Take the force home

Well, it's finally happened - technology has caught up with George Lucas' brain. After years and years of hearing Lucasfilm say "eventually," the release of the original Star Wars trilogy on DVD comes as a four-disc box set, including a disc of all new bonus material. While the classics remain the same in the epic, there have been a few minor changes, along with some more controversial ones.

The basic Star Wars premise is Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) team up along with wookie Chewbacca and robots R2-D2 and C-3PO to save Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher). After the rescue, their task becomes simple - rejoin Princess Leia to the rebel alliance, and destroy the Death Star, Darth Vadar (David Prowse, vocal credits to James Earl Jones) and the entire Empire.

Starting with “Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope,” it appears as though Lucas took fan's criticism to heart. Many have argued for years about the portrayal of Han Solo as a cold-blooded killer. In the famous original scene, Han (the good guy) shoots at Greedo (the bad guy), initially, beginning battle. In the new enhanced DVD version, Greedo and Han shoot at the same time, silencing previously disgusted fans. Of course, distaste will linger with this alteration. Many believe Han acted in character in the original scene- a tough guy with an attitude.

Another alteration made to the film includes the new computer graphic (CG) effects used to enhance scenes visually. For instance, every scene containing the light saber has been re-rotoscoped to have more color and appear more consistent with the recent films. Also, the half worm, half frog Jabba the Hut, previously one of the biggest eye sores in the film, has been touched up to a more convincing animatronic puppet by means of CG technology. The new effects allow Jabba to interact with Han Solo much more realistically. A smaller alteration is the lettering on the ship's tractor beam, which originally appeared in English, but has now been changed to a stylized Imperial font called Aurebesh.

Other changes in the film's effects include the new, exorbitant explosion of Alderaan, Princess Leia's home planet, the excessive Death Star explosion, and more minor changes, such as the rebel speeders entering near the Mos Eisley. While the effects may add to the scenes visually, some of them were a little overboard.

Next, “Star War: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back.” Although in Episode IV, the heroes managed to destroy the Death Star, the still strong Darth Vadar and the Empire have now evacuated the rebels from their hiding place, and an intergalactic space chase ensues.

It is in this film where Yoda is introduced to the audience.

Twenty-four years ago, Yoda became the most believable cinema puppet to grace the screen. He remains the same in this film. Some slight brush-ups on his appearance, yet still the same puppet.

Another controversial change made to the original, the elderly woman who played the role of the Emperor, has been replaced by Ian McDiarmid, the Emperor in Episodes I, II, III and VI. More than anything, this film contained touch-ups. Scenes such as the Millennium Falcon entering into Cloud City do not look different, just better. The high quality color enhancement does well for this film.

The final episode of the Star Wars epic, “Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi.” As well as Hayden Christensen portrays the whiny yet loveable Skywalker male, why insert him in place of Sebastian Shaw, the original Anakin Skywalker / face of Darth Vader? Due to the need for continuity between films, Lucas removes Sebastian Shaw's Force ghost, a terrible decision.

Among other things removed from Episode VI, are Sebastian Shaw's eyebrows. Also added to this film: On Coruscant, in the scene of the horizon, the Jedi Temple and the Galactic Senate have been added to the skyline.

Another part of this collection is the 151 minute Kevin Burns documentary entitled Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy. Empire of Dreams is a behind the scenes look at the three films (mainly devoted to A New Hope) via footage taken from the Lucasfilm Archives. This documentary also includes newly released interviews with all of the major cast and production staff. One of the most entertaining portions of this film is the tale of how Luke's parents were kept a secret from just about everyone on set. Also, it shows how George Lucas fought to keep his aim away from major companies. If you're not a true fan, this may drag a bit, but for true believers of the force, this documentary is a dream come true.

Other extras include “The Characters of Star Wars,” which shows other actors who attempted to grab the roles of the film. Among them are Kurt Russell and William Katt. “The Force is with Them: The Legacy of Star Wars” takes a look at the impact Star Wars had on Hollywood. It contains interviews with such big names as Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and Peter Jackson. Finally, “The Birth of the Lightsaber” shows the audience how the Jedi's weapon ultimately came to be.

All in all, the effects upgrade did mostly good for the classic epic. However, digitally removing and replacing characters from the film completely, did a world of hurt. While someone watching this trilogy for the first time can't help but fall in love with everything about it, a true fan will not forget the past. The bonus footage and extra material alone were worth the price of this set. However true fans of the trilogy, don't throwing out your VHS copies just yet.