I want my movies back

About 10 days ago, a rant on the new DVD version of the original Star Wars trilogy appeared in this space. However, willpower not being one of SC's strengths, your host gave in to the Dark Side and purchased the widescreen version of the discs (there is never any reason to buy the "fullscreen" version, a rant for another time). Having watched all of the movies at this point, several comments are in order:

1) SC's recollection of the 1997 editions is highly suspect, and he doesn't want to claim that he knows if it's gotten worse in all such respects, but the heavy use of CGI does not make the films look good. The technology available to George Lucas during the original filming involved a heavy reliance on puppets, costumes and models, and admittedly, it's easier to add all sorts of fine articulations to computer-generated simulations -- but the net result is to make the movies look more fake than they did. Especially out in space (which has been appreciably darkened, a good thing), the CGI spaceships tend to glow unnaturally, as do the internals of the Death Star during the attacks in both the first and third movies. It's not often that CGI is a step back in special effects, but in this case it is.

2) The inclusion of this character was the occasion for a wholesale revision of the iconic Max Rebo Band scene in Return of the Jedi. It still ends as it has to -- with a slave dancer dropped into the Rancor pit -- but the same caveats about the awkward fit of CGI animation to the rest of the movie apply here as well. And anything that takes away time from the visual of a keyboard-playing blue elephant is a major minus in SC's book. Note that the "Behind the Scenes" information says he showed up in the 1997 release, which only goes to prove that SC's memory of the originals (which he has seen multiple times in other formats) is better than his recollection of the seen-once Special Edition films.

3) In fairness to Lucas, dubbing Ian MacDiarmid in as the Emperor's voice in the pre-Return movies works out well. It's the right kind of fix for continuity purposes (unlike sticking Hayden Christensen in), and it's carried out subtly.

4) Anyone buying the set for the Episode III trailer is going to be sorely disappointed, unless by "trailer" they understand a 9 minute film about the machining of a single part of one costume. That part happens to be Darth Vader's helmet, so it's a reasonably big revelation (SC always thought that III would end with Vader donning the mask for the first time; it looks like it will happen considerably earlier than that). But finding out that The Original Bad Dude (tm) is going to take up more than a minute or two of the film isn't worth $45. The Ken Burns documentary merits at least part of that price, though.

For more optimistic views than SC is prepared to give, but from credible sources with better playback equipment, have a look here or here. Despite the raves, these are not reference-quality discs like Episodes I and II (judged strictly on technical merit), and SC will be very surprised if they're on display much at the show he'll be at in November.

UPDATE: Courtesy of Arts & Letters Daily, a rather more cynical take on DVD extras.

(Edited on 10/2/04 at 5:35 p.m.)

Comments

[sparklingjedi]

I heard that the appearing of the Mechanical Darth Vader was more like 10 minutes not 2. And I had even heard that George had considered putting the mechanical Vader in for a little longer. Maybe not though. We'll see. I bought that particular DVD set...but not for the Episode III preview into the making of Vaders costume....I wanted to see if Lucas had made changes to Episodes 2 and 3 because of who was now playing Anakin and who was playing Palpatine. And my hunch was right. They put Hayden at the very end of Episode 6 just as I thought. I don't know why I was surprized. Of course George would change that. He's trying to make everything connect together.

Actually I am a great fan of Lucas and have been since junior-high when the original Star Wars came out. I still have the originals on tape....which I'll always keep and I'll always have the digitally revised versians. They are wonderful to have.

[Qov]

I've just received an eggcorn report of 'don't rub salt in my old wombs.'

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