So I finally caved... ...I bought Star Wars on DVD

Yea, why do people hate the SE of Empire anyway? The other two I can understand, but not ESB.

The "final" edition of Empire is just about perfect. Of the two annoying changes to ESB from the SE (Luke's scream as he falls, the changes to the "Bring my shuttle" sequence), Luke's scream is now gone. Unlike ROTJ and ANH, the ESB transfer doesn't suffer from ridiculous color correction problems (luke's lightsaber and the blue rebels from ANH, and the final saber fight in ROTJ), and the the vast majority of the changes (the finished ice monster scene, the windows in cloud city) are fantastic

I feel the same, out of the SE, Empire is the one that got the most help and I tend to watch it a bit more. For some weird reason I just find it hard to watch ANH and ROTJ SE, it's just feels they where messed with just for the hell of it. Also that song and dance bit in Jabba's Palace just give me a sour taste in my mouth...

I'd have to say, your typing is rather funny. I dont know if you deliberately used words like "mattle" and "Ivans" and "Speibergo," but it's amusing.

My main problem with the Empire special edition is the added wampa footage. The creatures don't match up and I just find it distracting. The rest of the additions don't bother me much, but I find myself mainly watching the originals on my Laserdisc rips.

I've said it before here: I don't have a problem with any of the changes except for the song in Jabba's palace. The rest may be unfortunate sometimes, but they don't distract me too much - not even Greedo. But that song makes me feel embarrassed just watching it.

My bro has the DVD's. I enjoyed them, but I won't upgrade from my original trilogy VHS box set until all six are in a set. Yeah, I dig the prequels. I'm praying they'll hit around the 30th anniversary, presumably on HD-DVD. Can't get here soon enough.

I bought the boxset when it came out, and I'm not much of a Star Wars person, I'm pro Star Trek, BUT they should have released the films original theatrical versions alongside the re-releases. Give the people a bit of variety.

The "release the originals on DVD" refrain is pretty tiresome, considering that anyone can own the Laserdisc version rendered onto DVDs (pretty good visuals...LD was roughly halfway between DVD and VHS... excellent 5.1 audio, no edits....be careful which version you buy...) And, if you can't stand piracy, just buy the laserdiscs for a few bucks and get yourself the DVDs to serve as your digital backups.

I'm surprised at how many people lament the loss of the "bring my shuttle" line as much as I do. It's so subtle you wouldn't think many people would catch onto its simplicity and effectiveness. I'm glad others share my pain. That scene expresses so much, just the way that Jones said the line with such disappointment, matching the depressed stagger of David Prowse. It's so awesome.

The replacement line and the recutting completely destroy a simple, effective moment. "Alert the star destroyer to prepare for my arrival." You have got to be fucking kidding me. And we really needed to see the journey of the shuttle to the starship? And we needed to see a re-used scene from Jedi as a cut scene for the shuttle landing? Absolutely ludicrous.

Like Jedi Rocks is any worse than Lapti Nek. The thing about that scene is that it was utterly fucking stupid to put a musical number in Jabba's palace in the first place, not the quality of the song.

Go on Ebay and you can find a ton of boots on there, usually with fine quality. There's one guy called Rikter that only charges for the DVD-Rs, and includes a bonus disk with tons of DVD-ROM content.

The big difference between the original scene and the replacement by the Jedi Rocks number is the way they are done. Lapti Nek plays more like a background song to other events. It's not good, but it's not the main focus either, and pretty inoffensive. We never even hear the song start, and they keep cutting away to little scenes within palace. I don't think the scene in its original state could even be called a "musical number."

Jedi Rocks, however, takes center stage. We see the performers gather, do their silly posturing, and then start off. And the scene plays off as if it belongs in a musical. Plus the song is just awful.

I understand what you're saying. My argument is that they're both a waste of film, and add to that whole Jabba sequence making the first half an hour seem like a week.

Congratulations. You purchased a movie.

I noticed the line change. It changes the entire feel of the scene. And not for the better.

Luke was the one who needed to die, not Han.

I don't agree that it needs to be a whole new film though. There's still some amazing stuff there (the space battles, the entire stuff in the throne room, the scene with Luke and Vader on Endor).

But everything before the climax of the film feels like an absolute chore to get through, though.

As is the kneejerk response by apologists who care less about what originally made STAR WARS great and more about when the next Lobot action figure is coming out. I'm just glad George Lucas agrees with me:

"I am very concerned about our national heritage, and I am very concerned that the films I watched when I was young and the films I watched throughout my life are preserved, so that my children can see them."

Keyword to the flimsy "just by the laserdisc" argument: Preserved. That doesn't mean abandoning something on an obsolete format or inferior bootleg dubs. That means keeping it alive and available for current and future generations.

It's one of many inferior and unnecessary changes made to the most perfect of all STAR WARS films. Another subtle but infuriating alteration made to EMPIRE: In the original version, Luke told Artoo, "You're lucky you don't taste very good." New versions: "You were lucky to get out of there." Back in 1980, did Lucas always intend for Luke to deliver the "get out of there" line but film technology wasn't state-of-the-art enough for his bold vision, so he had to settle for "you don't taste very good?" It's amazing the amount of bullshit Lucas can shovel that his slavishly loyal consumers will eagerly swallow...and then want to buy the T-shirt.

I agree that any musical number is completely inappropriate in JEDI. "Lapti Nek" is merely the first obvious example of Lucas revisionism: He was unhappy with the low budget masks he had to scrape up for the original cantina scene in STAR WARS, so now that he had a budget, he could indulge. And yet, which scene made more of a cultural impact? "Lapti Nek" or the Cantina?

However, if I had to choose, I'd take "Lapti Nek" over "Jedi Rocks" any day. At least "Lapti Nek" was little more than a glorified musical transition. The new "Jedi Rocks" scene is maddening on multiple levels and stopped the film dead in its tracks. If Mos Eisley was supposed to be a "wretched hive of scum and villainy," then Jabba's palace should have been an even darker, more debauched den of inequity. There's no place for showtunes or musical theater in a supposedly fearsome crime lord's crib.

I'm pissed at you nerd-faces for using the songs' titles as opposed to describing their context. I had to open Wikipedia. NERD-FACES!

Shut up, you dumb-ass jock.

Obviously not been to Las Vegas.

Goddamn. Touché.

Ever watch movies about true to life gangsters? For instance in Goodfellas, there's a scene where all these hardened criminals, thugs, and murderers are in a nightclub listening to Bobby Vinton sing "Roses are Red." Then there's a scene in one of the season finales of The Sopranos where Uncle Junior breaks out into a song. Just how many live music performances and stage productions do they have in The Godfather?

Last time I checked, real life didn't feature wookies, droids and a squid leading a major space faction.

Check again, friend. Check again. There was a squid outside my window not five minutes ago screaming, "It's a trap!"

Yeah, but do these gangsters actually have a stage director, hair and make up stylists and other assorted artistes hanging out in their living room?

I could see Jabba dragging his entrourage off to a local establishment for some entertainment. I could even see him hosting a party with live song and dance.

But smack dab in front of his throne on a work day?! During business hours?!

Triumph says: "Jabba's queer."

So does this mean we can all agree there's only two great Star Wars movies?

It depends. I say two and a half.

A New Hope, Empire, and the second half of Sith? That's pretty much how I call it.

Half of JEDI. Specifically, the Death star bits, Tatooine from Luke's entrance to the sail barge exploding, the whole end battle minus some of the ewoks, and the scene between Leia and Luke and Luke and Vader on Endor. Yoda's bit is cool, although Ben's is far too exposition only, although I don't have the usual "OMG HE'S SITTING ON A LOG" thing a lot of folks do.

I dunno....for me, it's Leia in a bikini, the Dagobah stuff, speeder bike chase, Luke and Leia's "do you remember your mother" conversation, everything involving the Death Star, and, I'll hang my neck out on this: I like the new Special Edition ending.

Thing is, that's about a quarter of a movie there. It's just not enough to save the whole, especially considering this is supposed to wrap up 5 movies worth of story.

At least Sith's bullshit is kept relegated to the first half. Once "Unlimited POWAH!" comes and goes, it's gold.

I'll take SITH over JEDI any day.

The only part of JEDI that I can say is truly breathtaking to behold is the Vader and Luke confrontation. Also, McDiarmid's Emperor is much more twisted and slimy in SITH.

See, for me the Emperor is ruined in SITH because of the ludicrous scenes with him during the turn.

If George had really got down with the actors, SITH would have been amazing. But the writing and performances killed it, McGregor and sometimes McDiarmid and Christiansen aside. While JEDI had poor acting by Ford and Fisher, Hamill and McDiarmid and Jones' voice acting really take it to another level emotionally.

I prefer the new ending of JEDI too. Can't stand Yub Nub whatsoever.

I've never had any issues with McDiarmid's "UNLIMITED POWER!!!!" scene, honestly. I didn't realize folks had major problems with it until I read it on message boards. The scene between Palpatine and Anakin during the Mon Calamari Ballet is masterful, and better than the majority of the stuff in JEDI, IMHO.

The Opera scene is good, sure, but the Power scene is fucking terrible. I can understand where George was coming from, but it just doesn't work. Compare that to the first scene where Luke goes to the Emperor, which is absolutely electrifying.

McDarmid's pretty horrendous there, yeah, as is most of that scene till Anakin shows up (to this day, I'll never understand what the fuck Bullheaded Jedi was looking at when Palpatine stabbed him. Was there a fucking angel out of the window or something??), but those, I believe, are counterbalanced by some really great work both prior (the opera house, the delivery of "Are you threatening me, master Jedi?") and after (addressing the Senate, "I've waited a long time for this", his reaction finding Anakin on Mustafar).

The truly over the top moments....i still say, if you've just taken over the galaxy after 20+ years of plotting and asskissing, and you're NOT that happy, you've pretty much just wasted your life.

He has horrible moments. Not horrible enough to ruin him for the whole movie.

True. But he's never as fun or as truly evil as when he's grinning like crazy as he's electrocuting Luke.

'And now, young Skywalker.... you will die.'

Agreed.

It's not that, I just find it's too offputting. The change in voice sound so silly, especially when he's been doing it all the way through two movies previous.

It doesn't ruin him for the movie, but it doesn't do him any favours when compared to his later self. Although I do love his reading in the senate.

I know I'll be the sole voice on this side, but I liked the entire scene... well, once the lightsaber duel moves into Palpatine's office. Maybe I was just caught up in the moment (or maybe it was John Williams' score, which really lifted the scene), but I actually kind of gasped when Mace kicked Palpatine's lightsaber away and had him pinned to the wall.

And when Anakin makes his choice, "disarms" Mace and Palpatine makes his move? "UNLIMITED POWER!!!" or not, I bought it. I had more of a problem with Palpatine after that moment, when he stands in full light and his make-up job really doesn't hold up.

"You're a funny little boy. How do you know so much?"

Even though I quoted one, I do abhor nearly all things prequel. I think I stand with Chuck with the idea of 2-and-a-half ACTUAL Star Wars films.

I like the shot where the window shatters. Other than that, that fight just doesn't work for me.

Parts of McDiarmid's performance in SITH are definitely over-the-top, but he didn't cross the line of parody for me. There's still enough menace and bite in his delivery that the birth of The Emperor was successfully pulled off.

I also love the scene when Anakin has his saber lit up in Palpatine's office. When Palpatine says "I can feel your anger", I felt it, too.

Totally. It's just too choreographed around the fact that McDiarmid can't saber-fight. I always thought the Emperor should be lightning and Force powers only, like Yoda.

It doesn't help when his saber turns into Anakin's halfway through.

Also, compared to the material McDiarmid had to chew on in SITH, his performance in JEDI was pretty one-dimensional. Fun to watch, no doubt, but thin.

I've never been a huge JEDI fan (if that isn't obvious by now). There's just an urgent energy lacking throughout.

Yeah, but it's all it needed to be. He's the big bad (christ I hate that fucking term), the big cheese, the most evil dude in the galaxy. He didn't need to be anything else, he didn't need to feign being ambiguous or anything. He had an angle that he knew would take Luke to its limits, his father, and what's more he had Vader to help him get there. Two totally different sitations.