroy an entire Galactic Empire from just one battle.

obviosuly renmants will remain, but i imagine the inhabitants of courascant would be fairly pleased to be free from a dictatorship. besides, the end celebrations were more there to add flavour and atmosphere, and above all a sense of closure (hence Naboo) than anything else.

[thrawn]

[QUOTE]obviosuly renmants will remain, but i imagine the inhabitants of courascant would be fairly pleased to be free from a dictatorship. besides, the end celebrations were more there to add flavour and atmosphere, and above all a sense of closure (hence Naboo) than anything else.


Yes im sure there would be SOME people that would be glad to get rid of the dictatorship of the Empire but i'm also sure there would be more pro Empire since it is were it began, and like I mentioned The Battle of Endor was very severe defeat for the Empire but it wasn't the end, and i'm sure the Imperials would still have a strong control over Coruscant and not allow such celebrations to happen. Basically all i'm saying is that Lucas made it very un-realistic and un-believable by doing that

[jariten]

I mentioned The Battle of Endor was very severe defeat for the Empire but it wasn't the end,

i cant help but feel like were drifting into EU territory with this. anyway, heres my main reasoning behind the inclusion of the end celebrations again.

besides, the end celebrations were more there to add flavour and atmosphere, and above all a sense of closure (hence Naboo) than anything else.

what do you think about that idea?

[thrawn]

Its still quite unnesessary and it was a much better ending in the original trilogy before all that crap was added.