Ann rates the Special Edition changes

The great debate: Which is better, the original classic trilogy, or the classic trilogy Special Edition, which came out in 1997? There's been a lot of fan complaint lately over George Lucas saying that when the classic trilogy eventually comes out on DVD (presumably 2005 or 2006), he won't release the original versions, but rather only the Special Edition will be sold. Here's one fan's opinion on old vs. new. (Ratings on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being an awesome change, 1 being a terrible change, and 5 being a change I'm neutral about.)



A New Hope

Moving dewbacks: 5
While moving dewbacks are certainly better eye candy than the brief glimpse of a stationary one in the original, I question why stormtroopers are even using dewbacks. When Darth Vader himself tells you that you'd better find the missing shuttle pod immediately, wouldn't you choose, say, a landspeeder to go out looking for the pod? They're stormtroopers, and the Empire isn't really known for its politeness, so I would think that even if they had to steal a speeder, they wouldn't be using a slow and ponderous dewback when their necks are on the line. The dewback outside the cantina later on is very cool, but out in the desert the moving dewback just calls attention to a big absurdity.

Mos Eisley Upgrades: 4
I don't really have a problem with making Mos Eisley a bigger, more bustling metropolis, or even adding some little things like scurrying chickens to the opening of the scene. A lot of the CG images, however, look fakey to me, especially if they are moving a lot. For example, the stormtrooper slamming an annoying little flying droid and the Jawa that falls off the ronto and swings from its neck show very fakey looking motion. So having a good idea doesn't mean that it will come out well if you don't have the means to do it entirely realistically.

Greedo shoots first: 0
OK, I know I said the changes were going to be rated on a scale of 1 to 10, but this change was so bad it could not even make it to 1. This change is totally ridiculous, as not even I could miss Han Solo shooting at such close range, and Greedo, a bounty hunter, misses by a mile!! Lucas said he changed this scene so it wouldn't look like Han was a cold-blooded killer for shooting first. I think that in the original Han shows that he is really smart by knowing he's going to be toast if he doesn't get the jump on Greedo. No one in Han's "line of work" would sit there and wait for someone to shoot him; the change is so lame. No one ever thought Han was a cold-blooded killer. And if Greedo were really that pathetic a shot, he would not have even survived long enough to meet Han in the cantina that day.

Jabba and Han have a conversation: 2
The only reason this gets a two is because it included some actual cut footage and more Han Solo. Otherwise it was terrible. The CG Jabba looks awful; nothing like the original puppet Jabba. His voice is likewise totally wrong. Additionally, the dialog is terrible. "Why did you fry poor Greedo?" Come on!

Room full of stormtroopers: 1
When Han is chasing the stormtroopers on the Death Star just prior to their getaway, he runs into a room filled with hundreds of troopers. I think if he had alerted this many stormtroopers, he would have been dead before he could meet up with the rest of the gang.

Ships flying in more than a straight line: 7
Having ships fly around in more than a straight line is one of the more realistic-looking changes in ANH. The best example of this is when the Rebel starfighters are shown leaving the jungle to head for the Death Star. This scene is vastly improved on the original, which shows a few lights shooting out in a straight line. Other times, the changes didn't seem wholly necessary, but at least none of them brought down the quality of the scenes.

Luke and Biggs meet up: 10
The best change in the whole trilogy. No CGI, no manipulation of the characters' personality, just plain original footage. I felt this scene added a lot to the movie because I had always been really confused when I read in books, magazines, etc. that Luke knew one of the Rebel pilots and was friends with him. There is no way to tell this at all from the original movie. Knowing that Luke and Biggs were friends makes Biggs's death much more tragic and meaningful, as we realize that with Biggs's death, every single bit of Luke's former life is gone. The last person he was close to has been killed. A fabulous addition to the movie.

Pilots in the cockpits: 5
I'm neutral towards this one. It's pretty neat to see the closeups of the starfighters and pilots in the cockpits as they fly by on their way to the Death Star, but on the other hand, the CG still looks a little fakey to me. As you'll notice, this is one of my chief complaints, because I think the fact that they had to make everything in the original trilogy out of something real makes the whole movie look real.



The Empire Strikes Back

The Wampa: 6
I didn't really think this scene necessarily had to be redone. Seeing just part of the Wampa as Luke hung in the cave was pretty menacing, as you weren't quite sure what Luke was facing here. That said, the change was well done, and the new wampa is pretty scary too, not to mention gross as it chows down on the tauntaun.

Eagle's Eye views of Cloud City: 8
Although done with CGI, the views of Cloud City are neither living things nor do they move, making them much more realistic-looking than other Special Edition changes. I think it gives the viewer a little better sense of what the place is like, too. I think overall it adds to the aesthetics of the film nicely.

Open air buildings: 6
Although it was nice to be able to peer out of the Cloud City buildings and see the world outside, I didn't think the original was bad either.

Shuttle to the Executor: 7
Doesn't really add anything pertinent to the story, but I like it nonetheless because...well, more TESB without CG. (Hey that rhymes!) Looks and sounds like it could have been original footage, though I don't think it was (if I'm wrong don't hesitate to correct me). Also intruduces the Lambda-class shuttle, one of my favorite SW ships.



Return of the Jedi

Jabba's palace rock number: 3
I don't think this needed to be changed at all. The CG characters look quite fakey to me, and I think the "smaller scale" of the original number befitted the seedy atmosphere of the place better. The new rock number just seems too flashy and overdone.

Other added Jabba's Palace footage: 9
Although most of the footage is new, it looks like it isn't. Props to Femi Taylor, who plays Oola, for staying in the same great shape she was when the original was shot. There's also a short shot of Boba Fett making nice with one of the new background singers and more original footage of Jabba.

Sarlacc beak: 4
Again, why mess with something that didn't really need to be changed? I don't care all that much about the existence of the beak, it just looked like it was added later by a computer, which it was of course, but it shouldn't look like that. On a related note, I give a 10 to the neat bantha herd that we see as the sail barge heads out of the pit of Carkoon.

Celebrations/end music: 9
I loved the scenes of people celebrating in the now-familiar locales of Cloud City and Mos Eisley, as well as the glimpse of Coruscant, the Imperial capital world. That brief shot helps a little to tie the prequels and originals together, which I think is good. I loved John Williams's amazing new music, which I felt was, like all the other Star Wars music, absolutely perfect for the mood of the scenes and the end of the story. The only reason I didn't give this sequence a 10 was because I loved the Ewok music too. I wish they had somehow been able to keep at least a little of the Ewok music, perhaps showing some Endor celebration scenes first, then transitioning into the new music and new scenes.



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A New Hope
The Empire Strikes back
Return of the Jedi