This is, by far, the most anticipated Blu-ray release since the HD home video formats were introduced into the market place. The only other set of movies that I can see that will even come close to the hype surrounding 'Star Wars' on Blu-ray is whenever the 'Indiana Jones' trilogy gets released and even then it'll have a hard time topping this.
We've all watched the original trilogy (and yes probably the prequels, even though that's hard for some to admit) numerous times. The original trilogy is infinitely rewatchable. It's become an indelible slice of Americana. These movies have become so engrained in our everyday culture as Americans that you'll be hard-pressed to find someone in this country that hasn't even heard of 'Star Wars.' Yes, they're that popular.
There's a reason why they're that popular. They're so easy to fall in love with. It's a simple tale about good versus evil, which takes place in galaxies far, far away. They summon our inner geek, as we revel in the immersive 'Star Wars' universe that's been built. The characters are easy to relate to, and provide us with sufficient reason to care for their survival and success. Its villain is unmatched in all of cinema. With a good – in this case stunningly terrifying – villain nothing is impossible. We truly believe that Darth Vader is a competent, all together frightening bad guy. This adds exponentially to the danger that the protagonists are placed in, which in turn garners our wholehearted attention. In short, 'Star Wars' as a whole is damn good fun.
I'd rather not go over each and every movie in this six-part set giving an individual review for each. I'm sure you'd get bored halfway through and skip down to the technical aspects anyway. While I'll still give individual star scores for each film, this review will be split into two sections: The Original Trilogy and The Prequel Trilogy.
The Prequel Trilogy
Let's face it. The Prequels were a missed opportunity. They could have been so much more, but they're put together like Lucas was thinking about the inevitable video game rather than thinking of enriching the 'Star Wars' universe.
'The Phantom Menace' is, by far, one of the most grating cinematic experiences out there. Not only because we had such high hopes for it when the prequels were announced and eventually released one by one, it being the first, but simply because it's a bad movie from top to bottom.
People hate on Jar Jar, and I have nothing against that. His inclusion in the movie is completely flabbergasting, and after the first few lines, the character is utterly exhausting. However, Jake Lloyd, as young Anakin, is an abomination. His mere presence brings that movie and its lofty expectations way down. The podracing scene, as bloated as it is, is still overshadowed by the absolute travesty of Lloyd's acting here. Granted, most of this falls on Lucas' shoulders because he was directing the kid to act like an annoying brat.
'Attack of the Clones' and 'Revenge of the Sith,' for me, can be enjoyed on a purely unengaged plane of consciousness. They've got some cool, although way-too cluttered battles, and some fun sequences. As far as adding richness and depth to the 'Star Wars' story, they've lost me completely. The installation of Hayden Christensen is too much to take. Like Lloyd, his acting extracts you from the movie and places you somewhere where suspension of disbelief is impossible, because it's absolutely impossible to believe this is good (even decent) acting.
This is the first time I've ever watched 'Star Wars' all the way through chronologically. And I can tell you this is something that saddened me. Watching Christensen turn into Vader in 'Revenge of the Sith', and then seeing Vader in 'A New Hope' didn't have the same effect as it usually does. I felt like a little part of Vader's badassness had died. I felt like his veracity as the most fearsome villain ever had dissipated ever-so-slightly. In short, after watching 'Episodes I thru III,' and then starting the Original Trilogy directly after, I felt it actually affected the integrity of the original films.
'Episode I: The Phantom Menace': 1.5 Stars
'Episode II: Attack of the Clones': 2.5 Stars
'Episode III: Revenge of the Sith': 2.5 Stars
The Original Trilogy
I remember watching these as a kid. I remember the awe I experienced watching that Star Destroyer slowly move into the frame during the opening of 'A New Hope.' I remember being mesmerized by the lightsabers. As a child the only thing that ever held a candle to coolness of lightsabers were the Ghostbuster packs. 'Star Wars' was definitely a big part of my movie watching life early on.
'Star Wars' currently ranks number 13 on the AFI top 100 movies list. It's continued on as a cultural phenomenon despite the myriad of renovations it's gone through at the hands of its creator. Whether that ranking deals with the entire trilogy or just the first episode isn't quite clear. As I've said, what is clear though, is the fact that the original three movies are deeply embedded into the American way of life. The movies and characters are referenced on a daily basis. We all remember these movies.
Beginning with 'A New Hope' it truly felt we were entering a different universe altogether. Lucas and crew had created an engrossing movie environment that completely sucked you in. The attention to detail bordered on the insane. Life-forms that you saw literally for two seconds, ended up having names and extensive backstories (and action figure tie-ins). It was easy to get lost in the world of 'Star Wars' due to its sheer scope.
'A New Hope' introduced a wide array of characters that we'd come to know and love. Even with the drawbacks of Mark Hamill's acting, 'A New Hope' still managed to capture imaginations. The characters felt deep and resonant here. Han Solo was the universe's coolest dude, and Harrison Ford played him with machismo and bravado. An everyday macho man taking on a galactic empire. Yes, it was nice to meet our new friends, but the best thing about 'A New Hope' is that it introduced cinema's baddest villain ever. The American Film Institute might have named Hannibal Lecter as the all-time great bad guy, but all Darth Vader would have to do is look at Lecter and he'd be strangled to death.
Vader represented a villain that posed a real and imminent threat to the heroes in the story. That's what was so interesting about him. You could actually picture a scenario in which he could win, take over the galaxy, and rule with an evil iron fist. Good always triumphs, but it's always nice to have just that little bit of doubt in your mind.
While 'A New Hope' may have hooked us, it was 'The Empire Strikes Back' that really made us collectively realize just how good 'Star Wars' could be. Easily the best of the original trilogy, 'Empire' is wonderfully understated in its drama and complex familial issues.
This is where Vader really came into his own as the universe's premiere badass. 'Empire.' Stuck right in the middle, 'Empire' actually contains most of the 'Saga's heart, soul, and characterization. I remember sobbing as a kid when Han got frozen in carbonite. I truly believed he'd stay like that forever. It was a traumatic experience for me.
'Return of the Jedi' didn't come as close to perfection as the first two movies did. While there are some candid moments here, the ending always felt a little silly. The entire Ewok civilization really pulled me out of the world that had been created during the first two films. They felt too much like characters that were solely made to produce a line of toys.
However, 'Return' isn't without its moments. The scene where Vader throws the Emperor down the shaft once and for all was a resoundingly dramatic scene. A scene that has lost much of what made it great by the asinine addition of Vader yelling "Nooooo!" as he does now. Many of the changes made to the Blu-rays don't affect the movies in the grand scheme of things. We can laugh at the digital rocks and smirk at the blinking Ewoks, but this is something different. This added exclamation dims an otherwise emotional scene. It dumbs it down. Kills its energy. In essence, it lessens the entire film, since everything is building up to that point. I can get over most of the changes, but this one really hurts.
While it's nice to have the Original Trilogy in high definition, I definitely would join the chorus of 'Star Wars' lovers in announcing my hope that Lucas release the untouched original films at some point. Until then, this set will have to do. Most of the changes – to me, and I stress that because I know that other people take them far more seriously than I do – don't really affect me all that much.
'Episode IV: A New Hope': 4 Stars
'Episode V: Empire Strikes Back': 5 Stars
'Episode VI: Return of the Jedi': 3 Stars
The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats
This packaging is actually quite slick and very shelf-worthy. This 9 – disc set comes packaged in a very sturdy Digi-book format that has slip in slots for each of the set's discs. Nice artwork adorns the pages of the book giving it a very classic look. Each disc is a BD-50. The set is kept slim and won't take up very much room at all on your shelf. It comes complete with a small booklet called "Guide to the Galaxy" which lists, in detail, all the special features on the three special feature discs. It also includes the basic information for each movie on the back couple pages.
I thought this would be as good a place as any to list some of the much more noticeable visual changes that the 'Star Wars' films have undergone for this Blu-ray release. Some of the changes are minor, some not so much. If there are noticeable visual changes that have been tweaked by Lucas then they are listed right before each review in a bullet point.
'Episode I: The Phantom Menace'
The puppet Yoda has been replaced with a CGI Yoda which matches the one found in episode II and III. This is one of the only changes that makes sense to me.
Who would have thought that one of the prequels would end up being the worst looking one of the bunch? I didn't. Still 'Episode I' is a DNR'd mess of waxy faces, flat shadows, and murky colors.
It looks extremely dated, and in HD even more so. Almost every face in the movie is devoid of any real fine detail. Pores have been scrubbed away. Hair comes to us in giant matted masses instead of standing out individually. Blacks are flat and at times take on a bluish tint. They have no depth to them. Crushing is a standard offender, swallowing up faces, textures, and characters.
At the timestamp of 50:28 there's an extremely ugly shift in the blackness of the sky above Qui-Gon. It shifts very noticeably almost like unfinished animation is suspended above him. Very ugly. As for noise, I didn't notice any really. It's just the incessant DNR, and general flatness that really bring this presentation down.
3 Stars
'Episode II: Attack of the Clones'
There's a noticeable improvement from 'Phantom Menace' here. It still isn't perfect, because the picture looks like it's taken on some post-production softening that hampers overall detail. I still caught a few instances of waxy-like faces here and there, but nothing as bad as 'Phantom.'
The big improvement here is the much better looking CG. It still hasn't hit the grand look of 'Revenge of the Sith' but it's getting there. Individual hairs are now noticeable. The woven texture in Mace Windu's Jedi cloak, for instance, is visible. Blacks take on more substance here. They aren't just flat pieces of color swallowing up scenery. There are some blacks that exist in mid-range photography that are pretty unforgiving, but for the most part the blacks here are well resolved. A good example of this is in the nightclub scene when Anakin and Obi-Wan chase the bounty hunter. Crushing is still evident though, especially in the scene where Anakin and Padme sit in the room with a burning fire. Detail is lost as the shadows around them become less delineated than the other shadows we saw earlier in the movie.
Overall though, it isn't up to snuff. It's hampered by noticeable DNR. Not as much as the episode before it, but it's noticeable all the same.
3.5 Stars
'Episode III: Revenge of the Sith'
This is perhaps the best looking movie of the entire set. I was pretty blown away by the visuals here, and wondered why the two prequels before it couldn't look this good. Noise reduction seems to have been done away with. It's immediately noticeable on the faces of the actors. They aren't smeary or waxy anymore. Pores are visible. Individual hairs from heads and beards stand out perfectly. Notice the faint bumpy texture of the wall next to R2-D2 when he's fixing the elevator on the ship. This is the kind of detail I was expecting from these movies and we're finally getting it.
Explosions here are brighter, more vibrant. Oranges and reds are their own beasts. In the first two movies those colors sort of blended together. However, the contrast here is magnificent, particularly on the lava planet at the end.
Blacks are their deepest in this film, shadows are well delineated. Fine detail is optimally resolved. The CGI presented is top-notch. Even though it's far from being the best movie of the set, Episode III is definitely the best looking.
5 Stars
'Episode IV: A New Hope'
Digital rocks have been added, for some unexplained reason, in front of R2 while he's hiding in a cave. After R2 leaves the cave, those rocks aren't there anymore.
The underside of Luke's Speeder actually looks good.
Escape pod lid is now black instead of blue.
Death Star explosion has been color corrected and actually looks much better. It doesn't have the bright blue ring around it anymore.
We've spent so much time talking about the asinine changes that have been made to the original trilogy that we've failed to mention some of the visual changes that actually helped. I really like the color fix on the Death Star explosion. It doesn't look so amateurish anymore. The glowing blue noisy border is all but gone, replaced with a clearer, cleaner explosion.
Sadly, DNR rears its head here and there, during 'A New Hope.' It isn't as rampant as 'Phantom,' but it's enough to take stock and realize that maybe Leia's face looks a little too smooth. Check out the waxy, smooth faces that exist in the hallway scene right before they blast their way down to the trash compactor. Grain freezes every now and then, it can be spotted suspended around R2 as he roams the desert. There is some very noticeable problems with flickering and slight color timing changes as C-3PO walks across the desert.
Fine detail wavers a bit, depending on the amount of noise reduction being used. Facial detail is noticeable right at the beginning on the Rebel Guards before Vader storms in. Close-ups really are the only shots that harbor such detail though. I thought that the dirt and grime on R2's casing looked great though. That was some well resolved detail that I'd never really noticed before.
The special edition CG additions really bring the video presentation down a notch because they're already dated. The added Stormtrooper scene along with the Jabba/Han scene, aren't doing this Blu-ray version of the movie any favors. The CG is flat and has the look of early CG animation. Like I said before, if they want to keep changing stuff, how about sprucing up the stuff that looks old and outdated instead of just adding in things here and there.
With all that said, I personally thought that 'A New Hope' looked better than both 'Attack of the Clones' and 'Phantom Menace.' It has its problems, but after all was said and done I was fairly satisfied with the way it was presented.
4 Stars
'Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back'
A few scenes have undergone color correction. Cold bluish hues have been replaced with warmer ones. This is especially noticeable when Chewy is searching for the driods.
When Obi-Wan appears it's more visible this time around.
Hoth's snow looks less blue, and has taken on a whiter more natural look, which is a big improvement actually.
The color timing changing on the snow, even though it's slight, makes a big difference when it comes to seeing the speeders against the background. It's actually one of the unsung, enjoyable changes to these Blu-ray editions.
DNR seems to have taken a backseat here, which is a very good thing. Fine detail makes a reemergence as facial details shine. Edge enhancement is light, and pretty much negligible. Textures on clothing are marvelously rendered here. This is texture that we have likely not seen in any of the other releases of these films. Take note of Chewbacca's individual hairs, or the furry whiteness of the Wampa.
Blacks are deep and satisfying. Shadows and the edges thereof, are easy to discern. This is the way that I think we all pictured these classic films looking. Now that's not to say this one is perfect either. Noise crops up every now and then. There are some minor frozen grain issues on Hoth, but if you're not looking closely for them I don't think you'll be able to spot them. This is my favorite transfer in the Original Trilogy.
4.5 Stars
'Episode VI: Return of the Jedi'
Jabba's Palace door has been replaced with a much larger CGI one.
Han Solo's carbonite thawing is now CGI. This is one of the dumber changes. As it stands now, the thawing looks silly. Light surrounds Hans and shoots out from his face, hand, and body. It's almost as cheesy as an angel awaking from slumber.
A CGI Dug has been added to the steps of Jabba's Palace for no discernible reason at all.
The Ewoks do indeed have digital blinking eyes.
When R2 has his freakout, a whole load of gadgets have been added to the picture, more steam coming from inside, and the leaking has been digitally erased. Pretty poorly I might add.
Okay, now we're back into the "Why in the world did they do that," area. Why they felt like they needed to add in even more wacky things popping in and out of R2-D2 when he has his freakout at around the 2:14:40 mark is beyond me. Why they felt like crudely erasing the liquid coming out of him is crazy. That scene looks like an amateur went to work with a crappy version of Photoshop. It really does.
I'm also not a huge fan of the new CGI Han Solo carbonite thaw. It's really tacky especially at the end where he never used to have any light surrounding him. Now it's bursting forth from all sides. It looks really cheesy and unnecessary. To make matters worse, the new radiant light is chock-full of ugly, unsightly banding.
Besides the radical changes, the rest of the movie looks great. Even Endor seems like it's taken on a richer green hue. Detail on the Ewok costumes looks great as you can see individual hairs. Blacks can be crushing at times, particularly the scene where Leia sneaks in and thaws Han. However, I felt like these unnecessary changes were not annoying to fans because of the changes, but they hurt the overall product by being shoddy and way too noticeable. Add to that extremely creepy Ewok blinking eyes and they certainly bring this visual presentation down a peg or two.
3.5 Stars
I must pay credit to a few sources where I got information about changes to the look, which I then compared with the DVD releases.[Source: Milleniumfalcon.com Forums via Screenrant.com]
The audio on this set is outstanding. I'm just going to put that out there right now. It's one of the best examples of complete sound remastering for an entire catalog set that I've ever heard. Each one of these episodes is full of bright, bold action surrounding you from every side. These are engrossing soundtracks that really almost equal each other in greatness. There were a few minor changes in quality it seemed, but overall they really seemed to stick close together in terms of quality. Each movie got the same mix, which really helped keep the cohesiveness together.
'Episode I: The Phantom Menace'
The video may stink, but the audio does anything but. As much as I hate podracing, and I think that whole part of the movie should be removed, I can't deny that it sounds great in this newly minted 6.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix. The roaring sounds of the podracers surround you, and pummel you into submission. The LFE roars from the sub with stunning force. Panning effects are insanely smooth as racers fly from one end of the screen to the other.
Unfortunately for us, dialogue is perfectly intelligible so we hear every "Weesa," "Heesa," and "Yousa." Eff you Jar Jar. Young Anakin is no different, but at least the mix treats his voice exactly the same as anyone else. Other audio highlights here include the low-end sound made by the water after Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan descend to the Gungan city and the sound of the uniformed droid marching.
4.5 Stars
'Episode II: Attack of the Clones'
So as to not repeat myself from 'The Phantom Menace' audio discussion, 'Attack of the Clones' has the very same pros about it. Clean, intelligible dialogue. Well-rounded sound stage featuring that ever iconic John Williams score. Again, everything is done right here.
A few highlights that I noticed during 'Attack of the Clones' that you'll want to keep your ears peeled for are the absolute gut-crushing booms made by Jango Fett's seismic charges or the earth-rattling scene where one of the Federation starships comes crashing back down to the ground. That scene engulfs you and sucks you in. It's one of the best sounding scenes in the whole set. I also loved the hustle and bustle of the surrounds when Padme and Anakin are jumping around trying to dodge the different robotic arms on the conveyer belt. There's so much going on in that droid factory and yet you're able to hear it all. I may have liked this audio presentation just a little more than 'Phantom Menace.' I might be biased just because I dislike 'Phantom' so much, but so be it. This one is demo material through and through.
5 Stars
'Episode III: Revenge of the Sith'
'Sith' shares all the wonderful characteristics of the films that have gone before it when it comes to the audio department. The opening dogfight battle is intoxicating. There's a cacophony of sound and action happening all at once, but the six separate channels are able to capture it all. Fighters whiz all around your head, panning smoothly from one channel to the other.
Williams' score sweeps through the design, just like it did with the other films, totally engulfing you in its presence. LFE is a constant threat to shake the pictures right off your walls. When the characters find themselves on Mustafar the low-end of the spectrum goes crazy as the explosions and swelling of lava simply surrounds you on every side. Another demo-worthy audio experience.
5 Stars
'Episode IV: A New Hope'
After watching the prequels first, I did notice an inherent change in the way the sound was presented. The iconic opening music had brasher horns which were just a tad bit louder than they had been in the past. Music and blaster sounds were given slightly more prioritization than dialogue. I didn't feel like 'A New Hope' lived up to the demo-material goodness set by the last two prequels.
That said, 'A New Hope' is no slouch. Considering its age, this sounds great, and the newly minted DTS- HD Master Audio track adds more oomph to this movie than you ever thought possible. Blasters, while they may be a little on the loud side, fill the air with whizzing beams of light which explode with tenacious ferocity. Lightsabers clash together to form a low-end thump that sounds great every time. Panning effects sound wonderful here too as ships and speeders cruise from one end of the frame to the other. To tell you the truth, I didn't ever think that the original movies would sound this good.
4.5 Stars
'Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back'
The LFE takes over here. Whether it's the stomping thuds of approaching AT-ATs or the thunderous soaring of the Empire's Destroyers, bass is non-stop here. It rattles, thumps, and wallops its way through the entire movie. The only LFE downtime is when we visit Luke on Endor. Other than that the sub is fully engaged during the different action-packed exploits of Han and his rag-tag crew.
I thought that dialogue was given a bit more prioritization here, along with nicely placed directionality. The deep booming voice of James Earl Jones has a nice resounding low-end whoosh to it. This is everything you could want, and more. Demo material!
5 Stars
'Episode VI: Return of the Jedi'
Yes, the new addition of Vader yelling "Noooooo!" at the end is a real bother. So much so that it degrades the rest of the movie. Everything is building up until that moment and then… well, you get the picture. Adding that "Nooooo!" should be figured into the audio scoring just as much as the visual additions should.
Other than that stupid add-on, the rest of the movie sounds just as terrific as the rest of the set. I particularly liked the feeling of the surrounds in this one. Whether it be the echoing roars of the Rancor or the happy chirps of the Ewoks, the surrounds picked up every nuance of the sound design. 'Empire' may blow you away with its thundering bass, but 'Jedi' will wow you with its attention to detail. Listening to those speeders blow through the forest, trees whapping by on both sides, was a fantastically engrossing experience.
4.5 Stars
Bonus Disc 1
'Episode I: The Phantom Menace'
Play All feature is included. Total time of behind the scene featurettes and interviews on this disc is 5 hours and 1 minute.
Naboo
"Liam Neeson Interview" (HD, 2 min.) is a promotional interview with Neeson as he talks about how "extraordinary" the movie and the script were.
Tatooine
"Rick McCallum Interview: Podracers" (1 min.) is a talk with the producer who talks briefly about creating the podrace and how long it took to actually build all the pod engines. McCallum has another interview after that about "Filming in Tunisia" (2 min.) where he talks about filming on location and how there weren't accurate records kept of shooting locations from 'A New Hope.'
Coruscant
"George Lucas on Preparing to Write Episode 1 - 1994" (3 min.) - is a short interview with the man himself talking about how he sat down and wrote 'Phantom Menace.'
'Episode II: Attack of the Clones'
Coruscant
"Ewan McGregor Interview (1 min.) is another promotional interview this time with McGregor who talks about the first movie he saw in the theater could have been 'Star Wars,' and how his uncle was one of the Rebel pilots in the movie.
Naboo
Tatooine
Geonois
"Hayden Christensen Interview" (1 min.) is an interview with Christensen where he talks about how "cool" the action is. "Blue Screen Acting" (4 min.) has interviews with Christopher Lee, Christensen, McGregor, Portman, and Neeson talking about working on a blue screen without the effects actually being there.
'Episode III: Revenge of the Sith'
Coruscant
"Samuel L. Jackson Interview" (3 min.) is where Jackson talks about actually getting Lucas to give him a purple lightsaber.
Utapau
Mustafar
"Natalie Portman Interview" (2 min.) has Portman talking about her character and how she only reacts to what Anakin does instead of making her own decisions.
Kashyyyk & Order 66
Bonus Disc 2
'Episode IV: A New Hope'
Play All feature is included. If selected it indicates the amount of featurettes included on this disc total 4 hours and 32 minutes.
Tatooine
"Mark Hamill Interview (2 min.) is a chat with older Mark Hamill talking about his time filming the movie and shooting the movie with George Lucas. "Anthony Daniels Interview" (1 min.) is a brief talk with the guy inside C-3PO's suit.
Aboard the Death Star
"Carrie Fisher Interview" (2 min.) is where an older Carrie Fisher talks about her time interviewing for the part and how Lucas hardly ever talked to her.
The Battle of Yavin
'Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back'
Hoth
"George Lucas - On Editing 'The Empire Strikes Back' - 1979" (3 min.) is where we see Lucas in the editing room talking about how he decided to edit the movie and what editing does in the grand scheme of things. "Irvin Kershner Interview" (3 min.) is a discussion with the movie's director where he talks extensively about his actors and how much he loved them.
Dagobah
"George Lucas - On the Force - 2010" (5 min.) is where Lucas sits down to discuss the idea of The Force in a roundtable meeting with the 'Clone Wars' writers.
Pursued by the Imperial Fleet
Cloud City
'Episode VI: Return of the Jedi'
Tatooine
Endor
"Harrison Ford Interview" (1 min.) has Ford talking about Lucas and his vision for the movies in a promo, reminiscent interview.
Death Star II Space Battle
Well, it's finally here. What else is there to say that hasn't been said already? Yes, we all want to have the option of watching the unaltered theatrical editions, but it doesn't look like those are coming any time soon. Until then, this is the definitive high definition set of 'Star Wars.' The set we'd been waiting years for is finally here. While the video presentations waver a bit, the audio presentations are rock solid, producing rocking demo-material for any sound system out there. There are so many special features it will take you weeks to finish them all off. This set comes highly recommended.
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