Besides, half the SE changes are cool. That giant half buried ship that’s at a 70 degree angle in Mos Eisley is cool.
Also, the restoration of that one Biggs scene towards the end (gotta love Biggs).If only Lucas had thought to reincorporate the earlier Biggs scenes along with it. Then its inclusion might work instead of feeling tacked on and incongruous.
How does it feel tacked on? If anything it makes the Trench run part flow more smoothly by fixing up the Biggs/Wedge nonsense.
It’s also just a nice little moment in itself, since Luke talks about Biggs on Tatooine, even in the final cut.His introduction so late into the proceedings without any lead-up feels nothing short of abrupt. Plus it’s just more unnecessary universe-shrinkage.
And Luke flying with Biggs without any conversation doesn’t feel abrupt? He was going on and on about Biggs earlier in the film and then we meet him and there is nothing. Incidently, Biggs talking to Luke is implied in the original cut because Biggs leaves Luke at the base of the X-wing ladder in every single version. That was the best edit to ANH for the SE.
There are, what, two throwaway mentions of Biggs in the theatrical version? That’s hardly “going on and on about Biggs”. And I never even realized Red Three was supposed to be the same character as Biggs until I started getting into the reference material.
Biggs: “Luke, pull up. Are you all right?”
Luke: “I got a little cooked, but I’m okay.”
Luke: “Biggs, you picked up one up. Watch it.”
Biggs: “I can’t see him. He’s on me tight, I can’t shake him.”
Luke: “I’ll be right there.”
Luke: “Blast it Biggs, where are you?”
Luke: “Biggs, Wedge, let’s close it up. We’re going in, we’re going in full throttle. That ought to keep those fighters off our backs.”
Wedge: “Right with you boss.”
Biggs: “Luke, at that speed will we be able to pull out in time?”
Luke: “Just like Beggar’s Canyon back home.”
Are you seriously trying to say that with all the original 1977 dialog that you didn’t realize that was his friend from Tatooine? Seriously? It seems pretty obvious - no reference materials needed. I’ll give you the mentions of Biggs on the Lars homestead are throw away, but the dialog between them during the battle makes it pretty damn clear.