I picked up the 2006 editions of the original trilogy in a second hand store a few months ago, and just watched the GOUT version of A New Hope. Since I’ve been a member on here for a while, it might be a surprise that this was my first time properly watching any of the movies in their original versions.
I grew up with the 2004 edition of ANH, which is what made me a fan (that, and Angry Birds Star Wars… in the midst of a good number of people who were seated in cinemas back in 1977, I’ve really felt the generational difference) and while I’ve been interested in the SE changes and the ethics of film preservation, vfx authorship etc for some time, I never actually sat down and watched the OOT in full before now.
My issues with George replacing the original films and the work of talented special effects artists will always remain the same. But I have to say this viewing has cemented the 2004 Special Edition as the version of the film I know and love, the same way many are nostalgic for the original version they watched on release. It’s occasionally jarring to expect a noise, a line of dialogue, or a completely different shot from a scene and be abruptly reminded that it’s not there. It’s like I felt the frustration that many older fans felt watching the altered editions, but in reverse. And at the same time, I know if this was the first time I was watching the movie, I probably wouldn’t think of anything as awkward or outdated in the same way; nothing would seem out of place. I think if you’ve ever watched something and fallen in love with it, any differences upon a rewatch, whether good or bad, will just seem intrusive and wrong.
A few other observations: Vader’s voice seemed more distorted in this version and it helped lend even more of a sinister robotic quality to him than I’m used to. Previously, the addition of more aliens or creatures in the Mos Eisley streets might have seemed justifiable, but I think Andor has changed the way I feel about ‘too many humans’ in Star Wars (i.e: I don’t care). I think there’s a fine balance to strike: the world should feel familiar, and only tinged with strangeness - veering directly into the alien and other-worldly should be saved for special moments. Strangest of all, I actually kind of missed the Jabba scene - redundant, yes, but I like exploring more of the criminal world of Mos Eisley, and I think the fade transitions and abrupt change in music in the scene’s absence derail my immersion more than any questionable Jabba CGI does.
Sorry for the long and rambling post, but hopefully some of you might find my first impressions of the OOT interesting.