Star Wars
Again? Yes. Even though no other movie has been released as many
times on video as Star Wars (except for its sequels, The Empire
Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi), George Lucas and the folks
at 20th Century Fox have actually released a slightly different
film this time. This video followed the mega-successful 20th-anniversary
theatrical rerelease, in which Lucas personally remastered the image
and sound quality of his baby. Other revisions are more obvious,
if hardly radical. Lucas enhanced several special effects with updated
computer technology--most noticeable are the explosions and removal
of matte lines during the Death Star battle finale. And the creatures
that populate Mos Eisley's spaceport--though meticulous--are aesthetically
superior improvements. The inclusion of extra scenes (originally
outtakes), however, is not an improvement. Both the meeting between
Jabba the Hutt and Han Solo, and Luke talking with his childhood
pal Biggs, do nothing to enhance character development or theme,
and serve only as distractions that preoccupy the waiting viewer.
And, really couldn't Lucas find something better to do with his
time than mess around with a national treasure? As for the video,
this boasts both visual and sound enhancements. But since Star Wars
has been available with these tweaks numerous times before, the
decision whether to purchase this latest new version depends on
how badly you want to see Lucas's cosmetic surgery.
--Dave McCoy
The Empire Strikes Back
The middle film in George Lucas's enormously popular Star Wars science
fiction trilogy is a darker, more somber entry, considered by many
fans as the best in the series. Gone is the jaunty swashbuckling
of the first film; the rebellion led by Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher)
suffers before the superior forces of the Empire, young hero Luke
Skywalker (Mark Hamill) faces his first defeats as he attempts to
harness the Force under the tutelage of Jedi master Yoda (voiced
by Frank Oz), and cocky Han Solo (Harrison Ford) is betrayed by
former ally Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams). In the tradition
of the great serials, this film is left with a hefty cliffhanger.
The leap in special effects technology in the three years since
Star Wars results in an amazing array of effects, including a breathtaking
chase through an asteroid field and a dazzling, utopian Cloud City,
where Luke faces the black-clad villain Darth Vader (David Prowse,
voice of James Earl Jones) in a futuristic sword fight and learns
the secret of his Jedi father. Veteran director Irvin Kershner (The
Eyes of Laura Mars, Never Say Never Again) took the directorial
reins from creator and producer Lucas and invested the light-speed
adventure with deeper characters and a more emphatic sense of danger.
The special edition expands Luke's encounter with the Abominable
Snowman-esque wampa and establishes the creature as a tangibly more
terrifying beast, in addition to refining many of the existing effects.
The trilogy is concluded in Return of the Jedi. --Sean Axmaker
Return of the Jedi
The high-energy, special-effects-laden conclusion to George Lucas's
ambitious Star Wars trilogy delivers the final confrontation between
Luke Skywalker (a more confident and mature Mark Hamill) and his
nemesis-father, Darth Vader (David Prowse, voice of James Earl Jones),
as the rebel alliance makes its last stand against the evil Empire.
The film opens with an impressive set piece in the cave of the
monstrous Jabba the Hut, who holds both Han Solo (Harrison Ford)
and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) for his decadent pleasure until
Skywalker comes to the rescue. The final battle pits an enormous
armada of rebel ships against the rebuilt Death Star, the planet-killing
weapon of the first film, while guerrilla forces battle Empire soldiers
on the planet below with the help of a cuddly army of pint-sized,
teddy-bear-like creatures known as Ewoks (Lucas's one concession
to merchandising) and Skywalker confronts Vader and the emperor
on the Deathstar. Director Richard Marquand invests the tale with
plenty of humor and a vigorous sense of adventure without losing
the seriousness of Skywalker's mission. The special edition adds,
among other effects, more creatures and a bouncy song-and-dance
number to the Jabba the Hut scenes, and an extended celebration
that literally encompasses the galaxy at the film's
jubilant conclusion. --Sean Axmaker
Poduct Details:
Starring: Hamill, Ford
Format: Color, Closed-captioned, Box set, NTSC
Rated: PG-13
Studio: CBS/Fox Home Video
VHS Features:
NTSC format (US and Canada only)
Color, Closed-captioned, Box set, NTSC
Number of tapes: 3
