Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition with Bonus Disc)

Product Description

Episode IV A New Hope Eighteen years later, Luke Skywalker, a young farm boy on Tatooine, is thrust into the struggle of the Rebel Alliance when he meets Obi-Wan Kenobi, who has lived for years in seclusion on the desert planet. Obi-Wan begins Luke's Jedi training as Luke joins him on a daring mission to rescue the beautiful Rebel leader Princess Leia from the clutches of the evil Empire. Although Obi-Wan sacrifices himself in a lightsabre duel with Darth Vader, his former apprentice, Luke proves that the Force is with him by destroying the Empire's dreaded Death Star. Episode V The Empire Strikes Back Three years later Imperial forces continue to pursue the Rebels. After the Rebellion's defeat on the ice planet Hoth, Luke journeys to the planet Dagobah to train with Jedi Master Yoda, who has lived in hiding since the fall of the Republic. In an attempt to convert Luke to the dark side, Darth Vader lures young Skywalker into a trap in the Cloud City of Bespin. In the midst of a fierce lightsaber duel with the Sith Lord, Luke faces the startling revelation that the evil Vader is in fact his father, Anakin Skywalker. Episode VI Return of the Jedi In the epic conclusion of the saga, the Empire prepares to crush the Rebellion with a more powerful Death Star while the Rebel fleet mounts a massive attack on the space station. Luke Skywalker confronts his father Darth Vader in a final climactic duel before the evil Emperor. In the last second, Vader makes a momentous choice: he destroys the Emperor and saves his son. The Empire is finally defeated, the Sith are destroyed, and Anakin Skywalker is thus redeemed. At long last, freedom is restored to the galaxy.

System Requirements:

Running Time 387 Min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

Was George Lucas's Star Wars Trilogy, the most anticipated DVD release ever, worth the wait? You bet. It's a must-have for any home theater, looking great, sounding great, and supplemented by generous bonus features.

The Movies

The Star Wars Trilogy had the rare distinction of becoming a cultural phenomenon, a defining event for its generation. On its surface, George Lucas's story is a rollicking and humorous space fantasy that owes debts to more influences than one can count on two hands, but filmgoers became entranced by its basic struggle of good vs. evil "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away," its dazzling special effects, and a mythology of Jedi knights, the Force, and droids. Over the course of three films--A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983)--Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and the roguish Han Solo (Harrison Ford) join the Rebel alliance in a galactic war against the Empire, the menacing Darth Vader (David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones), and eventually the all-powerful Emperor (Ian McDiarmid). Empire is generally considered the best of the films and Jedi the most uneven, but all three are vastly superior to the more technologically impressive prequels that followed, Episode I, The Phantom Menace (1999) and Episode II, Attack of the Clones (2002).

How Are the Picture and Sound?

Thanks to a new digital transfer, you've never seen C-3PO glow so golden, and Darth Vader's helmet is as black as the Dark Side.

In a word, spectacular. Thanks to a new digital transfer, you've never seen C-3PO glow so golden, and Darth Vader's helmet is as black as the Dark Side. And at the climactic scene of A New Hope, see if the Dolby 5.1 EX sound doesn't knock you back in your chair. Other audio options are Dolby 2.0 Surround in English, Spanish, and French. (Sorry, DTS fans, but previous Star Wars DVDs didn't have DTS either.) There have been a few quibbles with the audio on A New Hope, however. A few seconds of Peter Cushing's dialogue ("Then name the system!") are distorted, and the music (but not the sound effects) is reversed in the rear channels. For example, in the final scene, the brass is in the front right channel but the back left channel (from the viewer's perspective), and the strings are in the left front and back right. The result feels like the instruments are crossing through the viewer.

What's Been Changed?
The rumors are true: Lucas made more changes to the films for their DVD debut. Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) has been added to a scene in Jedi, Ian McDiarmid (the Emperor) replaces Clive Revill with slightly revised lines in Empire, Temuera Morrison has rerecorded Boba Fett's minimal dialogue, and some other small details have been altered. Yes, these changes mean that the Star Wars films are no longer the ones you saw 20 years ago, but these brief changes hardly affect the films, and they do make sense in the overall continuity of the two trilogies. It's not like a digitized Ewan McGregor has replaced Alec Guiness's scenes, and the infamous changes made for the 1997 special-edition versions were much more intrusive (of course, those are in the DVD versions as well).

How Are the Bonus Features?

Toplining is Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy, a 150-minute documentary incorporating not only the usual making-of nuts and bolts but also the political workings of the movie studios and the difficulties Lucas had getting his vision to the screen (for example, after resigning from the Directors' Guild, he lost his first choice for director of Jedi: Steven Spielberg). It's a little adulatory, but it has plenty to interest any fan. The three substantial featurettes are "The Characters of Star Wars" (19 min.), which discusses the development of the characters we all know and love, "The Birth of the Lightsaber" (15 min.), about the creation and evolution of a Jedi's ultimate weapon, and "The Force Is with Them: The Legacy of Star Wars" (15 min.), in which filmmakers such as Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott, and James Cameron talk about how they and the industry were affected by the films and Lucas's technological developments in visual effects, sound, and computer animation.

The bonus features are excellent and along the same lines as those created for The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. Each film has a commentary track, recorded by Lucas, Ben Burtt (sound design), Dennis Muren (visual effects), and Carrie Fisher, with Irvin Kershner joining in on the film he directed, The Empire Strikes Back. Recorded separately and skillfully edited together (with supertitles to identify who is speaking), the tracks lack the energy of group commentaries, but they're enjoyable and informative, with a nice mix of overall vision (Lucas), technical details (Burtt, Muren, Kershner), and actor's perspective (Fisher). Interestingly, they discuss some of the 1997 changes (Mos Eisley creatures, the new Jabba the Hutt scene) but not those made for the DVDs.

There's also a sampler of the Xbox game Star Wars: Battlefront, which lets the player reenact classic film scenarios (blast Ewoks in the battle of Endor!); trailers and TV spots from the films' many releases; and a nine-minute preview of the last film in the series, Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (here identified by an earlier working title, The Return of Darth Vader). Small extra touches include anamorphic widescreen motion menus with dialogue, original poster artwork on the discs, and a whopping 50 chapter stops for each film.

"The Force Is Strong with This One"
The Star Wars Trilogy is an outstanding DVD set that lives up to the anticipation. There will always be resentment that the original versions of the films are not available as well, but George Lucas maintains that these are the versions he always wanted to make. If fans are able to put this debate aside, they can enjoy the adventures of Luke, Leia, and Han for years to come. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

One of the Best...Ever.......2007-09-04

The Star Wars Trilogy is still one of the best trilogies ever made. Three of the best movies ever produced. Wonderful and took the world by storm in the late seventies. A cultural icon that propelled George Lucas into stardom.

The magic is still here 30 years later. I don't care if you don't like them or not, you owe it to yourself to watch these movies. I did and I loved them.

Each movie features a commentary track with a number of people. The Bonus Disc features a few documentaries and featurettes I suggest that all fans should view.

Highly recommended.

Star fest.......2007-09-02

Compelling space saga with charismatic heroes, comely heroine and superb, creepy villain. State of the art (at the time) special effects. The work of a master movie maker. Kudos!

What can you say - Star Wars Trilogy is great.......2007-08-29

What can you say - Star Wars Trilogy is great.

Sure the acting is subpower in all the Star Wars movies IMHO. But the story line is awesome.

The "Not Quite So" Original Trilogy Finally Hits DVD.......2007-08-16

It's hard to believe that it's been only 30 years since the original Star Wars (now known as Star Wars- Episode IV- A New Hope) was released, thus changing the movie industry as we know it. Sure, Jaws is considered the "original" summer blockbuster, but it was Star Wars which introduced the concept of a larger-than-life, over-the-top movie that wasn't based on a Biblical story, which would resonate with the public in a massive way. Indeed, Star Wars may have been indirectly responsible for the decision to revive Star Trek, as science fiction and fantasy suddenly became a viable commercial proposition. After letting the original trilogy languish on VHS and laserdisc for years, George Lucas finally relented, and released this DVD boxed set in 2004, which includes all 3 movies and a bonus disc. However, these aren't exactly the movies people might remember from long ago, which I'll get to in a bit.

If you're a newcomer to Star Wars, I'll try to cut to the chase about what made these movies special with the Reader's Digest version. A young filmmaker from California, having had some modest success with his coming-of-age nostalgia flick "American Graffiti", decided he wanted to make a movie based on the old "Flash Gordon" serials. Finding that the rights had already been taken by someone else, Lucas decided to instead make his own sci-fi/fantasy story, and forged a vast array of influences, including "The Lord of the Rings", Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa's feudal epics, 1930s serials (such as "Flash Gordon"), World War 2 movies, and much more, into what would become Star Wars. The creation of the original Star Wars was plagued by problems, including financial problems, a general lack of faith by some crew members, encroaching deadlines, hostile weather, and Lucas's own near-breakdown from the strain. Lucas's team had to literally invent new types of special effects in order to avoid a "Plan 9 From Outer Space"-type disaster. When the movie was finally released, cast members actually did a double take, as their experience during the filming never indicated that the result would be so incredibly dynamic. "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" both served to expand the scope of the Star Wars universe, and solidified the series as what Joseph Campbell would term "modern day myth".

"A New Hope" establishes the main characters and the primary struggles of the original trilogy, some of which already have been introduced to some degree by the subsequent prequel films. Droids R2D2 and C3PO escape a besieged ship carrying a rebel leader, Leia Organa, and end up on the desert planet of Tattooine, while Leia is captured by the Empire's sinister Darth Vader. When the droids are bought by Luke Skywalker's aunt and uncle, Luke finds that R2D2 is carrying the plans to the Empire's gigantic and deadly space station, the Death Star. Recruited by Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi, a former Jedi Knight and master of the mystical "Force", Luke and company engage the services of rogue space pilot Han Solo and his furry Wookie co-pilot Chewbacca to try to get to Alderaan. From there, the film builds up to a climactic battle over the Death Star as our heroes get into one sticky situation after another. There's a reason that this movie defined the "event movie" from that point on: off the cuff, natural delivery of dialogue, fantastic special effects, creation of a living imaginary world, and very effective, if archetyped, characters. In Lucas' latest tinkering for , he tries to half-way amend for the "Greedo shoots first" gaffe of the Special Edition version, by having both Han Solo and Greedo shoot at almost the same time. While this won't appease everyone, it's still enough to keep the scene from looking silly (as was the case with the Special Edition edit). The crude computer effects from the Special Edition are also touched up, resulting in Jabba appearing much less like a crude, mid '90s Playstation cutscene relic.

"The Empire Strikes Back" picks up months after the original film, with Vader, who survived, obsessed with finding Luke, who along with Leia, Han, and a contingent of Rebels, is hiding on the frozen world of Hoth. Luke, after surviving a near-death experience at the hands of a monster, is told by the spirit of Kenobi to seek the Jedi Master Yoda in order to master the Force. Unfortunately, Vader's massive fleet has located the Rebels, and launches an attack on Hoth. In the confusion, Han, Chewie, C3PO and Leia are chased by the Empire across space, while Luke trains under Yoda on the swamp world of Dagobah. Eventually, Luke confronts Vader in a dramatic duel, where he learns a terrible fact about their true relationship, while Han and Leia fall in love, but are tragically separated. "Empire" is cited by most fans as their favorite, perhaps in part due to not only the darker tone of the movie, but also due to the fact that it truly expanded the scope of the Star Wars universe. Most of the changes made in this movie are minor cosmetic changes, with the exception of the re-dubbing of bounty hunter Boba Fett's voice (by Temura Morrison, who played Jango Fett and the clones in the prequels), and a partial reshoot of Vader talking to the Emperor, with Ian McDiarmid being inserted in this scene with revised dialogue.

"Return of the Jedi" begins with an extended sequence detailing Luke and Leia's rescue of Han from Jabba on Tattooine. When all is said and done, our heroes emerge victorious, but find themselves facing a much bigger conflict. The Rebel Alliance has found that a new Death Star is being built, and that the Emperor himself is overseeing the construction. Luke and friends are tasked with destroying the protective shield generator on the forest world of Endor, but find themselves walking into a trap, while the Rebel fleet finds itself cornered by the Empire. In the end, Luke must confront Vader and the Emperor, and take on the role of the last Jedi. Of all the original trilogy movies, this one suffered the most from Lucas' tinkering, in the form of the horrid "Jedi Rocks" musical sequence. Incredibly, Lucas is apparently blind to how hated this "Muppet Show" sequence is, and has not altered it, or restored the original version of the scene. The other major controversy in this version is the removal of Sebastian Shaw from the final shot of the "Force ghosts" at the end, and the insertion of Hayden Christiansen, who played Anakin Skywalker in the prequels. This change is nowhere near as unforgiveable as keeping "Jedi Rocks", which came this close to making the movie unwatchable. While the film itself is the weakest of the three, with Harrison Ford sometimes pretty much phoning in his performance, "Jedi" still ends on a positive note, and wraps up the whole saga nicely, if a bit abruptly.

All changes aside, the video quality is pretty good, although you can sometimes see blatant matte effect squares around TIE fighters in "A New Hope". Lucasfilm was meticulous about removing dirt and age effects from the films as much as possible. In terms of extras, the bonus disc includes a number of short features, and a definitive Star Wars documentary titled "Empire of Dreams". The commentary tracks for the movies are entertaining and pretty informative, being certainly more dynamic and insightful than much of the commentary for the prequels. The audio is also pretty good, although the actual sound quality in "A New Hope" is markedly duller and more muffled than in any of the other Star Wars movies (either an unfortunate byproduct of the original masters degrading, or of the equipment used circa 1977). The simple truth is that, unless you are someone who dislikes any kind of speculative fiction/fantasy movies, you must have this in your collection. I should note that Lucasfilm re-released the Original Trilogy in 2006 in a collector's format, containing both the current versions and the "pre-Special Edition" versions of the movies. However, this is more costly, and the "original unaltered" versions of the movies were not properly cleaned up or adapted for the DVD format, so for the less hardcore fans, you'll be fine with the 2004 boxed set.

Star Wars Trilogy- Full Screen + Bonus Disc.......2007-08-10

Product arrived quickly and is in great condition! Our whole family loves it! Would order from this company again.

Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition Without Bonus Disc)

Average customer rating:

Hey... It's Star Wars...
Star Wars Trilogy
Bummer
A must for all Star Wars fans
Even better than before!

Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition Without Bonus Disc)
Starring: Star Wars Trilogy
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000BKJ78U
Release Date: 2005-12-06

Amazon.com

This 2005 three-disc edition of George Lucas's Star Wars Trilogy is basically the same set as the 2004 edition minus the bonus fourth disc. That means you get the three original films--A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983)--in their brilliant-looking and -sounding DVD glory. That means you also get both the changes that were made for the 1997 special-edition versions as well as the revisions that were made for the films' DVD debut, including Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) being added to a scene in Jedi, Ian McDiarmid (the Emperor) replacing Clive Revill with slightly revised lines in Empire, and Temuera Morrison rerecording Boba Fett's minimal dialogue, plus some other small details.

The discs don't qualify as bare-bones because they do include the commentary tracks recorded by Lucas, Ben Burtt (sound design), Dennis Muren (visual effects), and Carrie Fisher (Leia), plus Irvin Kershner added for The Empire Strikes Back. But what you lose is the fourth disc's 150-minute documentary Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy, the three substantial featurettes ("The Characters of Star Wars," "The Birth of the Lightsaber," and "The Force Is with Them: The Legacy of Star Wars"), the Xbox sampler, the no-longer-exciting Episode III preview, and other odds and ends. Star Wars aficionados will certainly stick with the four-disc set, but casual fans might be satisfied with this lower-priced version. --David Horiuchi

Description

Bonus Features: Disc 1: **Feature **Commentary by George Lucas, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren and Carrie Fisher **Easter Egg - Credit Roll

Disc 2: **Feature **Commentary by George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren and Carrie Fisher **Easter Egg - Credit Roll

Disc 3: **Feature **Commentary by George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren and Carrie Fisher **Easter Egg - Credit Roll

Episode Description: Disc 1: *Star Wars: A New Hope / Episode IV

Disc 2: *Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back / Episode V

Disc 3: *Star Wars: Return of the Jedi / Episode VI

Customer Reviews:

Hey... It's Star Wars..........2007-09-06

What can I say. The remastered Star Wars original trilogy on widescreen DVD's. If you haven't got one...get one...

Star Wars Trilogy.......2007-08-07

I've always loved this trilogy better than the newer ones. I remember watching these when I was five and just loving every minute of them. Now that I'm older and understand things a bit better, I enjoy them even more. The only thing I don't like is having the new Anakin show up in the last part of "Return of the Jedi".

Bummer.......2007-08-03

The cd's were just what i wonted. The thing is that these have the added CG into the original film. The producers did not do a good job. It looks weird. I know what can be done with CG and this was a cheep run at adding "cool stuff" to a set of good old movies. I would say look for the original originals if you want to see the real thing.

A must for all Star Wars fans.......2007-07-31

What can you say, the original trilogy, a bonus disk, excellent DVD extras, a beautiful box, and the best darn movies ever made, brought up to date with the latest technology.

Even better than before!.......2007-07-13

These movies set the bar for all science ficiton movies of the late 2oth and early 21st century! Now they are even better and to have them on DVD insures they will last.

Star Wars Trilogy (Full Screen Edition with Bonus Disc)

Average customer rating:

One of the Best...Ever
Star fest
What can you say - Star Wars Trilogy is great
The "Not Quite So" Original Trilogy Finally Hits DVD
Star Wars Trilogy- Full Screen + Bonus Disc

Star Wars Trilogy (Full Screen Edition with Bonus Disc)
Starring: Carrie Fisher , Peter Mayhew , James Earl Jones , and Harrison Ford
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001YRVN4
Release Date: 2004-09-21

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Description

Disc 1: *Star Wars: A New Hope IV *Feature Film: Star Wars: A New Hope IV *Commentary by George Lucas, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher

Disc 2: *The Empire Strikes Back V *Feature Film: The Empire Strikes Back V *Commentary by George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher

Disc 3: *Return of the Jedi VI *Feature Film: Return of the Jedi VI *Commentary by George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher

Disc 4: *Bonus Disc includes the most comprehensive feature-length documentary ever produced on the Star Wars saga *Never-before-seen footage from the making of all three films, and much more

Customer Reviews:

One of the Best...Ever.......2007-09-04

Star fest.......2007-09-02

Compelling space saga with charismatic heroes, comely heroine and superb, creepy villain. State of the art (at the time) special effects. The work of a master movie maker. Kudos!

What can you say - Star Wars Trilogy is great.......2007-08-29

What can you say - Star Wars Trilogy is great.

Sure the acting is subpower in all the Star Wars movies IMHO. But the story line is awesome.

The "Not Quite So" Original Trilogy Finally Hits DVD.......2007-08-16

Star Wars Trilogy- Full Screen + Bonus Disc.......2007-08-10

Product arrived quickly and is in great condition! Our whole family loves it! Would order from this company again.

Star Wars Trilogy (Full Screen Edition Without Bonus Disc)

Average customer rating:

Start Wars
Still a great series
Star Wars Trilogy
i was surprised i did like it
Where is the real Star Wars?

Star Wars Trilogy (Full Screen Edition Without Bonus Disc)
Starring: Kenny Baker , Phil Brown , Eddie Byrne , Peter Cushing , and Anthony Daniels
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000BKJ78K
Release Date: 2005-12-06

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Customer Reviews:

Start Wars.......2007-08-23

My husband was thrilled! He couldn't wait to watch all three "original" Star Wars movies.

Still a great series.......2007-02-18

This is the no frills DVD collection, but it's awesome. There are no special extras with these movies, which I like because I rarely watch them. Good Value.

Star Wars Trilogy.......2007-01-16

This was purchased for a Christmas gift. The grandchildren just love the
set and watch it over and over.

i was surprised i did like it.......2007-01-16

i bought it for my boyfriend , and i have never watched it before. i was surprised at how much i liked it.

Where is the real Star Wars?.......2007-01-11

While the digital process seems to have worked well as far as picture
quality, you should be aware that these three films are not the original
versions; they are the versions that George Lucas has "revised" to bring
them "into line" with Episodes 1, 2, and 3. For instance, in Episode 4,
a scene has been added just after the Cantina scene where Hans Solo
has a conversation with Jabba the Hut and some bounty hunters. If you
have copies of the original versions of Episodes 4, 5, & 6; you will
probably not want to spend money on the new versions.

Average customer rating:

Much of the material dated, still worthwhile as a stand alone purchase for fans

Star Wars Trilogy Bonus Disc (2004)

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ASIN: B000FAGGWQ

Product Description

A unique behind the scenes look at the classic trilogy.

Customer Reviews:

Much of the material dated, still worthwhile as a stand alone purchase for fans.......2007-05-21

Back in 2004, this disc was included as the only "bonus" extra in the Original Trilogy's first DVD release.

Sadly, that release was not only a tampered with set (modified even more than the 1997 Special Editions), but it was poorly restored, featuring odd colors and sound gaffes on the English and Spanish tracks of A New Hope. The 2004 box set was also packaged in a rather flimsy cardboard case that was easily damaged, leaving piles of dented and wrinkled cases on store shelves.

Despite these flaws, the highlight of the set for most was the "Bonus Materials" disc, which became a sought after item after it was nixed for inclusion in subsequent sets (the 2005 "Limited Edition" rehash and the 2006 2 disc sets).

For folks who wisely waited, now you can avoid any of the awful box sets and buy this disc seperately.

To long-time fans, this set contains some things of interest including the longer version of the "Empire of Dreams" documentary, which, despite including many "revisionist" statements by Lucas and his crew, is quite informative. It spends most of its time on the events leading up to the success of the first movie, and speeds quickly through the rest of the trilogy and the phenomenon that would become the Star Wars franchise to the present day. The other docos are interesting as well.

The disc features extensive picture galleries and nearly every trailer of the three original films ever released (though the quality varies widely).
It's great to see these unaltered.

The menus are pretty and show us some effects inconsistent with the 2004 versions, indicating that more care was taken with this release or else a very different team handled it than handled the "restoration" of the special editions mark II.

The rest of the material is rather dated now, and may be of lesser interest to Original Trilogy fans:

An Xbox only demo of "Star Wars Battlefront" a mediocre "Battlefield 1942" imitator. If you've already played the game on some other format, this version actually features some things that were cut from the final version of the game on Xbox and PC: the Bothan Spy and the Imperial Officer class (these two were modified and added in the sequel, SWBF2). This is a one level demo, the Battle of Endor, one of the better scenarios out of the video game.

There's also a trailer for the aforementioned game. Needless to say this game fell far short of my expectations.

There's a promotional teaser for Episode III, full of gushing and showing us the creation of the "new and improved" Vader helmet and Hayden Christiansen trying it on. I once avoided seeing this for fear of spoilers, but it turned out to just be mostly green/blue screen stuff and fluff.

There's a promotional video for the "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" Xbox game, showing early gameplay and more fluff. I never played this game but apparently it was largely overhyped, and while decent by console standards of the day, hasn't held up well over time, much like the "Enter the Matrix" game.

And finally there's a hidden "blooper reel" done in the same style as the hidden blooper reels for the Prequel dvd's. Not hilarious by any stretch, but as entertaining as blooper reels tend to be. It's nice to see more vintage Star Wars footage, at any rate.

I'd recommend this, and give it 4 stars rather than 5 only because so much space is wasted on extras that nobody cares about now, which could have been better served with more vintage Original Trilogy material, like say, deleted scenes or vintage interviews (say with the late Peter Cushing or Sir Alec Guinness).

Star Wars, Episode IV- A New Hope (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Jedi versus Sith
This is the version to buy
A walk down memory lane
Star Wars, Episode IV- A New Hope (Widescreen Edition)
A classic!

Star Wars, Episode IV- A New Hope (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Peter Cushing , and Alec Guinness
Director: George Lucas
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006VIE4C

Product Description

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, 2004 release, SINGLE DISC FROM TRILOGY

Customer Reviews:

Jedi versus Sith.......2007-05-03

This review is not about the movie, but about the differences between the Jedi and the Sith. The Jedi only care about others and the Sith solely care about themselves is the main difference between the two groups. I know from watching this stuff that it has an impact on how I think. It's important for people to know that in order to be good you don't solely have to care about other people, you need to take care of yourself and then and only then you can take care of others. Imagine trying to do everyone else's homework and not getting yours done, whats doing to happen? Answer: you're going to overextend yourself and not do well in the course. There is a time for everything but you must take care of yourself to be prosperous and to be a blessing to others.

This is the version to buy.......2007-04-29

You had to be there to understand how profoundly different, how mesmerizing this film was when it was first released. As teenagers, my friends and I, living on the white trash side of town and with limited familial resources for much other than lunch money, had to shop lift our SF books. We stole them in great numbers, actually. I'm not proud of the fact, but our little SF club needed material to read and discuss, our basement library needed to grow, and our nascent writing talents needed role models. The genre was our life. Imagine the two remaining members of that thieving little club some years later, who, still addicted to SF, walked into the largest theater on the south side of Detroit, sat down without much of a clue what to expect, and watched that fantastic yellow roll-up against a field of real-looking stars, followed by that, that, that bone rattling sound and the sight of the very first Imperial cruiser rumbling overhead. My friend Mark actually had tears in his eyes at the close of the film. It was singularly fantastic. I'm feeling like the geeky kid I was then by reminiscing like this, but this film had a profound effect on me.

Mine is not the only generation in love with the series. My son, years later became a rabid Star Wars fan and amassed one of the largest collections of Star Wars stuff I've ever heard of, he even has some of the huge theater lobby cardboard stand-ups. I'm not sure where I'm going with this except to say that this film changed it all. It catapulted SF right out of the gutter and into the mainstream. It brought to cinematic life all the sights and sounds of distant worlds and characters that until then had existed only in our science fiction heads. It made at least one of us cry from the sheer joy of seeing it. It is a timeless wonder and real cinematic magic.

A walk down memory lane.......2007-03-24

It has been a long time since I've seen the original Star Wars theatrical releases. The way they were ORIGINALLY. I loved it. For me, it's like watching a good Charlie Chaplin movie. You don't focus on the lack of special effects, sound or what they don't have. You let your imagination run wild and simply go along for the ride.

As Luke Skywalker begins his journey to self-discovery, I find myself walking it with him, unobstructed by 21st century special effects and additions that look grossly out of place in the updated version. The updated version has its place, but I much prefer the classic 1977 release.

There's something to be said for the way things were... "a long long time ago, in a movie theater not so far away..."

Star Wars, Episode IV- A New Hope (Widescreen Edition).......2007-03-03

Star Wars, Episode IV- A New Hope (Widescreen Edition)~ Mark Hamill is great sci-fi movie and it does make a lot more sense after watching the first 3 movies which came out almost 30 years later. Knowing the background story explains a lot of things that made little to no sense before. For example, why r2-d2 and c3po are always together, the nature of Darth Vader, why Obi-one Kenobi is Lukes jedi master and many many other questions that one had whilst watching this movie before. The special effects are a bit primitive but for the time they were outstanding and some of the best in the business. The music is right on the money. The script is very well written and the plot is filled with action and and exciting adventure. If one does have to say something negative then it is to the fact that Mark Hamill is a terrible actor and just about anyone could have played that part better. Even so this is a great movie and I give it 5 well deserved stars.

A classic!.......2006-11-27

i have to say this is one of the best sifi movies of all time. Gorge Lucas is a great director. There is really nothing to complain about. I think there creatures are extremly fake and dumb but that does not bother me i love this movie. May the force be with you!

Star Wars, Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Completely mind boggling upon its release
The best of the bunch
Icy.....
Fun in spite of immense flaws
The best Star Wars film by far.

Star Wars, Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Billy Dee Williams , and Anthony Daniels
Director: Irvin Kershner
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006VIXGQ

Product Description

Single Disc From Star Wars Trilogy, 2004 release

Customer Reviews:

Completely mind boggling upon its release.......2007-07-24

Its cliche at this point to mention but ESB was without a doubt the single most awe inspiring and phenomenal movie of my childhood. I was 11 when this hit theaters and I literally could not sleep at night until I saw this movie. Star Wars was a life changer but nothing prepared me for this movie. No movie I have ever seen in my life delievered the goods like ESB. To think this was made in 1980 and is therefore 27 years old is simply astonishing. Back then this movie was so much more than just a movie. In my opinion its the best sequel in history and may never be topped.

The best of the bunch.......2007-07-09

By far the best of the now-sad Star Wars saga. It had just the right balance of seriousness and whimsy. This is one of my top 10, all-time, for sure.

Icy............2007-07-03

Let's see, you begin the story on the Ice World of Hoth. You end with Han Solo being carbon frozen in carbonite. And you have Darth Vader revealing to Luke Skywalker that the same icy blood runs through each of their veins. The ice cold demeanor of the emperor and the chilling encounter with Yoda on the swampy world of Dagobah.

This is the darkest of the "original" trilogy by far. You are forced to travel into the depths of truest darkness. You truly find out why Darth Vader is what he is... You get to know the true evil behind his diabolical ways...the emperor. Taking out Episodes 1 to 3 (which didn't come into play until decades later) this is the first time you ever see the evil Darth Vader as possessing a weakness. Moreover, it's the first time we truly encounter an evil seemingly GREATER than Lord Vader.

I must admit I was darn near traumatized when I watched this movie as a child and they ended with Han Solo being frozen in Carbonite... but knowing what I know now, I can only celebrate this movie for what it is... an integral part of a wonderful epic!

Fun in spite of immense flaws.......2007-06-20

Confession: I may the one person in the civilized world who had never seen TESB. While I am aware of the characters and the catch phrases ( "I am your father" and "Do or not do. There is no try") I have not actually seen how this episode plays out on the large screen or the small.

The plotline of TESB in a nutshell: the rebellion continues against the seemingly insurmountable forces of the Empire. Bad guy Darth Vader, doing the Emperor's bidding, seeks out and uproots the rebels. Good guy rebels Princess Leia and Hans Solo run from Vader but are caught used as bait to trap Luke who is working on his nascent Jedi skills with swamp-dwelling Yoda. Vader asks Luke to be his partner in a plot to usurp the Emperor, and informs Luke about a critical bit of family history. Luke refuses, and with Leia and Han escapes to fight another day.

Now, I'm neither a huge fan nor a detractor of the Star Wars series, just someone who enjoys a well-made film. And in the sci-fi genre, there's nothing more exciting than watching writers and directors let their imaginations soar as they produce a universe different from our own. But in spite of great expectations, I came away from TESB, as have many other fans, with a sense of what might have been.

TESB is often beautiful to look at and technologically innovative. Its characters are colorful and exciting, including black-clad evil knights, space pirates, robots, princesses and a variety of mostly humanoid aliens. The film's cosmic locales offer opportunities to stretch our minds in new and unexpected ways. There is a city floating among the clouds of a gaseous planet, a swamp planet with requisite creepy crawlies, a forbidding ice planet and an asteroid belt filled with careening boulders. The effects are usually well done, with flashing lasers and enormous interstellar ships executed to perfection. John Williams' musical score is suitable to the theme of the film and mostly unobtrusive.

But from the perspective of relationships -- between characters, with their surroundings and within themselves -- TESB falls flat. The film's characters are one-dimensional, if that, and portray only the most unsubtle of emotions. What emotion there is borders on troglodytic, as when Han growls menacingly that Leia "needs to be kissed." Why not just ravish her while you're at it, Trogdor? When Vader fails to persuade Luke to join him, messing up his master plan to rule the universe, he just trudges off with neither huff nor snort. The lethally and mercurial Vader triggers not the least bit of worry as he walks through a crowded battle station. No one sweats or grimaces or flinches in the presence of the supreme villain in the universe. The only real emoting came when Leia sees Han frozen into a block of carbonite.

The relationship problem extends to the premise of the film. The rebellion is caused by high taxation -- shades of colonial America! But this theme remains unexplored after the initial crawl. The Millennium Falcon, that supposed bucket of bolts, always appears neat and clean, with not a jot of junk or loose wire in sight. Good guys pilot their ship through a swarm of frightening asteroids with no apparent effort. TESB is almost like watching a film with the sound turned down. Eye candy is not enough for viewers like me.

I could go on about the lame comic relief (mostly supplied by effete C3PO and cute R2D2), confusing battle scenes, the lily-white cast, cliched set pieces (wise teacher instruct reluctant young pupil, antagonistic man and woman really love each other) and Lucas's shameless cribbing (Panzer caps or KKK-like helmets on the henchmen). And let us not forget that Frank Oz's voicing of Yoda owes more to Gonzo the Muppet than to Seven Samurai.

But it's almost too easy to beat up on George Lucas. For better or for worse, TESB and its 5 siblings have become inextricably grafted onto the American and global psyches. Lucas's fans love him and memorize his film's every frame, as do his detractors, if only to imagine how he could have improved his work. Love him or hate him, it's essential that you watch this film, and all the others. In spite the abundance of cliches, vapid writing, pseudo-theologizing and bad acting, there is much that is wonderful and new about the series. It might be time for George to let others tinker with his films, as there is a masterpiece in each one.

The best Star Wars film by far........2007-03-02

A long time ago in a decade far, far away, George Lucas knew when he was out of his depth, and got a REAL writer to create a screenplay, and a REAL director to direct his film.

This still stands as the best of all the Star Wars films, making the recent horrors (Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones) look like the appalling rubbish they are.

Empire Strikes Back isn't just a sci-fi space opera. Its a real film, with real emotion, great character development and enormous depth in so many areas. The Force is a spiritual thing, not a politically-correct biological phenomenon designed to pacify the fundamentalist Christians who object to the Force steering their kids away from Church (a-la Phantom Menace). Han and Leia's relationship is full of wonderful feeling you can believe. Luke's development as a Jedi is beautifully portrayed throughout the middle sections of the film. And of course, the adventure is non-stop. This film is a great ride of character-development mixed with space battles that are used to enhance the story, not BE the story (a-la Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith).

George, when are you going to remake Episodes 1, 2 and 3 using a REAL writer and a REAL director? Its time you apologized to your long-standing fans of 30+ years and gave us something worthy of the Star Wars legend, on a par with this wonder-work. Oh, and George .... the greatest special effects imaginable don't make a good film. Good old fashioned storytelling makes a good film. Have another look at Star Wars (I refuse to call it A New Hope) and Empire Strikes Back. See what you created back then, and try to regain the same genius storytelling ability you had 30 years ago. What you make now is garbage.

Star Wars Trilogy DVD with Exclusive Best Buy Tin (original theatrical releases) - Widescreen

Average customer rating:

Every expense spared
George didn't alter these (what a fool)

Star Wars Trilogy DVD with Exclusive Best Buy Tin (original theatrical releases) - Widescreen
Starring: Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , and Billy Dee Williams
Director: George Lucas
Manufacturer: Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video
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Product Features:

Commentary by George Lucas, cast and crew
Widescreen Versions of all three films

ASIN: B000IKHNT8

Product Description

All three original Star Wars film (episodes IV, V and VI) in the original theatrical form, presented in widescreen with Dolby 2.0 Stereo. Includes six DVDs, two versions of each film (new enhanced versions, as well as the theatrical versions). This was an ultra rare set sold at Best Buy that included an exclusive tin that holds all six discs! Also includes tons of extra features, including commentary tracks and more!

Customer Reviews:

Every expense spared.......2007-01-27

Watching the original versions of the original Star Wars trilogy on DVD is like travelling back in time - not so much to the innocence of youth but more to the days when picture quality was never much of a consideration on video releases and Fox had the reputation for the worst transfers in the business. Watching these DVDs is to step back into an age of low resolution standards conversions with all the loss of detail and motion blurring that that entailed: certainly if you've got one of the old remastered video releases you might as well hold on to that, because the quality isn't as poor as this. The sound quality is pretty awful as well. From Lucas' past track record it's all too easy to imagine this is just a scam to allow him to sell a remastered version a couple of years down the line, but it's even harder to dispel the notion that somewhere Lucas is whining "See how soft the focus is? How can you say these are better films?"

Although commonly blamed for the death of cinema as we knew it, in truth Star Wars was a huge breath of fresh air after the increasingly stale and formulaic week-in, week-out reality of woefully unimaginative and derivative downbeat on-the-cheap 70s cinema. It wasn't merely a matter of having a happy ending, more that there was a sense of panache and unapologetic adventure that had been missing for too long at the time (even the decade's best adventures, such as The Wind and the Lion and The Man Who Would Be King, saw their heroes destroyed by society in an age that had no place for them). Looking at it for the first time in years, its much better directed than remembered, extremely well constructed and beautifully designed, introducing the `future is old' concept that many would attribute to Ridley Scott. It also, unlike the prequels, has the saving grace of Han Solo, a character whose deprecating sense of humor undercuts the more solemn and potentially pretentious moments in a way that would be much missed amid the talk of apprentices, trade embargoes and midi-chloridians in the prequels. It's still fun and it still works, even in the very worst transfer of the originals.

The Empire Strikes Back suffered the least in the special edition reworkings (although the clunky rewriting of the scene with the Emperor shows Lucas' leaden touch with dialog only too clearly) and as a transfer suffers the least of the original versions, but it's still not good enough. The film itself holds up surprisingly well, fully deserving its reputation as the best (and naturally least commercially successful) of the series. A lot of the credit has to go to co-writer Leigh Brackett, with the film's verbal sparring having a classic Hollywood feel to it that gives it a mixture of the best of both worlds, while keeping things moving at a brisk pace. Irvin Kershner's direction brings the best out of the cast too, while the action scenes - particularly the battle on the ice - are the best in the series. It's just a shame that the film's (genuinely unexpected at the time) cliffhanger was thrown away in the follow-up.

Return of the Jedi isn't as bad as the scarred memories of working at a movie theatre showing it five times a day for 12 weeks would have it, but it's still the least of the series. With no producer or studio to rein him in this time, Lucas offers something that's little more than a rehash of the first two films, but with bigger Death Stars, more spaceships, more teddy bears and far, far too many Muppets, it's crippled by an atrocious opening section where one after another the heroes try to rescue Han Solo only to get captured in the most tedious ways possible. Richard Marquand's inability to direct action is much to the fore in this section, and he's not much better in the rest of the film, while Harrison Ford gives a particularly bad performance that's all too indicative of a bored man with nothing to do but stuck here anyway because of contractual obligation. If you can forget the dire first third, the rest of the film is okay when it's dealing with the Skywalkers' family feuds but less successful on the ground in the Teddy Bears Picnic - sorry, Ewok scenes. Still, it does have Princess Leia in the slavegirl outfit...

The discs also include the revised special editions released a couple of years ago, which at least boast excellent picture and sound quality, though are all extras-lite with only a commentary and a Star Wars Lego promo.

George didn't alter these (what a fool).......2006-12-22

The tin came prior to Christmas, which is great by itself! The product arrived in great shape; I really haven't looked inside it yet, since it went right into wrapping paper for the tree right after it arrived! If my son opens it and it's empty, that will be another story! However, I have always had great luck with Amazon, so far no let downs!!!

I was really pissed, along with all of the other folks (my generation), that stood in line for over four hours as kids when these movies first came out to the widescreen, only to have "you know who" alter the originals (taking out the original "ghost scene" Vader, and replacing him with the new "young Anakin"). What the hell was he thinking about? That's like taking and Original Shelby Mustang and trying to put new Mustang parts on it.... It just isn't the right thing to do, and everybody will think your retarded! Please pass this on to George!!!

So needless to say, I was very thrilled to find the "un-altered" originals for sale!!! I got them before George could screw them up! Yee-haa!!

Star Wars Trilogy - Limited Edition w/ Collectible Metal Case - Widescreen Version (Includes Original & Special Editions) [BOX SET]

Average customer rating:

Are you Kidding me?
Are these DVDs in Anamorphic Widescreen format?
Great, but don't buy here
That guy below doesn't know what he is taking about...

Star Wars Trilogy - Limited Edition w/ Collectible Metal Case - Widescreen Version (Includes Original & Special Editions) [BOX SET]

Manufacturer: Fox Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
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Product Features:

Each DVD contains the Original & Special Edition of each classic film.
All three films come in an exclusive metal case.
Widescreen Edition

ASIN: B000IJ6QTC

Product Description

For the first time ever and for a limited time only, Episodes IV, V and VI in the epic Star Wars saga are available individually in 2-DVD sets, containing both the original theatrical and enhanced versions. All three films come in an exclusive collectible metal case.

Customer Reviews:

Are you Kidding me?.......2007-05-18

Don't get me wrong I love Star Wars but why in the world is this being sold for almost $150! Is it because they're rare? Is it because they are no longer sold at best buy? Whatever it is it's ridiculous. Plus it lacks the great bonus features from the other DVD set. If you must buy the theatrical versions buy them individualy. Also the theatrical versions are non-animorphic, too!

Are these DVDs in Anamorphic Widescreen format?.......2007-02-03

Are ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN versions of the films included on these DVDs?

Just wondering.

Great, but don't buy here.......2006-12-31

This set is great and a definite must for any Star Wars fanatic. The casual fan probably won't be impressed though. However, do not buy this for $150. I was going to, but I found it at Best Buy for $70. The tin is really cool- it opens on both sides- but it dents fairly easily. 6 movies and a flimsy (but cool) tin is not worth $150.

That guy below doesn't know what he is taking about..........2006-11-28

Okay, so Lucas decided to turn a little cash...WHO CARES!
We've got every version of the greatest films ever made available to view now on timeless DVD...
Hey, get ready for the shocker: at some point they are ALL going to be re-released on either Blu-Ray or HD-DVD and I'll buy them all over again!

This is an excellent collection...it is truly amazing to view the ORIGINAL, NON-REMASTERED theatrical versions of the films and compare them to the stunning remasters that were released in 2004.

This set is a must for any true Star Wars fan.

Star Wars Trilogy Widescreen Collector's Edition Laser Disc Set

Average customer rating:

Star Wars Trilogy Widescreen Collector's Edition Laser Disc Set

Manufacturer: Industrial Light & Magic
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000EDQCC8

Product Description

This collector's set comes with Laser Disc Sides 1-6 Star Wars, Sides 7-12 The Empire Strikes Back, Sides 13-18 Return Of The Jedi. A pamphlet of slide selections and a hardcover book "The Creative Impulse" by George Lucas

DVD: