Product Description

For the first time ever and for a limited time only, the enhanced versions of the Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi will be available individually on DVD. Plus, these 2-Disc DVD's will feature a bonus disc that includes, for the first time ever on DVD, the original films as seen in theaters in 1977, 1980 and 1983.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1740 in DVD
• Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
• Released on: 2006-09-12
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Dubbed in: English, French
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .30 pounds
• Running time: 134 minutes

Features

• For the first time ever and for a limited time only, the enhanced versions of the Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi will be available individually on DVD. Plus, these 2-Disc DVD's will feature a bonus disc that includes, for the first time ever on DVD, the original films as seen in theaters in 1977, 1980

Amazon.com
The 2006 limited-edition two-disc release of Return of the Jedi is not only the first time the movie has been officially available by itself on DVD. It marks the first-ever DVD release of Jedi as it originally played in theaters in 1983. What does that mean exactly? The film is without the various "improvements" and enhancements George Lucas added for the theatrical rerelease in 1997 as well as the DVD premiere in 2004. So Sebastian Shaw reclaims his spot as the man behind Darth Vader's mask, and we don't see the otherworldly celebration (including the Gungans) at the end of the movie.

What do you lose by watching the 1983 version? Dolby Digital 5.1 EX sound, for one thing (only 2.0 Surround here), and digital cleanup. But for home-theater owners, the biggest frustration will be from the non-anamorphic picture. On a widescreen TV, an anamorphically enhanced (16x9) picture at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio will fill the screen with the exception of small black bars on the top and bottom. The original edition of Jedi, however, on a widescreen TV will have large black bars on the top, the bottom, and the sides unless you stretch the picture (and distort it in the process, especially considering the substandard picture quality). If you're watching on a standard square-shaped (4:3) TV, though, you won't notice a difference.

Yes, it's true that serious home-theater lovers who want spectacular sound and anamorphically enhanced picture can always watch the 2004 version of the movie also included in this set. But chances are good that they already picked up the trilogy edition of all three films, so their decision to buy the 2006 two-disc edition depends on how much they want the original film. The official LucasFilm stance is that this is an individual release of the 2004 version of Return of the Jedi, and the 1983 version of the film is merely a "bonus feature." Common speculation is that the only reason the original versions are seeing the official light of day at all is to undercut the booming black market for the laserdisc version. Star Wars fans will have to decide for themselves if that's worth the purchase. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Slaps your face with one hand and picks your pocket with the other.
This could very easily be an ecstatic 5-star review. The original, unaltered Star Wars trilogy, finally on DVD with no droid & alien cartoon antics, no Hayden Christensen's face on Sebastian Shaw's body, no videogame-quality Jabba the Hutt, the original Academy Award-winning special effects, the music we remember... This should be a red-letter DVD release for Star Wars fans. Sadly, it is not.

Here's why you should boycott this release:

1. The picture & sound are intentionally presented in mediocre quality. These DVD's are transferred from the exact same videotape used to create the laserdisc release in 1993. That means a non-anamorphic, muddy, letterboxed picture that will have to be zoomed in to fill widescreen TVs or computer monitors. Lucasfilm refuses to fulfill the basic minimum standards of a current DVD release and make a new transfer. The quality of this DVD presentation will not live up to that of such timeless classics as Caddyshack II & Ishtar.

2. It's overpriced. If Lucasfilm is only willing to toss out these beloved films in this shoddy version, and they are unwilling to spend any time or money at all on their release, that is their right. They should charge accordingly. As bootleg-quality laserdisc transfers, these DVD's should sell for $5-$10, tops. Incredibly, Lucasfilm is charging $90 retail for these three movies! That's almost twice the cost of the (still available) box set with the exact same Special Edition discs!

They're trying to justify the cost by bundling the unaltered movies (the only reason to buy this version) with the Special Edition movies, but they must know it's a sham. Anybody who is willing to pay $90 ($60 @ Amazon) for the Special Edition DVD's has already bought the existing box sets. The Special Edition discs in this set are a complete waste of plastic, and they do not justify the outrageous cost.

If, for some reason, you have not yet purchased Star Wars on DVD, this set may be an adequate value. For anyone else, this set plus the existing box set you already have will run you a total of $160 retail ($110 @ Amazon). Is that a fair price to pay for an intentionally mediocre release of the movie that made Lucas' empire possible? Is it right to release this classic piece of cinematic history with picture and sound quality far below the latest releases of Buckaroo Banzai or Barbarella? I'll leave that for you to decide.

Beware of the Dark Side
So after waiting 11 years or so, we finally get a re-release of the original version of Return of the Jedi in all it's unaltered glory. Just as fans have been dreaming about since the advent of DVD.

Well, um...I don't think any fan was dreaming about this particular release.

The original release version of Return of the Jedi (the only reason to buy this set as most all fans will already have one of the previous Special Edition releases) is relegated to bonus material on disc two. Ouch! But wait, it gets worse.

George Lucas, the champion of pristine presentation in the theatre and at home has released the film that made him a legend in the state of the art of technology circa 1993.

Yes, that's right. This transfer is from the laserdisc release of '93. Even worse the film is not anamorphic like just about every other modern day DVD. What does that mean? Well a non-anamorphic DVD has a low visual clarity and the image won't fill a widescreen TV. To make a movie anamorphic takes very little time and money. That Jedi is not anamorphic shows a disregard for the film that is disturbing.

Star Wars fans expect these landmark films to be treated just like many other films (Vertigo, Gone with the Wind, Citizen Kane, Snow White, etc.) that have gotten detailed restorations that cleaned up dirt, grime and audio ticks and presented the films in today's state of the art. This is the release most fans were dreaming of. A release that showed the film some modicrum of respect.

George, the fan base you have worked so hard to woo over the years is fed up with your shoddy treatment of these films.

Return of the Jedi
The third installment in the spectacular Star wars Trilogy chronicles the further adventures of the heroes of the Rebel Alliance. Return of the Jedi is a different adventure than The Empire Strikes Back, being more in the tradition of Saturday matinee serials in both story and tone than its dark (but nonetheless better) predecessor.

Luke returns Tatooine only to rescue his friends from the vile Jabba the Hutt. The Alliance finds that the Empire is constructing a new, more powerful Death Star protected by a an energy shield generated from the moon of Endor. The Alliance conjures up a daring plan to destroy the technological terror while Luke prepares to confont his nemesis-father Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine aboard the half-completed battle station.

Mark Hamill gives a charismatic performance as Luke Skywalker, being more in control and taking charge of the film. Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are suprisingly bland compared to their performances in Empire in contrast to Luke. C-3PO and R2-D2 are once again delightful and the Ewoks are cute and all but are just too silly. Alan Hume's cinematography can't match his last work in Empire but still is well-done. The set designs again can't live up to the designs in Empire but still are eye-filling and ingenious. The set in Jabba's palace is good, but the interior designs of the Death Star are more imaginative and interesting, in my opinion they are the best in the film. The editing and especially the soundwork are excellent, while John Williams contributes a fine score. But here the first improvement over Empire is the truly dazzling special effects. Lucas rounded up the best effects supervisors, (Dennis Muren-9 Oscars, Richard Edlund-6 Oscars, Ken Ralston-5 Oscars, and Phil Tippet-2 Oscars) and they did a fantastic job, using over 15O models along with the even more stunning laser, lightning, and fire effects. The action sequences are the other improvement, boasting of 5 the most breathtaking scenes ever filmed. The space battle and Sarlaac pit fight are in my eyes the highlights, though the speeder bike chase and the lightsaber duel are nothing short of spectacular.

For the special edition, Lucas supervised the introduction of new footage along with remastering the sound and editing, and enhancing the cinematography and visuals with the newest state-of-the-art technologies. Overall, Return of the Jedi is an outstanding film with nice touches of warmth and humor. Though it can't measure up to the first two films, it still excellent. And like the first two, its a dazzling adventure that will leave you breathless.