Star Wars Saga Blu Ray Review: Nerd Rage Inside!

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Ok, now that the Star Wars Saga has been released for the first time in Blu-Ray format, I have decided to do an FAQ for those who are wondering if it's worth it.

-What is Star Wars?

Its a sci fi movie with action, cheesy lines, explosions, droids, weird creatures, clones, a guy in a black suit of armor, a scary evil guy in a cloak that plunges the galaxy into war so he can rise to power and so on.

-What is the Star Wars Saga Blu Ray?
This is the first High Definition Release of all 6 movies on the current home HD format on Blu Ray. The release contains all 6 movies with editional bonus discs with bts footage, deleted scenes, interviews and so on.
-What does the SWS BR package look like?
starwarscompletebluray.jpg

-Who is selling this?
Pretty much every retailer that sells Blu Ray's.

-I heard that Lucas has changed/added stuff for the Blu Ray Release, do you have a list?
From wikipedia:

Episode I: The Phantom Menace


  • A new blurring effect is used when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan use Force Speed to escape the droidekas.
  • The medium shot of Nute Gunray and Rune Haako observing Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan escaping the droidekas has been replaced with a long shot.
  • In a scene with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan discussing Anakin's fate on Coruscant, the sun has brightened from orange to white.
  • All scenes with Yoda depicted by a puppet have been replaced with a CG model.
Episode II: Attack of the Clones


  • During Anakin's nightmare scene, a voiceover of his mother Shmi has been added.
  • After Yoda saves Obi-Wan and Anakin from Dooku's falling pillar, the reaction shots of Yoda and then Anakin and Obi-Wan are moved up before the shots of Dooku escaping on his ship and Padme and the clonetroopers arriving and firing at him.
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith


  • The scene transition from Padme's ship to Anakin on Mustafar has been changed from a straight cut back to a wipe, restoring the original theatrical release.
Episode IV: A New Hope


  • Obi-Wan's Krayt Dragon call has once again been changed.
  • In the scene where Obi-Wan discovers R2 hiding in an alcove, rocks have been digitally inserted into the frame to hide the droid.
  • The shot of Han and Greedo firing at each other has been shortened by several frames from the 2004 DVD version.
  • Luke's green light saber aboard the Millennium Falcon from the 2004 DVD has been corrected and is now blue.
  • The audio errors during the Battle of Yavin in the 2004 DVD have been corrected.
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back


  • In the shot when the wampa mauls Luke's tauntaun, the puppeteer's arm can no longer be seen.
  • In an exterior shot of Cloud City featuring Leia waiting for Han in her apartment, a reflection can now be seen in Leia's window.
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi


  • A static long shot of Artoo and Threepio approaching the door to Jabba's palace has been replaced with an extreme long shot revealing more of the door, as the camera zooms in on the droids.
  • There are now brighter flashes of light when Han is released from the carbonite.
  • A CG Dug has been added to the scene in Jabba's palace which features sleeping partygoers.
  • A new closeup shot of Han striking Boba Fett's jetpack has been added.
  • Wicket's eyes now have CG eyelids, allowing him to blink.
  • When Artoo is shot by a stormtrooper, additional CG gadgets fly out of his body as he malfunctions.
  • The lightsaber errors from the 2004 DVD have been corrected and Luke and Darth Vader's lightsabers now have white cores.
  • Darth Vader now says "No" while Luke is tortured by the Emperor's Force Lightning attack, and then screams "Nooooo!" as he picks Palpatine up and hurls him into the Death Star's reactor core.

-Will there ever be an unaltered release of the OT on Blu Ray?
Unfortunately Lucas will never release an unaltered version of the Original Trilogy at this time.
-Are there any Screenshots comparing the OT/PT DVD releases to the BR releases?

Yes! The good folks over at Milenniumfalcon.com have released a number of screen shots comparing the DVD release and the BR release.


http://www.millenniumfalcon.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=9065&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0



-Will there be a 3-d Release of the Saga on Blu Ray?
At this time plans are well under way to release Star Wars: Episode 1 in 2012 , with the other movies released every year in 3D format. It is unknown if a 3-d blu ray will be released that same year as the 3-d theatrical release or after all the movies have been released in 3-D.
-Are there any reviews?
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Star-Wars-Blu-ray/14903/#Review

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviewshd/bdreviews091611.html

http://io9.com/5841183/the-star-wars-blu+ray-set-gets-35-out-of-5
-Should I buy this now or wait for a sale (Weeks from now/Black Friday)?
It's really hard to say at this time. This could be a good price and then next week it could be double that price. It is unknown if it will be on sale on Black Friday.

-Should I buy it anyways?
Honestly it's totally up to you. There are a number of unnecessary changes to the OT that has caused controversy on the Internet. If you can tolerate these changes, then go for it.
 
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I've been a star wars fan my whole life pretty much Grew up watching the first one on tv and then vhs, and saw ROTJ in the theater.

But I'll never understand the uproar over the vast majority of these changes. I get the few like Greedo shooting first etc. that change character's tone etc. But most of the things listed are things I'd never even notice if not pointed out in a site like that.

But to each their own I guess. As much as I like the movies, I've never treated them like serious art films or anything. They're just very well done (at least the original triology) scifi/fantasy popcorn flicks IMO.
 
[quote name='ssjmichael']dude, we seriously don't need another SW thread, You couldn't just post this info in one of the existing threads?[/QUOTE]Problem fixed.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']I've been a star wars fan my whole life pretty much Grew up watching the first one on tv and then vhs, and saw ROTJ in the theater.

But I'll never understand the uproar over the vast majority of these changes. I get the few like Greedo shooting first etc. that change character's tone etc. But most of the things listed are things I'd never even notice if not pointed out in a site like that.

But to each their own I guess. As much as I like the movies, I've never treated them like serious art films or anything. They're just very well done (at least the original triology) scifi/fantasy popcorn flicks IMO.[/QUOTE]

I would tend to agree but the nooo in RotJ is just too much. It turns an otherwise compelling scene into a campy, slapstick mess.
 
To be honest, the only new change on the blu-rays that really bugs me at all is Darth Vader's "Noooo!" The rest of them I can live with, and/or wouldn't have even noticed if someone hadn't pointed them out.

Obi-wan's "dragon call"? Eh, not enamored with it, but it doesn't bother me.

Tighter edit on the Han/Greedo scene? I'm still not thrilled with Greedo shooting first, but the tighter edit honestly makes it a bit more palatable for me than it was. So I'll even go as far as to call that one an improvement (over the previous "special edition" anyway).

Blinking ewoks? Honestly wouldn't have even noticed it if I hadn't been told.

CGI Yoda in episode 1? In all honesty, from the comparison clips I've seen, probably an improvement.

Added rocks/scenery/creatures/ships/etc? Not sure they were really necessary, but I don't feel like they really detract from anything.

So, what it comes down to... Am I going to refuse to buy it because of the "Noooo!"? Meh, I'm not convinced we're going to get anything better at this point -- probably the next edition will be the 3D release, and will contain all of the changes (and possibly more) anyway, and I definitely don't want that. I feel like I can ignore ten seconds of "Noooo!" to get to see the movies in high def.

[quote name='dmaul1114']That one I haven't seen/heard, so I'll reserve judgement on it until I get and watch my blu ray set.[/QUOTE]

With all of the clips floating around, you really haven't seen it yet?
 
[quote name='RuzzT']You're wrong. Once a filmmaker releases a film it becomes the final version that people are supposed to see and experience forever more. It does belong to the people at that point, even if the rights are owned by big studios and full of themselves producer/directors.

Prior to the release of the film the director can do everything and anything he wants to his film. But after it has been watched and integrated into the memories and psyche of a world full of people, the story shouldn't be mucked with anymore. Update the FX, fine. Clean up the transfer for new technology, fine. Expand the audio for new technology, fine. Change the story, bad.

It would be like changing integral parts of a classic book or rewriting the lyrics of a song, making it something different and saying to every consumer who has ever read or listened that, too bad you take it how it is now and like it![/QUOTE]

Director's cuts?
 
[quote name='arcane93']
With all of the clips floating around, you really haven't seen it yet?[/QUOTE]

I've heard about it of course, I just decided not to bother watching any clips.

I know it's nothing I'd cancel my pre-order over as I don't own the movies in another format (ditched my DVDs in anticipation of the Blu Ray set a couple of years ago.

So I figured I'd just wait and see any new changes when actually watching the movies rather than bothering with online clips.

[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']Director's cuts?[/QUOTE]

I'm with you and have no problem with director's changing stuff. I always view art/media/whatever as always belonging to the creator (at least while they're alive) so I have no problem with it.

Though I get that one difference here is that with most movies that have director's cut's the the theatrical cut is also usually available. Where as with these the only options are VHS, non-anamorphic dvds and laserdisc. So it does suck for people who just want to watch the original versions. And i do wish Lucas would put them out on Blu-ray to just shut up all the bitching if nothing else.
 
Director's cuts of a movie are usually from when they had to trim things down to fit into the theatrical version, not added after the fact.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']Director's cuts of a movie are usually from when they had to trim things down to fit into the theatrical version, not added after the fact.[/QUOTE]

I'll start off by saying that I think Lucas's additions are lame and I'm not a fan. But if Lucas decides (for whatever reason) that the technology available when he created the original trilogy was not good enough and he wanted some of these scenes and background effects in from the start but was just not able to do it, is that really different from a director's cut?
 
[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']I'll start off by saying that I think Lucas's additions are lame and I'm not a fan. But if Lucas decides (for whatever reason) that the technology available when he created the original trilogy was not good enough and he wanted some of these scenes and background effects in from the start but was just not able to do it, is that really different from a director's cut?[/QUOTE]

The technology wasn't there for Darth Vader to yell "Noooo!" before? ;)
 
[quote name='arcane93']The technology wasn't there for Darth Vader to yell "Noooo!" before? ;)[/QUOTE]

Well unless he had a time machine, how would he know he had to retcon a shitty thing into the original trilogy?
 
[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']Well unless he had a time machine, how would he know he had to retcon a shitty thing into the original trilogy?[/QUOTE]

Why did he "have" to do it? I'm not sure I understand the path of your logic here.
 
[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']I'll start off by saying that I think Lucas's additions are lame and I'm not a fan. But if Lucas decides (for whatever reason) that the technology available when he created the original trilogy was not good enough and he wanted some of these scenes and background effects in from the start but was just not able to do it, is that really different from a director's cut?[/QUOTE]

I'd bet most people wouldn't complain about adding some CGI effects (although the Jabba scene in AHN is totally worthless and unnecessary). The problem is when he completely alters a character like Han Solo by making Greedo shoot first. He could have done that at the time of filming, but he wanted to make Solo a scoundrel. Now he's changed his mind. It's dumb. We liked Solo the way he was, don't change it.
 
[quote name='arcane93']Why did he "have" to do it? I'm not sure I understand the path of your logic here.[/QUOTE]

Ok, he didn't have to. He, as the director of the movie chose to do it.
 
[quote name='BingoBrown']I'd bet most people wouldn't complain about adding some CGI effects (although the Jabba scene in AHN is totally worthless and unnecessary). The problem is when he completely alters a character like Han Solo by making Greedo shoot first. He could have done that at the time of filming, but he wanted to make Solo a scoundrel. Now he's changed his mind. It's dumb. We liked Solo the way he was, don't change it.[/QUOTE]

Yay, double post.

I'd bet most people wouldn't complain about the changes. MOST people don't care. The internet cares and that is a small fraction of the people who will make up the sales.
 
[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']I'd bet most people wouldn't complain about the changes. MOST people don't care. The internet cares and that is a small fraction of the people who will make up the sales.[/QUOTE]

I'm pretty sure Star Wars fans care, and that makes up a pretty substantial amount of the sales. Yeah, soccer mom doesn't care, and her kids probably don't know any difference, but I hardly think they represent some kind of overwhelming majority of Star Wars blu-ray purchasers.
 
[quote name='BingoBrown']I'm pretty sure Star Wars fans care, and that makes up a pretty substantial amount of the sales. Yeah, soccer mom doesn't care, and her kids probably don't know any difference, but I hardly think they represent some kind of overwhelming majority of Star Wars blu-ray purchasers.[/QUOTE]

We'll see, I guess.
 
[quote name='H3xum']Still boycotting this because of the absurd changes that greedy out of touch bunghole made.

You all should too[/QUOTE]

Agreed 100%. I am sad to say that there will very likely never be another true SW release until he is dead.

Maybe if he, oh, I don't know, did something new instead of milking the same things for 30+ years, he would have better things to do than fuck up classics. Extra rocks? Really?
 
[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']Yay, double post.

I'd bet most people wouldn't complain about the changes. MOST people don't care. The internet cares and that is a small fraction of the people who will make up the sales.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, because millions of star wars fans have blu ray players but not internet access... Right...

That is the most ignorant thing I've read in quite awhile.

There is NO more rabid fan base than SW fans (suck it trekkies, go watch voyager).

Yeah... MOST people who would spend ~$90 on yet ANOTHER re-release of the same thing care. Quite a lot.
 
[quote name='mietha']Yeah, because millions of star wars fans have blu ray players but not internet access... Right...

That is the most ignorant thing I've read in quite awhile.

There is NO more rabid fan base than SW fans (suck it trekkies, go watch voyager).

Yeah... MOST people who would spend ~$90 on yet ANOTHER re-release of the same thing care. Quite a lot.[/QUOTE]

Sorry, I meant the internet outrage is actually a small percentage of the people who will actually buy the movie.
 
[quote name='Camre']Lucas doesn't care one bit if you support him or not. He doesn't care if you buy it or not. He doesn't care if you like it or not. He has all the money he could possibly want, and will continue to get more, whether the blus sell 1 unit or 1 million. Thinking you are a righteous activist by not buying something is lunacy and you will change nothing other than whether you own it or not. /soapbox[/QUOTE]

Ahhh... My sentiments exactly. Honestly, the incessant whining about it is more offensive than the action at this point... If we were going to be mad at Lucas about something, we should be mad that he DIDN'T cut Jar Jar out of episodes 1-3 in the BR release...
 
Exactly. They're are plenty of fans of Star Wars or any franchise out there who are smarter than us losers and don't waste time arguing pointless shit with other nerds on the internet!

You also have to keep in mind that there are generations of Star Wars fans who are younger than us who have probably NEVER seen the original versions as they got into it with the 1997 special edition releases or with the prequels etc.

There are plenty of people out there who love the movies and don't care about the changes. And plenty more who'll bitch about them and still buy them. The people who'll boycott won't stop this from selling like gangbusters.

It will be an issue like the "green tint" issue in the Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition blu ray that got beat to death by a/v nerds on forums, but most people never notice or care about. Most people just want Star Wars on blu and will buy it with no knowledge of changes and/or just shrug them off and not care that much as they're minor in the grand scheme of things.
 
[quote name='mietha']Yeah, because millions of star wars fans have blu ray players but not internet access... Right...

That is the most ignorant thing I've read in quite awhile.

There is NO more rabid fan base than SW fans (suck it trekkies, go watch voyager).

Yeah... MOST people who would spend ~$90 on yet ANOTHER re-release of the same thing care. Quite a lot.[/QUOTE]

I completely disagree with you. The VAST majority of sales will be made to people who don't give a shit about the changes or don't even know they're there. And, at the end of the day, 75% of the rabid SW fans will buy this, anyway, because they can't stand the fact that other people will be buying it and their collection isn't complete without it...

You give sites like this and Blu-ray.com and shit WAY too much credit if you think they're the norm rather than the exception. I mean, how many registered users are on here? 50,000? And how many of these sets will they sell? 5, 10 million? Whatever it is, it is going to be FAR larger than all the members of Blu-ray.com, DVDTalk and CAG put together...
 
[quote name='RuzzT']You're wrong. Once a filmmaker releases a film it becomes the final version that people are supposed to see and experience forever more. It does belong to the people at that point, even if the rights are owned by big studios and full of themselves producer/directors.

Prior to the release of the film the director can do everything and anything he wants to his film. But after it has been watched and integrated into the memories and psyche of a world full of people, the story shouldn't be mucked with anymore. Update the FX, fine. Clean up the transfer for new technology, fine. Expand the audio for new technology, fine. Change the story, bad.

It would be like changing integral parts of a classic book or rewriting the lyrics of a song, making it something different and saying to every consumer who has ever read or listened that, too bad you take it how it is now and like it![/QUOTE]

Actually I'm not "wrong", it's an opinion, but feel free to believe that you're more "right" than the creator of said property and how he wishes to "refine" it.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']
You also have to keep in mind that there are generations of Star Wars fans who are younger than us who have probably NEVER seen the original versions as they got into it with the 1997 special edition releases or with the prequels etc.[/QUOTE]

One good point... But if you watch the end of 3 with the end of 6, anyone with right mind would realize it is the same "NOOOO!!!" being screamed. The addition was not done well based on what I have seen.

The other recent changes to me aren't that bad and could live with them.
 
I wouldn't even complain if the Lucas edits actually improved the movies, but for the most part they make them worst.

Like for instance

1.) I wish he went back and made the NOOOO in RotS less ridiculous, that's something I could support.

2.) I wish he changed the color of Anakin's lightsaber for the battle against Obi Wan, I hate that they both use blue lightsabers. It would have been perfect if Anakin used a Red so then this scene would be a direct parallel to the Obi Wan vs Varder scene in Ep IV. Perfect

3.) Get rid of all Jar Jar Binks scenes, or at the very least don't make him sound like a retard
 
cancelled my amazon preorder a few days after finding out about the changes. i'll just stick with the DVDs until the complete saga is $25-$35
 
Personally I could care less about the changes. They are minor.

I was born in '72. I saw the originals in the theater with my family. I've owned the series on a number of formats. I think I still have 2 copies on VHS. I don't even mind the new movies as much as others complain about them. Yes, EP1 is pretty bad, but as a fan I just wanted more. They still have the same feel, in the same universe, so I take them for what they are.
 
Bladerunner did it best with their blu-ray Collector's Edition. Not only are the changes made significantly smaller and fewer than what Lucas has done to Star Wars, but they included the original, unaltered movie in the collection (in high definition, of course). They even went as far as including 3 other versions to completely cover what anyone would want to see, meaning that the collection includes the work print, the theatrical release, the international version, the first director's cut, and the definitive director's cut. That is how you do this correctly.

fuck Lucas for not giving us the originals in high definition. He's not getting one cent from me until he does. And by the way, I do not think Lucas gives a shit whether I buy this collection or not, all I'm saying is that my money is better spent elsewhere (like the toilet).

Edit: I should add that I don't care how much Lucas changes the original trilogy, the fact that he doesn't include the original versions is what irks me. Just make a second disc containing Lucas' special editions so I can throw it in the trash when I get the collection.
 
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[quote name='dmaul1114']
Though I get that one difference here is that with most movies that have director's cut's the the theatrical cut is also usually available. Where as with these the only options are VHS, non-anamorphic dvds and laserdisc.[/QUOTE]
FYI, the DVD sets with the O-OT is now out-of-print so if anyone wants the laser-disc quality original cut you better grab it fast second-hand before people start price gouging too horribly.
 
You guys are a trip! :D

I will post links to other sites that have the reviews when they show up.
In the mean time, it seems WALMART is doing a midnight release....my local walmart is 24 hrs and 10 mins away.
 
[quote name='Ianscloset']I finally got around to buying an HD A/V Receiver just for the 6.1 HD Surround Sound of these movies.[/QUOTE]


6.1? Never heard of it. Do u mean 5.1?
 
[quote name='War Machine']Bladerunner did it best with their blu-ray Collector's Edition. Not only are the changes made significantly smaller and fewer than what Lucas has done to Star Wars, but they included the original, unaltered movie in the collection (in high definition, of course). They even went as far as including 3 other versions to completely cover what anyone would want to see, meaning that the collection includes the work print, the theatrical release, the international version, the first director's cut, and the definitive director's cut. That is how you do this correctly.[/QUOTE]

This. You see I wouldn't be bothered by the special editions if the original unaltered ones were available much like other films such as Blade Runner, Close Encounters, Stargate, and many other films do rather if they are in a box together or separately. However Lucas has decided not to do this so I'm simply going to pass on buying it.
 
My only gripe is the "No" audio in Episode VI and the fact that Episodes I & II don't look so good according to the review. But overall, I'm still getting this. I still own the 2004 release of Episodes IV-VI on DVD so the audio of Darth Vader yelling "No" in Episode VI does sting a bit but not so much.

I just wish there was a way to remove Jar Jar in Episode I.
 
I will continue to buy the releases of this series on all formats until I die. This is unless the portion from the Fox opening through the crawl with the theme music ever changes. Then I will be upset ...
 
Nerds can boycott all they want, doesn't change the fact this is going to be one the biggest selling blu-rays of all time if not the biggest.

Picking mine up friday.
 
It blows my mind that people would let about 30 seconds in changes keep them from buying 6 hours of some of the greatest movies ever made.
 
I'll consider picking these up when they hit $50, or used. The DVDs are good enough for me until then. The only way I see myself getting them any sooner is if someone gives them to me as a gift, which is possible.
 
[quote name='Rumors']Does anybody think this will hit $65 or less by black Friday?[/QUOTE]

I could definitely see that happening. I posted elsewhere about my decision to buy the LOTR Trilogy on Blu-ray when it first came out for $50.75 through WBShop (at the time the cheapest anyone else had it for was $69.99). By Christmas I was able to buy each movie individually for $7.99 each.

$10 a movie isn't a stretch at all, and I'll be buying Episodes III-VI only if and when that price-point hits (screw the first two movies- both garbage in my opinion).
 
[quote name='lordopus99']One good point... But if you watch the end of 3 with the end of 6, anyone with right mind would realize it is the same "NOOOO!!!" being screamed. The addition was not done well based on what I have seen.

The other recent changes to me aren't that bad and could live with them.[/QUOTE]

As much as I think the "Noooo" is cheesy, I can see more of an artistic reason for including it now if it is the same audio sample. Lucas was always big into parallels in the movies.

I agree with ssjm (post #75) that changing the light sabre color would have been cool (and also fit with the "parallels" theme).

I saw all the movies at their first run in theaters, watched them many times at home, and own several versions on VHS/DVD. I honestly would not have noticed the majority of the changes if not for reading them on the internet. The one exception being Greedo shooting first. I can understand the "consternation" on that one, but also Lucas' reason for changing it. Aside from that, I think most of the "debate" is pointless. (Well, maybe another exception is Hayden appearing as the ghost Jedi at the end... that seems odd that Anakin gets to be the younger version and Ben doesn't.)

(And yes, CGI Yoda looks better in the Internet clips I've seen, but I'm okay with it either way. Jar Jar Binks was annoying, but it would bastardize the movie even more to make such a major change after the fact.)
 
[quote name='The Punisher']6.1? Never heard of it. Do u mean 5.1?[/QUOTE]6.1 is a surround sound standard.

Left front speaker, right front speaker, one center channel speaker, rear left, rear center and rear right speakers, plus subwoofer.
 
[quote name='soonersfan60'](Well, maybe another exception is Hayden appearing as the ghost Jedi at the end... that seems odd that Anakin gets to be the younger version and Ben doesn't.)[/QUOTE]

I always thought this was because your ghost appearance was meant to mirror when you were last a Jedi. It makes sense if you look at it that way.
 
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