Star Wars Trilogy Widescreen Limited Edition 2-Disc Sets Combined DVD Review

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Title: Star Wars Trilogy: Widescreen Limited Edition Two-DVD Sets

Films: Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi

Region: One

Genre: Space Opera

Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, Billie Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Frank Oz, and James Earl Jones as the voice of "Darth Vader"

Writers: George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, Leigh Brackett

Based On A Story By: George Lucas

Directors: George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Richard Marquand

Feature lengths: 123 minutes, 129 minutes, 136 minutes

Extras: Audio Commentary For 2004 Editions, LEGO® Star Wars™ II Video Game Xbox Demo And Trailer

2004 Edition Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 EX Surround Sound and English, French, and Spanish Language Dolby Surround Sound

Original Theatrical Version Languages: English, French, and Spanish Language Dolby Surround Sound

Subtitles: English Closed Captions and English Subtitles For The Deaf And Hearing Impaired

Packaging: Single Size Two-Disc Keep Cases For Each Film

Chapter Stops: 50 For Each Film/Both Versions

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX Surround Sound and Dolby Surround Sound

Years of Respective Theatrical Release: 1977/1980/1983/1997/DVD Release: 2006

Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox

Home Video Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment And Lucasfilm LTD

MPAA Rating: PG

Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera

Lucasfilm LTD through Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has re-released the "Star Wars Trilogy" DVD-Video once again for a limited time only, but for the first time ever, the original 1977, 1980, and 1983 theatrical release versions of the classic trilogy have been included on a separate disc as a bonus along with the 2004 DVD release versions of the three films. Evidently the original 2004 trilogy box sets that also contained a disc containing bonus materials was hard to come by since it was a popular seller and at the time it was the first time that the classic Star Wars Trilogy had ever been released on DVD in any form. Then in 2005 for limited time, a box set containing the three 2004 versions of the films was released on DVD, but without the bonus materials disc. At the time Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith had recently been released on DVD and for the holidays, the three disc set containing the 2004 versions of the classic trilogy was an economical way for fans, who did not purchase the four-disc set the year before, to complete the saga on DVD. Now we are coming upon the thirtieth anniversary of the original Star Wars and as a precursor to what I’m sure will be a year of merchandise tie-ins celebrating the saga as a whole, the three films in the original trilogy have been released again, but in addition to the bonus discs that contain the original theatrical release versions, this is also the first time that the classic trilogy in any form has been legally sold individually as two-disc sets and for a limited time. I say legally because in addition to bootlegged copies that were sold online and off, there were also cases when private retailers broke open box sets and sold the films individually at a profit and a higher cost for the consumer. Now some people have criticized the fact that for three years in a row, the original Star Wars Trilogy has been released on DVD, but what some people may not realize is that the last time the 1977, 1980, and 1983 theatrical release versions were released on home video, which at the time included VHS and laserdisc was in fact 1995. So this is actually the first time in ten years or so that the original theatrical release versions have been released on any home video format in North America. In between the theatrical versions and the 2004 versions, the 1997 Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition versions were released only twice. The first time it was on VHS and on laserdisc in 1997 and in 2000 the 1997 versions were released on VHS in America, VCD in Asia, and on laserdisc in Japan. So I would not call the release pattern of the classic theatrical cuts an annual occurrence because it simply isn’t true. I will point out though that it is ironic that everyone wants to see the original cuts and 2004 cuts, but I have yet to read or hear about anyone wanting to see the 1997 versions appear on DVD.

Home video and computer technology in the last thirty years has led to an increasingly polarized market based more on segmented fan appeal rather than crossover mass market and this has created pros and cons for producers and filmmakers. On the positive side, there are now dedicated markets online and offline for genre specific programming, but on the negative side the increased competition has made it more difficult for films and TV shows to garner a large crossover audience. Fortunately Star Wars as a brand name crossed cultural boundaries at a time before such choices flooded the market and made it difficult for both films and TV shows to get a fair shot at finding a wide audience. Yet while Star Wars like Star Trek or Doctor Who will always have a dedicated fan base, there have been new mythologies in the realm of archetypal genre storytelling that have captured the imaginations of a different generation with a different sensibility. The Matrix Trilogy is a perfect example of this regardless of how one feels about the second and third films in that trilogy. For some Neo will carry more meaning than Luke Skywalker, but that’s okay because sooner or later generations begin to appreciate what their older siblings grew up with the same way some might discover a film from the 1930s and 40s that they can relate to as an adult and appreciate overall, but may have not considered even giving a chance to see it when one was younger.

Spoiler Warning – A Philosophical Discussion Of The Saga – Spoiler Warning

The Star Wars Saga will also always appeal to kids because of the very nature of the films and the style of storytelling therein. Perhaps most of all, the images from mythology that George Lucas grasped as a young man ultimately are universal. For example, usually a “chosen one” in genre stories of all types must either sacrifice his or her life literally to fulfill a prophecy or create a new world that the chosen one cannot be a part of. This can be seen over and over again in film, books, and even religion. The “Chosen One” in both the Star Wars Saga and The Matrix Trilogy fulfills his role, but ultimately it costs him his life. Sometimes it is the next generation that must redeem the mistakes of a previous generation in order to help a chosen one fulfill his or her obligation. This can be seen in the relationship between Luke Skywalker and Anakin Skywalker and it can be seen in the relationship between Paul Attreides and Leto Attreides II in the first trilogy of Frank Herbert’s Dune Chronicles. Frodo Baggins, the ring bearer saves Middle Earth in The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, but cannot be a part of the new world he has saved because the experience has changed him in ways that his fellow hobbit companions may never fully understand. Even Moses cannot enter the holy land of Israel, but his actions save the Hebrews from enslavement under the Egyptians and he also brings them the word and commandments of God in The Old Testament of the Judeo-Christian Bible. If you look at the Christ story from an archetypal point of view, he is born to die to save the souls of everyone. As the divine, but mortal incarnation of God or the Son of God on Earth, his role ultimately is to die in order to bring spiritual salvation for all. This is perhaps the definitive act of unconditional love and ultimately it is this fate that is preordained that makes the idea that one group or any one person was responsible for the death of Jesus in my opinion to be a misreading of the text.

Even things hinted at in the prequel trilogy call to mind Greek mythology and tragedy where usually it is a person’s actions taken to avoid a prophecy or take advantage of it ends up being the very thing that causes it. Since Lucas as far as I know has never officially said that it was the Sith that created Anakin to exploit and use the chosen one prophecy against Jedi, it is a possibility and would fit right in with the image of some despot in Greek mythology for example that usurps a kingdom or land even with the foreknowledge that there will be a price to pay for doing so, because all too often the villain uses or manipulates forces more powerful than he or she can imagine without any spiritual faith or true understanding of the consequences he or she is warned of. At least some Hindu philosophers for example will tell a disciple that there is destiny and then there is fate. Destiny can to a certain point be changed by the will of the user, but fate is the will of God and cannot be changed. Thus Luke’s quest to become a Jedi is a matter of destiny because as can be seen in the trial Yoda has him undertake in The Empire Strikes Back Luke has a choice in what will happen much like his father, but it is Anakin’s fate to one way or another bring balance to the force, which can be interpreted then as the will of the force or the will of God and thus fate supersedes destiny and it is the Emperor’s destiny to in effect bring about the fate that befalls the universe and ultimately to the Sith order and himself as much as it is Luke’s and his father’s.

- End Of Possible Spoilers-

In 1997 George Lucas re-released the original Star Wars Trilogy theatrically in part to make changes through digital technology that would bring the films closer to his vision of what he wanted the films to be when they were first released, but at the time could not do so for various reasons and to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the original Star Wars as well. Then in 2004, to make the trilogy fit together more cohesively with the then nearly completed prequel trilogy, Lucas made further alterations that improved certain segments of even the 1997 Special Editions because the tools were available to make it better and now there was a frame of reference that could be tangibly examined beyond concept drawings and story notes that could hold the two trilogies together as one larger story.

Now the way I approached screening and examining each of these two-disc sets was to watch the original theatrical release versions on the second bonus disc first and then watch the 2004 versions of the three films and I recommend to anyone who buys or possibly rents these two-disc sets to do the same thing because in my opinion they make one appreciate the quality of the picture and sound of the 2004 versions even more and they also actually give a better frame of reference as to why Lucas made the changes he did to the films over the years and I have to admit that for the most part, I now prefer the 2004 versions over the original theatrical cuts because I feel as though I understand why the creative choices and alterations were made, but there are still a few things in the films that I feel are not necessary. For example, I really do not think it is necessary to interrupt the momentum of The Empire Strikes Back by showing three shots of Darth Vader’s Imperial Shuttle to get the idea that Vader is leaving Cloud City to pursue the rebels aboard his Super Star Destroyer. Maybe the scenes are their the facilitate the timing for the score or something or maybe they are just a whim of Mr. Lucas’, but whatever they are, we can certainly lose at least one image like the alternate take of Vader’s arrival on the Death Star II from Return Of The Jedi that not only seems unnecessary, but I feel cheapens the film a bit since the source footage appears so obviously out of place in The Empire Strikes Back. If Lucas wants to place an imperial shuttle in The Empire Strikes Back, I think he should replace the TIE fighter looking ship Captain Needa uses to reach Vader’s ship with an Imperial Shuttle or something closer to it because at least there it makes sense and does not spoil the momentum in film’s storytelling.

The Bonus Discs

The source materials for the original theatrical versions of the classic trilogy were taken from the same prints used to make the 1993 laserdisc box set. Thus all three films are presented in four by three letterboxed (2.35:1) aspect ratios. The quality is still better than the VHS tapes or licensed VCDs released by Lucasfilm and Fox domestically and abroad respectively over the years and they may even look better than the laserdiscs from 1993 too, but especially on a widescreen high definition television, the defects in the transfers are painfully apparent though not nearly as blatant as one might expect. In some cases there is video noise and even a strange delay or ghost like effects with certain character movements where the visual compositions are extremely dense. However there are moments when the clarity of these discs is surprisingly good considering the limitations set by the source materials used. Of three discs, the 1983 theatrical version of Return Of The Jedi looks the best and seems to offer the brightest and most consistent image quality of all. Using a widescreen TV’s ability to zoom or reconfigure the image to fill a space closer to what it might have looked like had new anamorphic restorations were performed does help the viewing experience a bit and through analogue mixing using either Dolby Prologic IIx Surround Sound or simply 5.1 analogue composite audio connections to the receiver will also improve the quality of the English Dolby Surround Soundtrack. French and Spanish Language Dolby Surround Soundtracks are also encoded onto the bonus discs containing the original theatrical versions of each film as well as English Closed Captions and Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired.

The menus on the bonus discs feature brief animated openings that culminate in the images found on the main menu for each DVD. The menus feature John Williams' score triumphantly playing in the background, but are otherwise static with images taken from various one-sheet releases and promotional posters used for the original theatrical releases. I actually like this idea since it contributes to the entire retro feeling of being introduced to something on DVD that is for now as close as possible to what the films were like in their original theatrical run. Despite rumors and complaints I have seen on TV or read online, I do not believe these bonus discs will appear again anytime soon. I can imagine the 2007 thirtieth anniversary version of the entire feature film saga with elements never before released and further changes to correct elements in all six films so that they hold together more cohesively, but I think if the films are released again next year, this is where the attention will be. If by some extra bit of luck, Lucas decides to include the original theatrical cuts again, I believe then they may be restored anamorphic transfers, but either way not the letterboxed bonus discs included here and as noted above, I think the fill be more on making the films look and sound better and connect better too and that means more possible alterations. All three of bonus discs feature a playable demo of the LEGO® Star Wars™ II video game for Xbox users as well as a cute trailer (1:57). Internet links to web content for Windows based DVD-ROM PC users with Internet access are also included on all six discs of the individual two disc limited edition sets.

The 2004 Version Discs

The 2004 discs look amazing with THX certified anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) transfers that easily make these DVDs the best looking home video versions of the Star Wars Trilogy to be released commercially so far. The THX Optimizer program for proper picture and sound system calibration is provided for both versions of the films in each two-disc set. The quality of the picture and sound is even more amazing when one has viewed each one individually after seeing the letterboxed original theatrical versions found on each disc. Like previous Star Wars feature film DVD releases, there are three different styles of interactive menus that reflect different settings from the respective films and appear randomly once the disc is loaded into the drive. They can also be manually selected through the Easter egg instructions that I have reprinted here courtesy of Bill Hunt and The Digital Bits. I could have written these instructions in my own words, but I think these are explained clearly enough so that there is no real improving upon the simplicity of the instructions below.

Easter egg Instructions

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

To access the Tatooine menu scheme, press "1" during the FBI warning screen.

To access the Death Star menu scheme, press "2" during the FBI warning screen.

To access the Yavin IV menu scheme, press "3" during the FBI warning screen.

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

To access the Hoth menu scheme, press "1" during the FBI warning screen.

To access the Dagobah menu scheme, press "2" during the FBI warning screen.

To access the Bespin menu scheme, press "3" during the FBI warning screen.

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

To access the Tatooine menu scheme, press "1" during the FBI warning screen.

To access the Death Star II menu scheme, press "2" during the FBI warning screen.

To access the Endor menu scheme, press "3" during the FBI warning screen.

Special thanks again to Bill Hunt at The Digital Bits for granting me permission to republish these Easter egg instructions here for my DVD reviews of the Limited Edition Star Wars Trilogy individual two-disc set releases.

Each of the 2004 version DVDs features a dynamic English Dolby Digital 5.1 EX Surround Soundtrack as well as English, French, and Spanish Language Dolby Surround Sound and English Closed Captions and Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired encoded as options. Also included on the 2004 DVD versions are feature length audio commentaries that include on all three Filmmaker George Lucas and ILM effects gurus Dennis Muren and Ben Burtt as well as Actress Carrie Fisher. Director Irvin Kershner participates in the audio commentary for The Empire Strikes Back. Lucas is a very articulate storyteller and one can appreciate his discussion of what were his inspirations that helped shape what would become the Star Wars Saga as well as discuss the story points and character arcs and how like a “symphony” as he describes it the repeating of dialogue and character action in different contexts throughout the six films is performed. Muren and Burtt explain the various visual and sound effects designs as they were achieved when the films were originally produced as well as for the various upgrades made to the films since as well as for frame of reference purposes on the prequel trilogy. Irvin Kershner is an “old school” professional Film Director that reveals the classic techniques used for generations in old-fashioned Hollywood filmmaking that still works today. His enthusiasm is infectious too and one almost feels at times as though they were sitting in a guest lecture at a film school listening to Mr. Kershner speak live. Carrie Fisher’s comments seem a little aloof at times and are mostly anecdotal. These commentaries sound as though they were recorded separately and mixed together, but regardless; the commentaries are overall very good and well worth listening to even for repeated occasions and that is something that is rare.

Tying Up Loose Banthas

The packaging features images from original one-sheets on the back that are photographically recreated as close as possible for the front art and each two-disc set includes an insert detailing contents and chapter stops information inside. When the trilogy was first released in 2004, the widescreen versions featured gray of silver wording on the spine while the full screen versions had gold lettering on the spine. I believe that originally the prequel trilogy was to have gold lettering on the spine for the widescreen and silver or gray lettering for the full screen discs to delineate the two trilogies that make up the six-feature film saga. However since the DVD release last year of Revenge Of The Sith, I guess that concept was abandoned since for these limited two-disc sets the lettering on the spine is gold to match the packaging of the widescreen prequel trilogy releases presumably. I might be wrong about the whole color scheme thing, but regardless I thought I’d note it anyway.

“Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope: Widescreen Limited Edition 2-Disc Set”, “Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back: Widescreen Limited Edition 2-Disc Set” and “Star Wars: Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi: Widescreen Limited Edition 2-Disc Set” are all available now at retailers on and offline, but sold separately courtesy of Lucasfilm LTD and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Get them while you can!

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