List of changes in Star Wars re-releases

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"There will only be one. And it won't be what I would call the 'rough cut,' it'll be the 'final cut.' The other one will be some sort of interesting artifact that people will look at and say, 'There was an earlier draft of this.' The same thing happens with plays and earlier drafts of books. In essence, films never get finished, they get abandoned. At some point, you're dragged off the picture kicking and screaming while somebody says, 'Okay, it's done.' That isn't really the way it should work. Occasionally, [you can] go back and get your cut of the video out there, which I did on both American Graffiti and THX 1138; that's the place where it will live forever. So what ends up being important in my mind is what the DVD version is going to look like, because that's what everybody is going to remember. The other versions will disappear. Even the 35 million tapes of Star Wars out there won't last more than 30 or 40 years. A hundred years from now, the only version of the movie that anyone will remember will be the DVD version [of the Special Edition], and you'll be able to project it on a 20' by 40' screen with perfect quality. I think it's the director's prerogative, not the studio's to go back and reinvent a movie."[1]
— George Lucas on the Special Editions

The following are partial lists of changes in Star Wars re-releases. The commercial success of Star Wars has given George Lucas the opportunity to tinker with his original trilogy, which is composed of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Many changes were motivated by George Lucas's desire to make the original films closer to his vision for them (though he did not direct all of the films).

The re-done versions made heavy use of CGI technology and other new production techniques that emerged in the two decades after the original trilogy was produced. Other changes enhanced the cohesiveness of the films and eliminated continuity errors between the original trilogy and the three prequels (produced in the late 1990s and early 2000s). The changes are controversial, with opponents claiming that these changes detract from the character arc of the films and tend to be more distracting than expedient.

In a September 2004 CNN article, Lucas points out that the original films were "25 or 30 percent" of what he intended. The original films succeeded despite this, and many of his changes have met with lukewarm reception. Along with obvious changes to various scenes, the re-releases improved the visual and audio quality of the films.

Changes to Star Wars films after the theatrical release aren't always limited to the original trilogy. In the release of The Phantom Menace DVD, two deleted portions were either partially or completely restored.

According to Lucasfilm Ltd., the 2004 Special Edition is the canonical version of the original trilogy, even though the original, unaltered theatrical editions were released September 12, 2006.

A 3-D re-release of the saga is planned for 2007.[2]

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Contents

[edit] Re-releases

[edit] VHS/Betamax/CED Editions

These are pan and Scan versions of the original theatrical releases of the original three films.

In the UK and throughout Europe, widescreen VHS versions of the original three films were released in 1991. An advert before the films explained how widescreen showed more of the picture. They were re-released in 1994 with different artwork and released a third time as THX versions in 1995.

None of the original releases of A New Hope on VHS, Betamax, and RCA's CED contained the line uttered by C-3PO "The tractor beam is coupled to the main reactor in seven locations. A power loss at one of the terminals will allow the ship to leave." This line was not in the original Dolby Stereo mix, which was the soundtrack used on all early video releases. In 1985 Ben Burtt re-mixed the soundtrack and the line was heard for the first time on home video.

Due to technical and cost limitations, the CED editions of A New Hope are presented time-compressed (sped up by 3%) from its original 121-minute length to 118 minutes to fit one double-sided two-hour disc.

The VHS reissue in 1995, which was the last available release of the Pre-Special Edition trilogy prior to the 2006 DVD release, utilized THX digital remastering to enhance the picture and sound quality on all three films.

[edit] Laserdisc editions

Due to technical limitations, most pan and scan versions of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back are presented time-compressed (sped up by 3%) from their respective 121- and 125-minute lengths to fit one double-sided 2-hour disc. Letterbox versions of the original theatrical releases of the original three films have also been released.

The initial 1989 North American widescreen release of "A New Hope" suffered from a shrinking aspect ratio. The master that was used was the Japanese subtitled Laserdisc, in which the image appeared higher in the screen to allow for subtitles. For the North American release, it was shifted down, and a black bar was put up to cover the unused parts. However, as the film progresses, the image creeps up on the screen moving underneath the top bar, causing the image to become increasingly wider. By the time the film reaches the Battle of Yavin scenes, the image has widened from 2.35:1 to 2.55:1. This problem was fixed in the 1992 re-issue of the disc. The original shrinking LD has the CBS/Fox logo on it, but the fixed edition has the newer "Fox Video" logo on the jacket. The 3PO line about the tractor beam can be heard on this laserdisc.

In 1993, the "Star Wars Trilogy: The Definitive Collection" box set was released. This version featured the original trilogy on 9 CAV discs, widescreen transfers, THX remastering, audio commentary tracks, assorted bonus features, a copy of the hardcover book "George Lucas - The Creative Impulse", and for "Star Wars IV: A New Hope", a new surround sound audio mix created from elements of the 70mm 6 track magnetic, 35mm Dolby Stereo optical and 35mm optical mono mixes. [3]

Initial versions of this box set were missing approximately 10 seconds from "The Empire Strikes Back". Fox Video offered a replacement disc, and this mistake was corrected in later pressings. [4]

The final Laserdisc edition of the original trilogy was released in 1995, sourced from the 1993 masters. [5]

[edit] 1997 Special Editions (Theatrical, Laserdisc and VHS)

In 1997, Episodes IV, V, and VI were re-mastered and theatrically re-released as the "Special Editions". For the re-release, in addition to extensive clean-up and restoration work, Lucas also made a number of changes to the films in order to "finish the film the way it was meant to be" (as Lucas said in a September 2004 interview with the Associated Press).

Many of Lucas' changes for the Special Editions were cosmetic, generally adding special effects which weren't originally possible. Other changes, however, are considered to have affected plot or character development. These changes, such as the change referred to by fans as "Han shot first," have proven to be controversial. The "Han shot first" situation can be generally described as this: in the original release of Episode IV, the character Han Solo shoots and kills a bounty hunter named Greedo, after Greedo threatens to kill him in order to collect a bounty which had been placed on Solo's head by Jabba the Hutt. In the Special Edition of the film, however, Greedo shoots first at close range. Only after he misses does Solo return fire. George Lucas has been quoted in Entertainment Weekly as saying that this version of the scene was meant to be the original, as in the original storyboards (Greedo fires first at Han Solo).

  • In 2000, this version had box art redesigned to match the Box Art of Episodes I–III except the front of the box was white for Episodes IV and VI while Episode V retained the Black used for the Prequel box art. Also the Star Wars logos on Episodes IV–VI used the logo design as featured for Episodes I–III. This was done to create a more uniformed look for all 6 movies.

[edit] Digital disc releases

[edit] 2004 DVD release

In 2004, in addition to an extensive and comprehensive hi-definition digital cleanup and restoration job by Lowry Digital, the original trilogy films were changed once again for their release on DVD on September 21. In these new versions of the films, a few changes which had been made for the 1997 Special Editions were removed. Even more changes were made to the films, however. With this release, Lucasfilm created a new high-definition master of the films, which will be used in future releases as well.

One of the most notable of these new changes includes new footage shot during the filming of Revenge of the Sith of Ian McDiarmid portraying Palpatine, which has been inserted into The Empire Strikes Back, which replaces the original performance (voiced by actor Clive Revill and portrayed by an actor wearing a specially made mask) recorded for the film. Another notable and quite controversial change was to a scene at the end of Episode VI, when the spirits of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Anakin Skywalker look upon the Rebels' celebration. The original actor who played Anakin in this scene (Sebastian Shaw) was replaced by Hayden Christensen, the actor who played Anakin in Episodes II and III.

In 2005, the 2004 Special Editions were again released on DVD; however, this time they were repackaged and sold as a three-disc set that did not include the bonus materials disc. This was done to provide a more affordable trilogy set.

[edit] 2006 DVD release

On September 12, 2006, the original trilogy was re-released on DVD for a limited time (until December 31, 2006). Each film (Episodes IV, V, and VI) is packaged as a two-disc set with the first disc presenting the 2004 Special Edition with remastered THX sound and video and the second disc containing the "original, unaltered theatrical release" of each film as "bonus material".

These original editions are presented as they were first shown theatrically. For example, Star Wars has the 1977 opening scroll (before "Episode IV: A New Hope" was added and other adjustments made for the April 10, 1981 re-issue). Though the original features are presented in Dolby 2.0 Surround audio, the video transfer is derived not from original masters, but from the 1993 Laserdisc transfer (aside from the original Episode IV opening scroll taken from a best available original 1977 print), meaning that the film's 2.35:1 Panavision format is letterboxed into a non-anamorphic 4:3 video frame, even for widescreen television playback. [6][7]

Instead of using the original theatrical sound mixes, the "bonus" DVD presentations use the 1993 laserdisc remixes. However, the Spanish and French audio tracks on the Star Wars DVD appear to be based on the original theatrical mono sound mix for the film, not the Definitive Collection version. Certain sound effects from the 1993 mix are missing (such as all of the "exploding glass" sounds when Luke and Han blast the various cameras and such in the Death Star's detention center), and certain sounds have been added (such as metallic clicks when R2-D2 and Chewbacca press buttons on the Millennium Falcon's holographic chessboard). Luke Skywalker also says "Blast it, Wedge, where are you?" during the final battle on the alternate language tracks, something he only said in the theatrical mono mix. In all other versions of the film, he says, "Blast it, Biggs, where are you?"

The French and Spanish audio tracks for The Empire Strikes Back 2006 DVD also feature a different sound mix than the 1993 Definitive Collection mix. This alternate mix features additional sounds that were not heard on the 35mm and subsequent home video versions, but which were later reincorporated into the 1997 and 2004 mixes. Such sounds include additional R2-D2 beeps when Yoda rummages through Luke's supplies, which are missing from prior mixes, and additional TIE fighter engine sounds in the establishing shot of Darth Vader's Star Destroyer (after Luke Skywalker beheads the illusory Vader on Dagobah), which are missing from the prior sound mixes.

[edit] 2007 definitive editions

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The new CG Yoda in The Phantom Menace
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The new CG Yoda in The Phantom Menace

Lucas has hinted in the past[citation needed], and it is most likely assumed, that he will release his definitive (often called "archival") editions of all six of his Star Wars films on a next-generation home-video format in 2007. This release would coincide with, and celebrate, the 30th anniversary of the Star Wars saga. It has been speculated that he will take this opportunity to make any final adjustments, changes, additions, and/or subtractions to his films for this final release. An altered clip from The Phantom Menace included in a featurette on the DVD release of Revenge of the Sith (in which a computer generated Yoda replaces the original puppet) appears to be a sign that the "archival" editions are indeed in the works; however, this is uncertain, as the animation team for Yoda went back and practiced animating him in all his scenes from The Phantom Menace in order to really understand Yoda and become skilled in creating his facial expressions, amongst other things. This was done in preparation for Yoda's appearance in Revenge of the Sith, as the greatest concern of the animation team during production of Attack of the Clones was the duel scene between Yoda and Count Dooku. Regardless, the new animations of the CGI Yoda would most likely be used in the Definitive Edition of The Phantom Menace.

It is said[citation needed] that this edition will be released in a "Grand Saga" box set, and the home video format will most likely be Blu-ray, as 20th Century Fox, as well as Lucas himself, have said[citation needed] they prefer this format. Lucasfilm Vice President of Marketing Jim Ward confirmed[citation needed] that in this final release, Lucasfilm is likely to return to John Lowry to do even more work on the films (possibly digital contemporization of the original trilogy). He says, "As the technology evolves and we get into a high-definition platform that is easily consumable by our customers, the situation is much better, but there will always be work to be done."[8]

Producer Rick McCallum, as well as Ward, have also explained[citation needed] that they have been holding back a large amount of bonus material for this release, including deleted scenes, as well as numerous previous Star Wars "making-ofs," spin-offs, television specials, Documentaries etc.

[edit] 2007 3-D edition

At a ShoWest convention in 2005, George Lucas demonstrated new technology and stated that he is planning to release all six films in a new 3-D film format, beginning with A New Hope in 2007.

[edit] Changes

[edit] Pre-Special Edition

Although not as obvious as the 1997 Special Edition re-release of the original trilogy, there were still some alterations made between versions.

[edit] A New Hope

  • The line "Episode IV: A NEW HOPE" was added to the opening crawl from 1981 onward. The new opening crawl also capitalized the word "rebel" in "rebel spies", which was not capitalized in the original 1977 crawl.
  • The film was originally released with Dolby Stereo and 70mm 6-track audio. A mono mix was produced later for exhibition in cinemas with no Dolby Stereo support, which contains some changes from the stereo version. Most video releases until the Special Edition were based on the stereo mix.
  • Alternate takes of C-3PO's dialog are used in the mono sound version.
  • The line "Close the blast doors!" was added to the mono release.
  • C-3PO's tractor beam line was added to the mono version. (This line was also included in the 1997 special edition and 2004 DVD versions.)
  • The line "Blast it, Biggs, where are you?" from the original stereo sound version was changed to "Blast it, Wedge, where are you?" for the mono sound releases.
  • Beru Lars is voiced by a different actress in the mono version.
  • The 1985 VHS release features a digitally remastered sound mix supervised by Ben Burtt, which contains C-3PO's tractor beam line. Another remix was produced for the 1993 Definitive Collection Laserdisc, which removes the line again.

[edit] The Empire Strikes Back

The 70mm version included a large number of changes from the 35mm version that was more widely seen.

  • After the Probot lands and moves left, there is an optical wipe to the overhead shot of Luke on his Tauntaun.
  • After Luke wanders through the snow and falls face down, there is an optical wipe to Han instead of a straight cut.
  • The bacta tank scene starts on a close-up of Two-One-Bee and pans right to a close-up of Luke in the tank. It then cuts to FX-7 extending its arm to the tank. There is no cut to Leia, Han and Threepio observing.
  • In the snow battle scene, when Luke drops into the snow after throwing a charge into the Imperial walker, the AT-ST in the background has no atmospheric depth. It looks too close and small.
  • In the Emperor scene, the hologram of the Emperor is already present in the first shot - it does not "tune in" gradually.
  • The Imperial fleet establishing shot after the magic tree scene has a different TIE fighter sound effect.
  • When Luke falls from Cloud City into the Millennium Falcon, the Falcon's radar dish is not added to the shot.
  • The telepathy between Luke and Vader during the "Hyperspace" cue has straight cuts instead of quick dissolves.
  • On Hoth, right after C-3PO tells R2 to "Switch off," R2 gives out a little 'blurp.'
  • When Luke finally collapses in the snow, he lets out a grunt as he lands on his face.
  • Han says "until I can get the shelter up" instead of "until I can get the shelter built."
  • Luke says an additional "Ben... Dagobah..." just before Han says "and I thought they smelled bad on the outside."
  • When C-3PO tells Luke "It's so good to see you fully functional again," Luke replies "Thanks, Threepio."
  • The line "Headquarters personnel report to Command Center" is repeated three times instead of two.
  • The line "The first transport is away!" is said in a different voice altogether.
  • When R2 is being loaded into Luke's X-Wing, C-3PO says the word "and" before saying "do take good care of yourself."
  • Han's line "Transport, this is Solo. Better take off, I can't get to you. I'll get her out on the Falcon" is followed by, "Come on!"
  • In the asteroid field, after C-3PO says "Oh, this is suicide," he says, "There's no where to go."
  • In the scene where R2-D2 is spit up by the bog beast, Luke says "You were lucky to get out of there" instead of "You're lucky you don't taste very good."
  • Yoda makes a frightened "Ehhhhh!" sound just before Luke says "Like we're being watched" and points his blaster at him.
  • Yoda says the word "Run!" before "Yes. A Jedi's strength flows from the force." The following lines "But beware the dark side. Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side of the force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight" are also much louder and clearer.
  • In Cloud City, after C-3PO says "That sounds like an R2 unit in there. I wonder if it..." he says "Hello?" only once instead of twice.
  • Before C-3PO gets shot, a different voice says "Who are you?"
  • While C-3PO is on Chewie's back when they enter the carbon freezing chamber, the line "Now remember, Chewbacca, you have a responsibility to me, so don't do anything foolish" is louder and heard more clearly.
  • During the duel, when Luke knocks Vader off the platform, Vader lets out an "ooooh!" instead of an "aaargh!"
  • Lando's line at the end, "Luke, we're ready for takeoff." is a different take.
  • In the final scene, there is no tracked music from "Yoda and the Force".

[edit] 1997 Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition

Special coverage on CNN in 1997 notes that Lucas spent $10 million to rework his original 1977 film, which was roughly what it cost to film it originally. $3 million of that was spent on the audio track for the special edition. Lucas also spent $2.5 million each on Episodes V and VI.

The following is a partial list of changes:

[edit] A New Hope

Greedo shoots first in the 1997 Special Edition of A New Hope
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Greedo shoots first in the 1997 Special Edition of A New Hope
Han Solo and Jabba the Hutt in the 1997 Special Edition of A New Hope, a scene not possible in 1977
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Han Solo and Jabba the Hutt in the 1997 Special Edition of A New Hope, a scene not possible in 1977
  • Additional dewbacks and search teams are visible as the Stormtroopers look for the missing droids. An Imperial transport can be seen taking off in the background.
  • A shot of an evening Tatooine sky that pans down to show the opening of the scene in which R2-D2 is wandering through the hills before he is captured by Jawas.
  • A revised Jawa sandcrawler. The sunset progression has been enhanced, having the sky darkened, and at the end, adding stars to the newly darkened sky. The scene where R2-D2 is captured has been tinted red to resemble a sunset.
  • A new digital matte painting of the sandcrawler and extended sky were added when the Jawas are setting up shop in front of the Lars farm. Artificial zooming in is also present. More vaporators have been added but they disappear in subsequent shots.
  • A new look at Ben Kenobi's hut.
  • Skeletal Remains of Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen were enhanced.
  • Mos Eisley is bigger and busier.
  • A short pause of the camera features a Jawa being bucked from its Ronto mount.
  • New aliens are seen in the Cantina.
  • In Han’s last line to Greedo, "Yes, I’ll bet you have", the word "yes" is excised from the audio track, though Han’s mouth is still seen forming the word.
  • Greedo now fires a very badly aimed shot at Han before being shot in the cantina (Refer to Greedo v Han weapon draw controversy for further information).
  • A scene with no dialogue had Luke selling his landspeeder to a giant insectoid. Afterwards, Luke tells Obi-wan that "Ever since the XP-38 came out, they [the older model] just aren't in demand". This scene is rarely mentioned, and is not present on most "changes" lists.
  • A CGI version of Jabba the Hutt confronts Han Solo in the Millennium Falcon's launch bay, and new dialogue was recorded in the Huttese language.
  • A new Mos Eisley scene of the Falcon taking off.
  • The Death Star docking bay is revised to be more consistent with the one seen in Return of the Jedi, most notably in the overhead shot when the Millennium Falcon has landed.
  • The aforementioned line uttered by C-3PO, where he describes the tractor beam's power systems, is put back in. (It was deleted in the previous stereo sound versions.)
  • New superimposed shots of the Stormtroopers in the Death Star.
  • When Han Solo and Chewbacca are chasing a squad of Stormtroopers on the Death Star, instead of running to a dead end with more Stormtroopers, the pair end up at a hangar bay with seemingly hundreds of Stormtroopers and officers. Laser fire was increased in the next scene where Chewbacca approaches the corner.
  • The flashes of blaster impacts on the Imperial officers were removed.
  • "Close the blast doors!" is put back into the scene where Han and Chewbacca, pursued by Stormtroopers, jump through the doors as they close.
  • A scene between Luke Skywalker and Biggs Darklighter, just before the Battle of Yavin, has been inserted.
  • New digital shots of the X-wings and Y-wings taking off from Yavin (in the original version, they just appeared as white flashes).
  • New, additional, and revised dog fighting and attack run scenes during the battle at the Death Star.
  • After Red Leader's unsuccessful trench run, the line "He's on your tail!" was added to the film.
  • When the proton torpedoes enter the exhaust port, a scorch mark where the previous shots hit is present.
  • The shot of the Rebel fighters flying away from the Death Star has been revised.
  • The Praxis effect shockwave (so named for a similar effect seen in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) was added to the destruction of planet Alderaan and the Death Star.
  • The matte paintings (or cardboard cutouts) of the members of the assembly on the left and right sides of the Throne Room at the end of the film, when Luke, Han, and Chewie approach the throne, have been digitally replaced by real humans.
  • James Earl Jones is now credited.
  • "Luke's Theme" is partially repeated in the ending credits music to make room for the Special Edition release credits.

[edit] The Empire Strikes Back

  • The opening battle sequence was cleaned up.
  • New scenes on Hoth with a fiercer-looking wampa ice creature, including showing the wampa screeching in agony following the loss of its limb. Two close-up shots of the original wampa mask are still noticeable.
  • The blaster bolts of the TIE fighters have been made more green.
  • The scene where the Slave I follows the Falcon out of the Star Destroyer's floating garbage includes a newly created CG shot of it pursuing the Falcon.
  • At the entrance shot of Cloud City, the Cloud Car was replaced by a Tibanna refinery. (The Tibanna refinery is almost panned and scanned out of the full screen DVD version. The right side of the refinery can be seen briefly in the full screen DVD version if played on a PC.)
  • New and additional shots of Cloud City.
  • Several wall panels have been digitally replaced with windows to show more of Cloud City.
  • Luke's line, "You're lucky you don't taste very good," after R2-D2 is spit out by a Dagobah dragonsnake, is changed back to the original "You were lucky to get out of there."
  • Lando Calrissian says "Attention" twice when he speaks on the Cloud City PA.
  • Shots of people listening to Lando on the PA ordering the evacuation of the city are added.
  • Luke screams as he jumps off the platform in Cloud City (the scream is actually lifted from the Emperor's death scream from Return Of The Jedi)
  • Darth Vader's terse-but-forceful line, "Bring my shuttle," is changed to the more benignly-toned "Alert my Star Destroyer to prepare for my arrival," a line originally recorded for A New Hope -- a wide-angle CGI visual is added, showing Vader boarding his shuttle. This short added scene is spliced directly into the action surrounding Leia, Lando, and Chewie's attempt to rescue Luke as he dangles from a weather vane below Cloud City. The music track that has become known as "Rescue From Cloud City / Hyperspace" -- a track, that in the film's original version, began from the moment Vader cuts off luke's hand until Vader stalks from the bridge of the Executor after the Millennium Falcon escapes into hyperspace -- is also now spliced, in a manner corresponding to the insertion of the short added scene. Specifically, for approximately 5 to 10 seconds, music from the moment Vader informs Luke of his parentage (itself an earlier part of the "Rescue From Cloud City / Hyperspace" track) is incongruously inserted.
  • A new shot of Darth Vader's shuttle heading toward his star destroyer.
  • A digital hatch has been added to replace the white light that appears when Lando opens the outer hatch to rescue Luke.
  • A new scene with Darth Vader landing in the docking bay of his Star Destroyer is included, taken from an outtake from Return of the Jedi -- like the footage of Vader boarding his shuttle, this short scene is similarly spliced directly into the action surrounding the Millennium Falcon's escape from Bespin, and the music accompanying the added footage (both a few short seconds of music taken from the very beginning of "Rescue From Cloud City / Hyperspace" and then a few seconds of the same music that was used during the shuttle-boarding footage insertion) likewise cuts incongruously into "Rescue From Cloud City / Hyperspace."
  • "The Imperial March" is partially repeated in the ending credits music to make room for the Special Edition release credits.

[edit] Return Of The Jedi

  • A new Jabba's Palace Band musical number, "Jedi Rocks" replaces "Lapti Nek"; Some other footage is added from the extended music video of Lapti Nek. The female alien singer Sy Snootles is replaced with a new CG version.
  • Additional scene of Oola in the Rancor pit. Oola is played by Femi Taylor reprising her role fourteen years after the original films.
  • Boba Fett is briefly shown flirting with a dancer at Jabba's palace.
  • Additional scenes on Tatooine of a herd of Banthas before heading to the Pit of Carkoon.
  • The Sarlacc now has extra CG tentacles and CG beak at its centre.
  • CGI rope has been added around Han's ankles as he dangles from Jabba's skiff above the Sarlacc.
  • In the original version, a flight of four TIE fighters appear from behind the camera flying toward the Death Star and disappear a second before the scene changes to the Emperor's arrival. This is corrected and the fighters continue heading toward the Death Star.
  • As with the destruction of the first Death Star, the second has a more pronounced explosion.
  • At the end of the trilogy after the Empire is defeated, scenes of celebration on Endor, Bespin, Tatooine, and Coruscant are shown. The musical theme "Ewok Celebration" (often referred to as "Yub Nub") during this sequence has been replaced with an entirely new John Williams composition, "Victory Celebration".
  • During the end celebration, a brief shot of Luke hugging Wedge Antilles was inserted.
  • "Parade of the Ewoks" is partially repeated in the ending credits music to make room for the new Special Edition release credits.

[edit] 2001 Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace DVD

  • Sebulba's subtitles during his angry chat with Anakin originally read, "You won't walk away from this one, Skywalker...you slave scum!". However, for the DVD, "Skywalker" was removed from the subtitle, since Sebulba doesn't actually say Anakin's last name in the scene.
  • The podrace grid sequence is extended.
  • Watto's celebratory cry of "Sebulba!" is removed.
  • The Podrace racing sequence is also extended.
  • The air taxi sequence is reincorporated.
  • Orn Free Taa's human aides are replaced by Twi'leks.

[edit] 2002 Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones DVD

  • Several speeders were removed from a shot during the Bounty Hunter pursuit scene.
  • New dialogue added to the scene where Anakin confesses to the Tusken slaughter.
  • After Padmé falls out of the gunship on Geonosis, a clone trooper asks if she is all right. Her response of "Yes" has been changed to a more realistic groggy "Uh-huh."
  • Anakin's mechanical hand now holds Padmé's hand during the closing wedding sequence (this was originally included in the DLP theater release of the film).
  • During their duel on Kamino a shot of Jango Fett headbutting Obi-Wan is removed from the UK version of the film and DVD.

[edit] 2004 Star Wars Trilogy DVD

The 2004 DVD changes were made to make a better connection between the old and new trilogies. The 2004 DVD releases also received John D. Lowry's digital restoration visual enhancement treatment. The following is a partial list of changes:

[edit] A New Hope

Han Solo and Jabba the Hutt in the 2004 Special Edition of A New Hope
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Han Solo and Jabba the Hutt in the 2004 Special Edition of A New Hope
  • The Star Destroyer's pursuit of the Corellian Corvette in the very beginning was sped up to make it look more like a real chase. The engines on the ships are also improved to look more realistic.
  • When the Jawa Sandcrawler stops outside the Lars Homestead, C-3PO says "We've stopped" before telling R2-D2 to wake up.
  • The Long shot of Luke's Landspeeder in the canyon, with the two Tusken Raiders taking aim has been improved upon. Now instead of being merely a moving white "blob" the landspeeder is actually seen in minute detail.
  • Obi-Wan Kenobi's scream to scare off the Sand People has been changed to a higher-pitched wail. The old version of Kenobi's scream in the original and 1997 versions sounded similar to a dewback. The new version of Kenobi's scream in the 2004 version sounds similar to a krayt dragon (first seen in Star Wars: Galaxies).
  • More debris has been digitally added to the scene at the destroyed Jawa sandcrawler.
  • A brief shot of Luke's landspeeder as it enters Mos Eisley carrying Luke, Ben Kenobi, and the droids has been redone. The pink tint is removed from the Mos Eisley entrance scene.
  • The Mos Eisley/Greedo scene is redone yet again, so that Greedo and Han shoot at almost the exact same moment, but Greedo is still fractionally ahead. Han also dodges Greedo's shot more convincingly. In addition, Han now says "Yes, I'll bet you have" - in the Special Edition, the "yes" was removed.
  • An improved CGI version of Jabba the Hutt now confronts Han Solo in the scene added to the 1997 re-release.
  • When the two stormtroopers exit the Millennium Falcon, one of them now says "There's no one here."
  • When the docking bay controller tries to contact TK-421, slightly audible static can be heard over the communicator.
  • The Matte painting in the detention block has been extended, making the corridor seem longer. The painting's perspective has been edited to make it appear more realistic.
  • The writing in the Death Star tractor beam control panel ("POWER - TRACTOR BEAM 12 (SEC. N6)" and "INOPERATIVE") is changed from the Latin alphabet to the standard Star Wars "foreign" (Aurebesh) alphabet. The word "INOPERATIVE" is panned and scanned out of the full screen DVD version.
  • An audible bump was added to the infamous gaffe where a screen-right stormtrooper bumps his head on the door-frame when the stormtroopers break into the control room. A stormtrooper can also be heard saying "See to him." This mistake had been hinted at in Episode II (When Jango Fett - escaping from Obi-Wan on Kamino - bangs his helmet on the closing door of the Slave I.)
  • Luke and Leia's echo when they are trapped in the Death Star chasm is more convincing.
  • The glow of the lightsabers has been slightly improved to look more like other episodes, though still not near their quality. For example, in Luke's training on the Millennium Falcon, the lightsaber is pale green instead of blue.
  • John Williams' score has been flipped in the left and right rear channels and has been quieted or eliminated from some portions of the Battle of Yavin scene.
  • The "He's on your tail!" that was added for the 1997 Special Edition was removed.
  • The Code Cylinders in Grand Moff Tarkin's uniform jacket no longer move up and down between shots.
  • The shot of the Y-Wings descending to make the first attack run has been fixed. Originally, the two lead Y-Wings disappear when their leading edges touch the bottom of the screen but the third one smoothly moves out of frame like it should. Now all three move smoothly out of frame.
  • The colors of some spaceship explosions have been changed.
  • The colors depicting the destruction of the planet Alderaan and the Death Star were changed.

[edit] The Empire Strikes Back

The original version of the Emperor in The Empire Strikes Back 1980, voiced by Clive Revill and Ian McDiarmid as the Emperor in the 2004 Special Edition
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The original version of the Emperor in The Empire Strikes Back 1980, voiced by Clive Revill and Ian McDiarmid as the Emperor in the 2004 Special Edition
  • In a scene just after Luke Skywalker recovers from an injury by a wampa, he says "Thanks, 3PO", between C-3PO's lines, "Master Luke, Sir, it's so good to see you fully functional again", and "R2 expresses his relief also."
  • In a scene where Darth Vader speaks to the Emperor via hologram, the Emperor is now portrayed by Ian McDiarmid (in the original film and the Special Edition, the Emperor was portrayed by an uncredited female actor wearing a specially made mask with chimpanzee's eyes superimposed over her own, with the voice dubbed in by Clive Revill.[9]) A few lines of new dialogue have been added to this scene as well, in which Palpatine informs Vader that their new enemy is "the offspring of Anakin Skywalker." McDiarmid actually filmed this scene during principal photography of Episode III.
  • The four lines spoken by Boba Fett are now in the voice of Temuera Morrison, the actor who played Jango Fett (Boba Fett's "father"). They were originally in the voice of Jason Wingreen.
  • The pink tint is removed from the entrance scene of Cloud City, where the Cloud Car is replaced by the Tibanna refinery for the 1997 version.
  • In both the original and 1997 versions, during the scene in which Han is lowered into the carbon-freezing chamber, what was thought to be a wardrobe blooper has him wearing his blue jacket during one shot. This was actually the result of coincidental shadowing however, and not a wardrobe miscue. In this release the dark lighting has been digitally erased.
  • The tracked Emperor death scream by Luke Skywalker introduced in the 1997 re-release, which is heard during Luke's voluntary fall from the Cloud City platform after his fight with Vader, was removed.
  • In the original and 1997 versions, when Darth Vader asks if the Falcon's hyperdrive is deactivated, Admiral Piett's rank plaque and code cylinders are on the wrong side of his uniform (the plaque is supposed to be on the left side of his tunic, but it was on his right side). This is corrected and Piett has the correct rank placement on his uniform.

[edit] Return of the Jedi

  • The matte lines on the rancor have been further altered and the effect is now more realistic.
  • The dialogue spoken by Jabba the Hutt in the scene where he is discussing the price for Chewbacca that had the subtitles added in the 1997 Special Edition has the subtitles removed, making C-3PO's dialogue in the scene relevant again.
Anakin Skywalker, how he appeared in both, the 1983 and 2004, versions
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Anakin Skywalker, how he appeared in both, the 1983 and 2004, versions
  • In Darth Vader's final scene, when he is not wearing his helmet, the eyebrows of actor Sebastian Shaw have been digitally removed, indicating what happens to Anakin's eyebrows when he gets burned on Mustafar (shortly after a duel with Obi-Wan) in Revenge of the Sith. His eyes have also been changed to blue and minor cosmetic alterations have been made to his face to better resemble the Anakin portrayed by Hayden Christensen in the prequel trilogy.
  • Another scene of celebration, this one on Naboo, is shown after the Empire is defeated. A Gungan, can be heard saying "Weesa free!"
  • In the final scene where the spirits of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Yoda appear to Luke, Anakin is now played by Hayden Christensen rather than Sebastian Shaw. Lucas has said that the reason he made this change was because after redemption, Anakin returned to his "inner persona", once one with the Force, and appeared the way he was before he turned to the dark side of the Force.
  • In the Coruscant celebration scene, the Galactic Senate and Jedi Temple have been added in the background. This is to indicate that the Jedi Temple was not destroyed during the Great Jedi Purge.

Note that in each of the three films, the ending credits have remained unchanged from the Special Edition releases in 1997. Thus, they do not reflect such changes as Ian McDiarmid's Emperor in The Empire Strikes Back or Hayden Christensen's Anakin in Return of the Jedi. In the case of pan-and-scan versions of the re-releases, the 2004 DVD releases were pan-and-scanned differently from the 1997 theatrical releases.

[edit] 2005 Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith DVD

  • Despite Lucasfilm's official statement that there were absolutely no changes made to the theatrical version of the film, the November 1, 2005 DVD release of Revenge of the Sith had one slight change from the theatrical cut. In the scene where a shot transitions to Vader crawling up the lava bank, a wipe from the shot of Obi-Wan and C3PO in the cockpit of Padmé's ship leaving Mustafar to Vader's mechanical hand grasping at the volcanic soil has been replaced with a straight cut to this shot from the cockpit of Padmé's ship on the DVD.

[edit] Bootleg versions, fan edits, etc.

In addition to official and authorized versions, there is a black market for other versions. These include versions of the film that are no longer available, or versions of the original films in different formats (such as compressed with DivX). "Theatre Rips" are the only source for comparing an actual original theater release of films to changes in DVD releases (aside from personal memory). The majority of these versions are sourced from the "original" versions from the pre-1997 VHS/Laserdisc releases.

Bootleg versions also include fan modified/edited versions. One of this type to attain notoriety was a version of Episode I (known as The Phantom Edit), with certain elements removed, such as scenes deemed unnecessary of Jar Jar Binks. Bootleg versions of the little-known 1970s TV special The Star Wars Holiday Special remain the only source for consumers seeking it, ranging in quality from excellent to poor.

[edit] Deleted scenes from Star Wars

This is a partial list of scenes that weren't in a film version of the original trilogy or prequels. There are also changes made to deleted scenes as well in some cases. Theses are included in some home video versions, such as a specific DVD version. Some scenes deleted from the Original Editions of the original trilogy were modified and added back for later versions. For example, a scene where Han Solo talks to Jabba the Hutt was not included in the original theater, laser disc, or home video versions of Star Wars (Later renamed Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope), but was modified with CGI (Jabba the Hutt was replaced with a CGI version) and included in the 1997 Special Edition.

[edit] The Phantom Menace

  • Extended Podrace grid sequence, introducing nearly all of the racers. (Partially added into film on DVD)
  • Extended Lap 2 (Partially added into film on DVD)
    • Clieg Holdfast's racer crashes after Sebulba flashes his fire vents.
    • Jawas try to salvage parts of Teemto Pagalies' racer and are shot at by Tusken Raiders.
    • Ark "Bumpy" Roose pulls into the pit stop.
  • Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Jar Jar escape their sub before it goes over a waterfall.
  • Anakin says good-bye to Jira. Shortly afterwards, Qui-Gon and Anakin break into a run after Qui-Gon slices one of Darth Maul's probe droids which was following them.
  • Anakin fights with child Greedo.
  • The dawn before the podrace.
  • The Coruscant Sky Taxi Ride (Added into film on DVD)

[edit] Attack of the Clones

NOTE: Many of these scenes still appear in the novelization.

  • Padmé addresses the Senate an hour after the attempt on her life.
  • Obi-Wan brings the toxic dart to the analysis droids in the Jedi Temple, who cannot identify it. He then decides to take it to his friend, Dexter.
  • Obi-Wan and Mace talk about the mystery of the missing data on Kamino and about Anakin being able to protect Padmé while Obi-Wan boards his Jedi starfighter.
  • Extended arrival of Anakin and Padmé on Naboo.
  • On Naboo, Padmé introduces Anakin to her family.
  • Padmé shows Anakin her bedroom, which has holographic images of her humanitarian work.
  • Anakin and Padmé are brought before Count Dooku, requesting Obi-Wan's release. Dooku says he cannot do so unless Naboo joins the Confederacy, giving reasons for why he is forming the new government.
  • Padmé and Anakin are put on trial by Poggle the Lesser, who finds them guilty. (NOTE: after the scene where they go before Count Dooku was dropped, this scene didn't make much sense and was dropped as well)
  • A group of Jedi lead by Ki-Adi Mundi attempt to take over the Droid Command Centre on Geonosis.
  • A shot of Jedi starfighters approaching Geonosis.
  • Additional scenes at the Battle of Geonosis. These include CIS Tank Droids running over clone troopers and clones on speeder bikes planting grenades on Homing Spiders.

[edit] Revenge of the Sith

Note: Only some of these scenes appear in the Revenge of the Sith DVD.

  • The scene in which Bai Ling appears as Senator Bana Breemu.
  • The spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn tells Yoda about the secret of immortality and Yoda becomes his padawan.
  • A group of senators including Mon Mothma meet to discuss the Chancellor's growing power. In the scene Bail Organa expresses fear that the Republic is becoming corrupt.
  • General Grievous kills Shaak Ti who was captured with the Chancellor. Obi-Wan and Anakin then cut through the floor and fall into a fuel line.
  • Shaak Ti is killed by Anakin in the Jedi Temple Attack.
  • On Kashyyyk, Yoda disguises himself as a mud monster, to escape from some clones.
  • Yoda's escape pod lands on Dagobah.
  • Luminara Unduli, Barriss Offee, and Quinlan Vos's deaths are all cut as well as Aayla Secura and Plo Koon's last lines. The deaths of Luminara Unduli, Barriss Offee, and Quinlan Vos were never filmed.
  • Lieutenant Commander Lorth Needa offers General Grievous an opportunity to surrender.
  • Palpatine's shuttle approaches Coruscant accompanied by three V-wings.
  • Padmé and the Loyalists present the Petition of the 2000 to Palpatine. He then assures the group he will discontinue his new reorganization once the war is over.
  • Additional scenes of the Separatist leaders pleading with Vader to spare their lives.
  • A scene where Obi-Wan meets with Padmé in her apartment to express his concern about Anakin.
  • During the Mustafar fight scene, there was originally a sequence when Obi-Wan and Vader are on the Separatist control room's table. Obi-Wan manages to grab Vader's lightsaber momentarily. Lucas explains in the DVD that that particular scene accounts for why Vader is seen taking his lightsaber from Obi-Wan and trying to choke him.

[edit] A New Hope

  • Luke is working on a machine at the Lars homestead, and uses a set of binoculars to look up into the sky. He sees two starships exchanging laser fire in space, but goes back to work.
  • Luke visits his friends at Anchorhead. He says he saw a space battle (between the Devastator and the blockade runner Tantive IV) with a set of binoculars to his friends. However, the battle is already over and his friends do not believe him.
  • Biggs tells Luke he wants to defect to the Rebels. This and the preceding two scenes listed above can be viewed on the CD-ROM Star Wars: Behind the Magic.
  • Han and a mysterious woman are seen carousing and kissing in the Cantina before the meeting with Obi Wan and Luke. It was to give him a man-liked-by-the-ladies feel.
  • Darth Vader and Chief Bast discuss Grand Moff Tarkin and his ambitions (this scene was later redubbed and used in The Star Wars Holiday Special).
  • Grand Moff Tarkin, General Tagge, and General Motti view a schematic of the Death Star and discuss the threat the Rebel incursion aboard holds (the scene features one of the few wire-frame CGI effects created for the film).
  • After Tarkin destroys Alderaan, Princess Leia says "And you call yourselves humans." (A similar line was included in the NPR radio play, "If there was any shred of humanity in you or these twisted creatures of yours, it's dead now.")
  • Extended dialogue for Obi-Wan during the duel. This and the precedent scene can be seen in the documentary Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy.
  • Han and Luke are seen congratulating each other after their successful fight against the TIE fighters while escaping the Death Star.

[edit] The Empire Strikes Back

  • A number of wampas infiltrate the Rebel base and kill at least one tauntaun. An image exists of a medical droid inspecting a tauntaun carcass. The wampa attack is mentioned and shown in the Marvel Comics adaptation of the movie.
  • While strolling through Echo Base's corridors, R2-D2 is attacked by a wampa. He is rescued and the wampa is killed by Rebel troops.
  • General Veers is seriously injured when a snowspeeder piloted by Derek "Hobbie" Klivian crashes into his AT-AT Walker.
  • While fleeing Imperial troops, Han suggests they take a shortcut through a room that has a sign on it. Leia tells him "that's where they keep those creatures" (the wampas, which have been confined to the room). They run off and C-3PO tears off the warning sign, hoping the troops will mistake it for another room. (Though never seen in any version of the film, shots of this scene were used in Television ads and trailers for the movie, also the door itself is visible in the movie.) Some speculate that the scene was deleted in order to preserve the Star Wars universe as devoid of paper. Two Star Wars video games reference this room: Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, and the Star Wars: Trilogy arcade game. However, in many novels (for example, Revenge Of The Sith), paper has been depicted as being called "Flimsiplast", proving that paper exists in the Star Wars universe.
  • In the carbon-freezing sequence, C-3PO's complete line would have been "I'm not ready to die in the back of a demented wookie!" (the italicized words were deleted from all versions of the film, but were heard in their entirety on the Story of The Empire Strikes Back LP).

[edit] Return of the Jedi

  • Moff Jerjerrod and two Royal Guards refuse to let Darth Vader in to see the Emperor, so Vader uses his Force-chokehold on Jerjerrod, but doesn't kill him.
  • Just after Jabba tells Leia that she will learn to appreciate him he pulls her closer and makes her drink from his cup.
  • Right after Jabba's Sail Barge blows up, Luke, Han, Leia, Lando, and the droids go back to the Millennium Falcon and Luke's X-Wing (both of which are in the middle of a sand storm).
  • Darth Vader lands in the Death Star docking bay with Luke, taking him to the Emperor.
  • When Luke is hiding from Vader in the Throne Room, Luke offers Vader to come and speak with him. Vader rejects the offer saying that he would not give him that kind of advantage. Luke throws his lightsaber to Vader and, after this, Vader realizes that he is protecting Leia from Vader. After Vader discovers his feeling, Luke uses the Force to take the lightsaber from Vader. Evidence of this still exists in the final scene. As Vader talks to Luke, he can be seen holding Luke's lightsaber.

[edit] Controversy

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Many fans were displeased by some of the changes Lucas has made. It is the most evergreen topic for fan criticism of George Lucas and is the most broadly accepted as inspiring legitimate objections. Re-release changes were also the first major cause of the reactionary criticism phenomenon that takes a vehemently anti-Lucas stance, known as "Lucas bashing".

Greedo shooting at Han is particularly contentious. In the 2004 Special Edition DVD set the shots are timed to occur almost simultaneously, with Greedo's shot being just a hair faster and with Solo now effectively dodging his head out of the way from the blast. However, many argue that not only should Greedo not have made his shot, but that the scene undermines Solo's character. Han's original action marked him as a tough, independent-minded character; having him respond to Greedo makes him appear weaker, though he is still nonchalant about killing him. This change was so controversial that it spanned a movement called "Han shot first", a retort to Lucas' assertion that Greedo shot first.

There was also controversy over Lucas's decision to place Hayden Christensen in the end scene of Return of the Jedi in favor of Sebastian Shaw, as well as replacing the heavy fan favorite "Boba Fett's" voice with Temuera Morrison's (Jango Fett). Many longtime fans feel that it's disrespectful to the original trilogy, although some increasingly feel that it helps the two trilogies flow together better.

The altering of the dialogue between the Emperor and Vader has also been criticized as creating a contradiction, since it implies Vader does not realize Luke is his son until this moment, despite his being "obsessed" with finding Skywalker, mentioning him by name and pursuing him for the rest of the movie until this point. Defenders have argued that the scene is an improvement because it provides another blatant example of Vader plotting against his master by playing dumb in the face of this revelation.

Other fans especially missed the "songs" that were altered in Return of the Jedi ("Lapti Nek" and "Yub Nub"). They point out that the new music makes the Ewok's dancing and antics seem out of place (for example the "Stormtrooper Helmet drums" were beat in sync with the original music in the theatrical version). Others have argued that the new flute music and pan over shots of the planets being liberated makes a more effective end to the entire saga, rather than just a celebration of the single battle. The alteration of "Lapti Nek" into the new "Jedi Rocks" to many critics helps to undermine the serious nature and threat of Jabba the Hutt and his evil henchmen. They characterize the new sequence as "cartoonish," with overt pandering to Boba Fett "fanboys" by introducing superfluous shots of a new actor in the bounty hunter suit.

A final alteration, unique to the 2004 DVD release, is that of lightsaber discoloration. In the scene in Episode IV where Luke trains against the practice droid aboard the Millennium Falcon, his lightsaber blade is inexplicably given a faint (but distinct) green color. Also, Vader's blade, in particular, is given a "pink" hue throughout the original trilogy. Perhaps the largest infraction is a scene in which two blades are seen to pass "through" one another during the final climax of Episode VI.

Many fans hoped that Lucas would release the original versions of the original Star Wars Trilogy on DVD, alongside his newly re-edited versions. Lucasfilm have announced that these releases will finally be made available as "Limited Edition" 2-disc sets between September and December 2006.

On December 9, 2005, a new set of Star Wars original trilogy DVDs were released, also with the label "Limited Edition". However, it was merely a repackaged and discounted version of the 2004 set with no changes, and no original versions (despite packaging that some felt was misleading in that it used the original theatrical film posters, as if to imply that these were the original versions). The set was discounted in price, with the fourth (bonus) disc from the previously released 2004 set removed.

Fans and critics alike continue to speculate that Lucas will make further changes to his films (both trilogies) for inevitable subsequent releases on next generation formats like HD DVD and Blu-Ray, and a generation-after-next format whatever this may be, but this remains speculation.

Reportedly, nostalgia for the original versions of the original Star Wars Trilogy on a high quality format has driven up the demand for the Laser Disc editions of the movies released prior to 1997, as well as the proliferation of fan made DVDs, often encoded from the Laser Disc originals. How far the demand will go depends upon sales of the current "official" releases of the original versions of the classic trilogy on DVD. Some fans feel that the release is arguably an "official bootleg," offering the best Lucasfilm could have done given the constraints of over ten year old masters for another video format. Fan edit projects generally slam the release or use it as a reference to their efforts.

[edit] External links

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