Star Wars DVD: What's different?

[thalmin]

I liked the original "Han shot first." He was a scoundrel. It makes his becoming a hero more pronounced, more positive.

 

[Dark Jezter]

If you think political correctness went out with the 80's, you've obviously not paid attention to American news for the past decade.

Don't forget Hollywood; I still chuckle whenever I see the movie the Sum of All Fears, where the Palistinian terrorists from the novel were replaced with rich white neo-Nazis in an obvious act of spineless political correctness.

 

[Ranger REG]

I liked the original "Han shot first." He was a scoundrel. It makes his becoming a hero more pronounced, more positive.

How so? To me, he become more of an anti-hero if he shot first.

 

[Hypersmurf]

How so? To me, he become more of an anti-hero if he shot first.

Uh... that's the point. He was originally an anti-hero (who shoots first) who eventually becomes a hero.

But when he starts off as not-an-anti-hero, there's no becoming, no journey, no growth.

-Hyp.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Agree with the Smurf 100%. But just to add to that...

Shooting first isn't always evil, or even non-heroic. If someone's got a gun on you (and assuming they aren't a licensed law officer), you can assume you're in danger. Han may have shot first, but that doesn't make it any less a case of pure self-defense.

Add to that the fact that having Han wait for Greedo to shoot first, at such close range, is sheer and unadulterated stupidity. Han's not an idiot; if someone you know is an enemy and willing to shoot you has got you at point blank, and you have the opportunity to get the drop on them, you take it. Anything else is, quite frankly, brainless.

 

[beeber]

han shoots first, period.
of course, lucas ruined what was once a central part of my childhood by the inclusion of the ewoks.
i have the "black box" version of the trilogy and the special ed. i will not buy the dvds until the originals are included as well.
guess i'm waiting a long time. . . .

 

[satori01]

So you are saying even as a child you HATEd Return of the Jedi, because of the stupid ewoks?

I remember feeling a bit incredulous that unarmed ewoks where about to defeat 2 crack legions of the empire's best troops, but it certainly did not ruin the film, or my feeling towards the trilogy.

The trimuph of spirit over technology is one of the main themes of the triology.

 

[beeber]

yes, the ewoks ruined the film. that entire battle was a joke. "crack legions?" smoking crack was more like it. jedi started out good, with luke sportin' the black, leia's bikini, etc. the battle *over* endor was absolutely gorgeous. a fantastic space battle combined with luke's struggles with vader & teh emperor. then the teddy bears came. no thanks.

 

[Fast Learner]

Since there's no thread on it, let me just say that the DVDs include the documentary Star Wars: Empire of Dreams, which they played on A&E several times tonight. It's really excellent, providing all kinds of behind-the-scenes stuff I've never seen before. Recommended.

 

[Greatwyrm]

It's cool that it will include the A&E special. I really enjoyed that.

As far as the changes, most of them don't bother me. I've had a few years to get used to Greedo shooting first, even though I don't like it. What really bugs me is the Jedi ghosts scene at the end of RotJ. The thing I didn't want the most was swapping Anakins, and of course, that's what happened.

Most of the rest seems like cleaning up special effects. That's fine by me.