3:04 AM
Before you read any further, I have to inform you that this post will contain some spoilers. If you don't want to know a lot of the things that the Star Wars Blu-ray set includes, then you should close this article now! But for the remainder of us, if you're wondering what to expect, then keep reading!
For most fans they had their hopes on Lucas finally giving the enthusiasts what they wanted - an original new and uncut edition of the movies with the previously deleted scenes incorporated. And to a certain degree that's what has occurred. But to a more significant extent it's more like Lucas is testing the loyalty of the fans of the Star Wars galaxy. Lucas is a visionary - there is no questioning that. He altered how films were made and blazed a way that made sci-fi films possible and lucrative for movie studios to produce. It's just that at some point along his movie making voyage he seems to have gotten utterly and absolutely lost. And I need to share some examples of precisely how lost he is.
I'm a tremendous Star Wars lover. Massive! And for me a lot of the most seminal occasions in movie making past were the last few moments in Return of the Jedi that relied on minimal conversation and the remarkable score of John Williams. The lightsaber duel involving Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader is probably the finest events in cinematic past right up to the part where Vader finally sees the error of his ways and destroys the Emperor - all without uttering a solitary word.
Now in this cut we've got Vader yelling "Noooooooo!" as unconvincingly as he did at the end of Revenge of the Sith (probably the most cringe worthy clips outside of a Sex And the City film). And he does this two times so we are able to cringe twice as he feebly bellows (I know but that's how it sounds) "Nooooooooo!" A travesty folks....a complete travesty.
As for the "Greedo shooting first" edit words fail me. It was bad enough that political correctness meant Greedo has to shoot first but the CGI used here to attempt to "correct" the earlier footage is amateurish at best. Lucas isn't actually trying here and it really shows - the edit is sloppy and not effective at all and is proof of why that scene ought to be restored to its authentic take where Han takes Greedo out.
But you will find events to make up for this and my personal favorite amongst those is watching Luke construct his own lightsaber just before they visit Jabba's palace to free Han Solo from his carbonite prison. That left me with a big childish smile on my face that's still somewhat lingering there. And that's the sort of footage fans like me really, truly enjoy seeing. You can produce the same moment in time for yourself with a Force FX lightsaber if you wanted to.
With that said the Blu-Ray set is a mixed bag. There are a few brilliant deleted sequences that fans have been holding out a long time to see. Then you will find CGI addendums to existing footage that have you sitting there thinking "Ummmmm that truly never mattered." There are also occasions like the Vader scene in which you need to find George Lucas and water board him to uncover exactly why he thinks insulting his fans is a clever course of action.
Even if you wish the Blu-ray collection had more deleted clips, you'll still need it for your collection. There's undoubtedly some great stuff on it that you'll HAVE to see and have in your collection. While you're at it, remember to pick up the FX lightsabers - you'll need those for your collection too!
For most fans they had their hopes on Lucas finally giving the enthusiasts what they wanted - an original new and uncut edition of the movies with the previously deleted scenes incorporated. And to a certain degree that's what has occurred. But to a more significant extent it's more like Lucas is testing the loyalty of the fans of the Star Wars galaxy. Lucas is a visionary - there is no questioning that. He altered how films were made and blazed a way that made sci-fi films possible and lucrative for movie studios to produce. It's just that at some point along his movie making voyage he seems to have gotten utterly and absolutely lost. And I need to share some examples of precisely how lost he is.
I'm a tremendous Star Wars lover. Massive! And for me a lot of the most seminal occasions in movie making past were the last few moments in Return of the Jedi that relied on minimal conversation and the remarkable score of John Williams. The lightsaber duel involving Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader is probably the finest events in cinematic past right up to the part where Vader finally sees the error of his ways and destroys the Emperor - all without uttering a solitary word.
Now in this cut we've got Vader yelling "Noooooooo!" as unconvincingly as he did at the end of Revenge of the Sith (probably the most cringe worthy clips outside of a Sex And the City film). And he does this two times so we are able to cringe twice as he feebly bellows (I know but that's how it sounds) "Nooooooooo!" A travesty folks....a complete travesty.
As for the "Greedo shooting first" edit words fail me. It was bad enough that political correctness meant Greedo has to shoot first but the CGI used here to attempt to "correct" the earlier footage is amateurish at best. Lucas isn't actually trying here and it really shows - the edit is sloppy and not effective at all and is proof of why that scene ought to be restored to its authentic take where Han takes Greedo out.
But you will find events to make up for this and my personal favorite amongst those is watching Luke construct his own lightsaber just before they visit Jabba's palace to free Han Solo from his carbonite prison. That left me with a big childish smile on my face that's still somewhat lingering there. And that's the sort of footage fans like me really, truly enjoy seeing. You can produce the same moment in time for yourself with a Force FX lightsaber if you wanted to.
With that said the Blu-Ray set is a mixed bag. There are a few brilliant deleted sequences that fans have been holding out a long time to see. Then you will find CGI addendums to existing footage that have you sitting there thinking "Ummmmm that truly never mattered." There are also occasions like the Vader scene in which you need to find George Lucas and water board him to uncover exactly why he thinks insulting his fans is a clever course of action.
Even if you wish the Blu-ray collection had more deleted clips, you'll still need it for your collection. There's undoubtedly some great stuff on it that you'll HAVE to see and have in your collection. While you're at it, remember to pick up the FX lightsabers - you'll need those for your collection too!
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