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
Star Wars Trilogy WidescreenNovember 25, 2008 For Star Wars aficionados. It has the latest special effect additions and better resolution than the same period VHS tapes. Interesting bonus disk.
The greatest films of all time, in a great DVD setOctober 24, 2008 The Star Wars Saga changed the face of cinema, and even rewrote modern mythology. The journey of the hero, capitalizing on the imagery of medieval Japan, Flash Gordon, World War 2 and the Old West, comes to life in the classic "Space Opera" trilogy that affected an entire generation, and hopefully with this splendid DVD boxset, generations to come.
Star Wars TrilogyOctober 12, 2008 The Star Wars Trilogy are three of my favorite movies. And, the boxed set I have came in excellent condition. All three movies look great in this DVD package.
Great MoviesSeptember 30, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
As I'm quite sure you know the basic storyline of Star Wars, I am just reviewing the features of this set. I really enjoyed the quality of the remastered movies. I saw the special editions in the theater, but these include even more updates, such as character continuity with Anakin and Palpatine. I never owned the complete original series before (tho I've always been an avid fan), so I am happy with it.
My favorite moviesSeptember 25, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I love the original trilogy of Star Wars. It is far better than episodes 1, 2, and 3. And far more memorable. These will be around forever.
Radio-Audiophile.com review- For hardcore Radio Audio machine ,buy cheap IPOD , accessories , speakers , electronic gadgets , mobile , iphone , garmin GPS , sound cards,digital audio interface,computer sound machine ,software , radio exciter ,broadcast ,audio power amplifier,RF power amp,AV systems ,DVD player ,HDTV, home theatre , sound effects ,mixer , DJ and accessories.Discount and lowest price "special promotion" everyday.
sponsored links
Onkyo HT-SR800 Black Home Theater System $335.96 - $499.00 from 2 stores. User rating:4.0 out of 5.
Neatly Covering All A/V Formats, Precisely Tailored for Your Home
When it comes to all-in-one home theater, the HT-SR800 has made a clean break from the pack. You're looking at packaged home theater that neatly integrates your high-definition entertainment and your HDTV through an HDMI channel that transports video with a resolution all the way up to 1080p. Ably supported by component video switching, the HT-SR800 will handle most of the A/V components or formats currently available, as well as the spectacular quality of high-definition discs. Also, reinforcing the convenience of matched components, this package is the first to use an Audyssey room-correction technology specifically designed for integrated systems. The options - XM Radio (including 5.1 surround sound radio with Neural Surround decoding) and iPod integration-can really extend your reach, making the HT-SR800 one of the more complete home theater packages available.
Special Features-
HDMI Pass Through (2in/1out , 1080P compatible) - A separate audio connection is necessary
"Audyssey 2EQ" Auto room calibration w/Microphone
XM and Sirius satellite radio ready
Sony HT-7100DH Home Theater System $349.95 - $378.08 from 2 stores. User rating:3.0 out of 5. Grab your popcorn and revel in the intense movie-watching experience that is the HT-7100DH home theater system. Take your entertainment to new aural heights as 900 watts of surround sound fill your room while you watch high definition DVD media or listen to XM satellite radio. For fast and easy setup, the HT-7100DH automatically calibrates the included speakers for an optimal sound field and the most dramatic effects. The Digital Media Port (DMP) is also great for when you want to listen to external sources like Bluetooth devices or Walkman music players in powerful 5.1 channel digital surround sound.
Bose 3-2-1 Home Theater System $958.24 - $999.98 from 2 stores. User rating:3.1 out of 5. If you've been looking for a surround sound solution that doesn't require hours of setup and creative ways to hide the wires, the search is over. Introducing the Bose 3-2-1 system, a revolutionary advancement in home entertainment that's much easier to live with. Designed to provide performance and simplicity unmatched by conventional component or all-in-one solutions, this system delights the ears and the eyes.
Five speakers are replaced by two. A stack of electronics is replaced by a single media center that includes an integrated DVD/CD player, AM/FM tuner, amplification and signal processing. A patented Acoustimass module hides easily in a corner or behind your furniture. And everything is easily connected with just three wires and a power cord, making setup a snap. The 3-2-1 system combines an Articulated Array speaker design with proprietary signal processing to give you much of that same performance. Hear the roar of a train from left to right from just two visible speakers positioned in the front of your room. Enjoy a spacious soundstage and lifelike surround effects whether you're watching the game, listening to a favorite CD or enjoying the latest on DVD.
Sony DAV-IS10 Home Theater System $399.97 - $558.99 from 5 stores. User rating:0.0 out of 5.
The 5.1 channel home-theater-in-a-box system features five tiny speakers - each about the size of a golf ball. The system, matched with a compact, single disc DVD/CD player/receiver, includes a unique subwoofer that helps the tiny speakers create sounds typically reserved for full size speakers.
While the system features small speakers, it packs all the power of conventional home theater-in-a-box systems with 450 watts of total system power (satellite speakers 50W x 5, plus 2-way subwoofer 100W x 2). The system is specially tuned to deliver a natural sound field that takes the focus off the subwoofer while supplementing mid range and lower frequencies.
Philips HTS3555 Home Theater System $250.81 from 1 store. User rating:4.9 out of 5. This state-of-the-art digital home entertainment system delivers powerful surround sounds and a theater-like audio/video experience. The ultimate in both style and performance.PRODUCT FEATURES:Dock included for GoGear and iPod;USB Direct plays photos and music from USB flash drives;MP3 Line-in for music playback from Portable Media Players;1080i HDMI with high definition video upconversion;DTS, Dolby Digital and Pro Logic II surround sound;12-bit/108MHz video processing for sharp, natural images;DivX Ultra for enhanced playback of DivX media files;Plays CD, (S)VCD, DVD, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R DL;Plays DivX, MP3, WMA and JPEG digital camera photos.
