Star Wars Trilogy
Ever since the format of DVD was announced everyone imagined what their favourite films would be like. Most people imagined Star Wars. Star Wars is a franchise that paved the way for films like The Lord of the Rings and The Matrix. It pushed the boundaries of special effects; it took the casual movie goer to another dimension. George Lucus changed what was thought possible with Star Wars, he had a vision, a dream and he let us live that dream too. There have been many releases of Star Wars through out the years but none can compare to the anticipation of the DVD release. Nothing can compare to the sheer quality of the DVD format, the films have the possibility to look and sound the best that they have ever done, we will find out shortly if the live up to the hype.
Star Wars: A New Hope
This is the first film in the highly regarded trilogy; it debuted in 1977, in that year a legacy was born.
I will not write a review of the film nor will I for the sequels, because if you are thinking of purchasing the DVD collection then I think you will already know what it is about.
Video Quality:
I have to say as soon as I saw the opening credits I knew I was on for a treat. Quite frankly this is reference quality; I did not detect any sign of dust or film grain. I noticed one instance of extremely slight edge enhancement but that’s it. All of the colours are vivid and well defined, the contrast is perfect. This film looks like it was made yesterday it has an immaculate transfer that is breathtaking. I can see no way that it can be improved. I must note however that colours looked slightly too dark but this was corrected using the THX Optimizer that is on the DVD.
Verdict: 10/10
Sound Quality:
John Williams’s soundtrack makes great use of all of the surround channels, it’s outstanding and this is the best that it has ever sounded. Throughout the whole film the surround channels get good use and are very clear, the rear channels could get some more use in certain circumstances but on the whole it is very good.
I could not detect any sign of distortion or crackling. This again is reference quality; you have to hear it to believe it.
Verdict: 9/10
Audio Commentary – The audio commentary features George Lucus, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren. George Lucus goes into great depth on his original concepts for Star Wars and his experiences during filming. Carrie Fisher talks about her acting experience and what is was like working with the other member of the cast. Ben Burtt talks about how he created the sounds for the film. He goes into great detail on how he created each sound, we find out how he created the legendary sound for the lightsaber. Dennis Muren discusses how he created the special effects for the lightsaber and all of the other effects for the film.
This is a deeply interesting commentary it is definitely worth watching more than once. We find out how all of the sounds for the creatures and machinery were created and how the special effects were created.
Carrie Fisher is the least active on the commentary but when she contributes she offers a unique perspective on what it was like filming Star Wars and what it was like working with Harrison Ford and Mark Hammil.
This is one of the best commentaries you will find on any DVD, if you are interested in the making of this epic then it is a must see.
Verdict: 9/10
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Video Quality:
I noticed some very slight film grain in certain scenes but it is very slight and does not hinder there viewing experience. Apart from that the transfer is again immaculate. Colours are well defined and vivid. There was no sign of edge enhancement or compression artefacts.
Verdict: 9.5/10
Audio Quality:
As with all of the DVD’s the sound is presented in 5.1 surround EX. I thought the first film had great sound but this is taking it to a new level. The rear speakers are working overtime, they are used more than the first film and it creates a better atmosphere. All of the channels are clear and defined. Even when there are no battles all of the channels still get lots of use and I could find no problems.
Verdict: 10/10
Audio Commentary –George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren and Carrie Fisher.
George Lucas talks about what he wanted star wars to be like, the feel and how the story progress.
Irvin Kershner is fantastic, he goes into great depth on all aspects of the filmmaking process and it is worth listening to just for his input. Dennis Muren explains how he created the special effects for this film which is very interesting. Ben Burtt as before discusses how he created the sound effects for the film. Carrie fisher is the least active in this commentary but as in the previous episode when she comments it is worth listening to.
The audio commentary is great; everybody contributes and delivers very interesting comments that should not be missed. If you love films you will find it worth listening to more than once, you can learn so much during these commentaries they are worth their weight in gold.
Verdict: 10/10
Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi
Video Quality:
This film as with the previous episodes has an immaculate transfer. The black levels are perfect; there is minimal film grain and no compression artefacts. Colours are well balanced throughout the duration of the film.
Verdict: 10/10
Audio Quality:
As with an Empire Strikes Back, the positional audio is top notch, it’s so immersive you feel you are there in the battles. The films have a great range, from the thumping of the AT-AT’s to the subtly ambience noise you hear in the background. I can honestly this is the best sound I have heard on a DVD
Verdict: 10/10
Audio Commentary –This commentary again features George Lucas, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren and Carrie Fisher. George Lucus discuss his role in making the Return of the Jedi. He also explains the evolution of the films and the creatures, which is extremely interesting. Ben Burtt talks about where he got more of the sounds for the characters in the film. Ben Burtt’s commentary is very informative; we learn how he created the sound for Jabba the Hutt which is a great story in itself. Carrie Fisher talks about her first experience with the legendary gold bathing suit which is rather entertaining. Dennis Muren gives us great insight into how he created the hyper speed effects and other effects for various scenes during the film. This commentary is again is a great addition to the DVD, everybody offers informative and interesting.
Verdict: 10/10
Disc 4 - Bonus Material
Empire of dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy – I must say that within the first 20 minutes of this epic documentary I was amazed at the detail in which the documentary goes into. We learn about all aspects of making this trilogy from the first concept the George Lucas had to all of the struggles the film crew had when shooting the film. All of the actors and crew offer a great retrospective look at what it was like creating these landmark films. I was very surprised with the consistency of this documentary; you are always on the edge of your seat. You find out more about the film making process than any other single documentary that I have seen based on the Star wars franchise, it is fascinating.
The Characters of Star Wars - We find out about the origins of each character, what there original design was and their purpose in the films. The Birth of the Lightsaber – We learn about the early concepts of the lightsaber, how they created the coloured glow effect and how the sound was created.
The Force is With Them: The Legacy of Star Wars - Great filmmaker’s talk about star wars and how it influenced them and their films.
Episode III Preview – George Lucas talks about the story of the last episode of the Star Wars prequels. We see how the new Darth Vader suit was created and we also see parts of the final fight in Episode 3.
Episode III: Making the Game – The game developers talk about their involvement with the film cast and crew to make one of the most realistic games that are true to the original star wars experience.
Exclusive Production Photos – We can look at behind the scenes photographs with captions explaining what is going on.
One Sheet Posters – We can see high quality images of all of the posters that were created for the Star Wars trilogy including the re-release posters.
Game Trailer – We can watch a trailer for the new PC, PS2 and Xbox game, Star Wars: Battlefront.
Xbox Game demo – Put the DVD into your Xbox and you can play a full level of the new game, Star Wars: Battlefront.
Trailers and TV Spots – There are bucket loads of trailers and TV spots for all three films including the original, re-release and special edition trailers.
Verdict: 10/10
Packaging - Each DVD is housed in an amaray case and each come with an insert with the entire chapter list. The cases are then inserted into a cardboard box. I must say that I think they should have done a box similar to the Indiana Jones collection as the cardboard is too thin and I do not think that it will last very long. Already my Box set has creased edges by removing the DVDs.
Verdict: 7.5/10
Final Verdict
We have waited along time for Star Wars to be released on DVD and now we have them. They may not be the originals or the 1997 Special Editions but at least we have them on DVD. I will not list all of the changes made in this release of the films, I suggest you watch them and see for your self. All of the films have a perfect transfer this release is the best that we have ever seen star wars look, it is breathless. The commentaries are great, they have been edited rather than recorded simultaneously and I think that it was a great idea. Unlike some commentaries that are edited these have been well paced and the name of the speaker appears at the top of the screen each time they comment. All of the special features are great they are entertaining and informative. I must say that I am truly impressed with this DVD collection; everything is the best it can be. If you thought the Indiana Jones Collection was good then you will be amazed with this.
I would say that I would have thought that they could include the original films via seamless branching but it looks like they used all of the space to provide us with outstanding image quality and sound. This has become one of my favourite boxsets already and I will not hesitate to recommending it to friends and family.
Final Verdict: 10/10