Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope (1977 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)

3.5

Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness
Director: George Lucas
Made: 1977-05-25
Rating: PG
Number of DVDs: 2
Region: 1 - North America
Buy from Amazon: $13.62 new, $6.73 used, (new window)

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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.

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The 2006 limited-edition two-disc release of George Lucas's epic space fantasy Star Wars is not only the first time the movie has been officially available by itself on DVD. It marks the first-ever DVD release of Star Wars as it originally played in theaters in 1977. What does that mean exactly? Well, for starters, the initial title crawl proclaims that this is just Star Wars, not Episode IV, A New Hope. Second, the film is without the various "improvements" and enhancements Lucas added for the theatrical rerelease in 1997 as well as the DVD premiere in 2004. So no more critters and droids scurrying around the port of Mos Eisley when Luke and Obi-Wan Kenobi first arrive, no meetings between Han Solo and Jabba the Hut and between Luke and Biggs (extraneous scenes that were cut in 1977), no enhanced explosions during the final reel, and--most importantly to some fans--no more of Greedo shooting first in the bar. Instead Han is free to be the scoundrel and not even let Greedo squeeze off a shot.

What do you lose by watching the 1977 version? Dolby Digital 5.1 EX sound, for one thing (only 2.0 Surround here). Digital cleanup for another--Tatooine looks like it's been coated with an additional layer of sand cloud. 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 Star Wars, however, is not anamorphically enhanced (sometimes referred to as "4:3 letterbox"), so on a widescreen TV it 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 Star Wars: Episode IV, A New Hope, and the 1977 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

Reviews

“I knew what I was getting, but I'm complaining anyway”

Ok, so, for one of the all time biggest movie franchises ever in the history of the world, this DVD, nor the original trilogy boxset, contain any trailers or any worthy special features show more

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“Great movies, mostly good revisions”

I've never been quite sure why so many people are complaining about the revisions to the original version of A New Hope. show more

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“BEWARE! LATIN AMERICAN”

The sound and sub in trilogy, has. show more

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“Original and best”

This review is for the `bonus disc' element of this product - the original cinematic versions of the Star Wars films.
We all know the spiel - George Lucas tinkered with his movies in the 90s thus dividing Star Wars fandom somewhat, and then declared the original cuts to be obsolete. Lucas had been deeply unsatisfied with the original films and wanted to not only honor his original vision but also bring the movies into line with his prequel trilogy.
I guess I fall into the `typical older fan' category. I wasn't 100% certain of this until I viewed the `bonus disc' versions of the movies (I hadn't seen the originals in years) and was amazed at how great they were.
Lucas wants the saga to be seen as a 12-hr movie but I think each chapter has lost its uniqueness in the special editions. Star Wars, the original, presented a comparatively sparse universe - the old saloon town vibe of Mos Eisley, the cold corridors of the Death Star with its all-too-human Nazi personnel, the end dogfight with a handful of tiny ships against a huge battle station (as opposed to the billions of darting machines we've become accustomed to post-ROTJ). I'm more than happy to view Star Wars as part of a greater saga. I loved the prequels, midi-chlorians and all! But Star Wars (as well as its sequels) was a movie in its own right and doesn't need to compete with its digital latter-day siblings. I think if anything the original cuts suit the prequels just fine because they flow so much better and don't accentuate their own `flaws' by trying to compete with their digital brothers. Palpatine's dismantling of the galaxy and Luke's isolation on a backwater world more than account for the technological disparities in my opinion.
Or to put it another way the very things that tied George's hands actually gave the movies their charm. How many classic rock albums were produced on a shoestring but have a great vibe because of it? Since George got to exorcise his demons in the other movies (ie Mos Espa in `Menace' or the Wookiee battle in `Sith') why not leave Star Wars alone with its uniqueness?
So anyhow, to the point of this review - Lucasfilm relented and presented the original cuts as `bonus' material in 2006. There's no denying this product could've been better. A fully restored remaster of the originals with bonus material (imagine some commentary with John Dykstra or the inclusion of the `making of' documentaries from the day), and since I recently got a big-assed TV I do understand the complaints about the non-anamorphic issue. But that said I do love these versions and I accept that these were put together as a compromise of sorts since Lucas himself wants nothing to do with them. I love the menus with the original poster art, logos etc and, well, these feel like Star Wars! It's nice to have `em back.

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“Lucas Masterpiece Star Adventure!”

George Lucas' space adventure that revolutionized science fiction film-making.

Truly a film masterpiece. It takes a standard tale of love and war, patriotism and honor and creates show more

George Lucas' space adventure that revolutionized science fiction film-making.

Truly a film masterpiece. It takes a standard tale of love and war, patriotism and honor and creates something special. Truly a sum of its parts!

Words scan across the screen at the start, similar to the old Buck Rogers and other serials of the mid-twentieth century. And like those films, it takes place in a universe of extraordinary technology. But not of the future! Of the past! Sure, why not? Why would there not be galaxies that are so old as to predate our own civilization, so far, far away?

The princess of the piece, at risk of her life, sends a secret message through her droid (little robot guy, used in manufacturing and pilot control) and send them off to a desert planet, orbiting a twin star system. In many ways, reminded me of Frank Herbert's Dune. In fact, there is a skeleton of a Sandworm! Coincidence?

I won't go over the whole plot here. If you have not yet seen Star Wars, please do. Luke Skywalker, oblivious to his past heritage, is just a farm boy who desires someday to be a soldier, a freedom-fighter. But alas, he will most likely be like his Uncle Owen, living on a backward planet, doing some hydroponics and maybe even play in the Mos Isely band. Did they ever do kareoke?

The death of his aunt and uncle at the hands of the Empire, with the blackened corpses of his aunt and uncle (quite horrific for a PG film, actually) fires up Luke. He desires revenge.

So we have the plot thicken: A force of evil, a backward boy with dreams, galavnized by the death of his only family but no place to put forward his intentions of revenge. He meets Obi-Wan and thinks the princess is hot. Ah, if he only knew.

And the story goes. George Lucas, director of such hits up to that time of the powerful THX-1138 and the hilarious American Graffiti, turned out what was in fact the turning point in science fiction cinema, just by taking a fun popcorn plot with a simple yet powerful story and creating a revolution.

I have read other stories of corrupt empires both past and present and of the lives of men and women who fought, avenged and struck back in the name of freedom. The Roman Empire (it's rise and fall) and Isaac Asimov's Harry Seldon in The Foundation Trilogy come to mind, and even to some extent Frank Herbert's Dune series.