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What Special Edition changes (if any) did people like? — Page 2

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Actually, I'm going to go so far as to say that I would have preferred the 2004 remastered special editions over the originals had the following changes been omitted:

ANH
- CGI jawa and droid slapstick (not funny, serves no purpose, feels very inappropriate and out of place)
- Greedo shoots first (detracts from Han's character, original is also much better executed)
- Jabba encounter (though I'm somewhat indifferent to this, it serves no purpose, better to save Jabba for ROTJ)

ESB:
- Cloud car flyby before we see Leia in the window in Cloud City (simply CGI showoff, serves no purpose)
- "Anakin has offspring"-line (unneccessary, though other than that the new McDiarmid scene is fine, I think)
- New Boba Fett dubbing (I tend to simply disregard the PT, so I prefer the original actor)
- "Alert my star star destroyer..." (poor line, poorly delivered, "Bring my shuttle!" is simply much better)

ROTJ
- CGI celebrations from the other planets (Again, I disregard the PT, so I prefer the Endor only version, though I very very much prefer the new song over the old one)
- Shaw replaced by Christensen (atrocious, it completely ruins the very end of the trilogy for me)

I might have forgotten a couple of things, but other than that, this is pretty much telling of the fact that I'm indifferent to or even applaud the vast majority of changes Lucas decided to make to the films. Unfortunately though, due to the issues mentioned above, I still prefer the originals. I have to say though that, if Lucas someday honors the OOT with a proper release, I will be tempted to attempt to stitch together my very own special edition of the movies. If I could have the movies with the omissions listed above, then those would be my own and personal ideal versions, and I would prefer those over the OOT and the current SE.
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I loved most of the changes. The ones that I cannot stand, and try to ignore when I watch the movies are these :

1.The crap song in Jabba's palace.

2. The emperor's line about "this is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker" The line doesn't fit Vader's reaction. In the end of ROTS, he's gets so mad that he rips his restraints off the table and pops some of the droids. If Vader found out that his son was in fact alive, shouldn't he have been more, oh, I don't know, happy ? With that line, he doesn't seem like he cares too much and not really all that surprised.

3. The stupid song at the end of Return Of The Jedi. The music doesn't really fit the action. The Naboo scene would've been alright if it wasn't for the group of Gunguns (sp?) climbing all over the roof of that building.

4. Hayden Christensen inserted in the ghost scene in Return Of The Jedi. Just dumb. I don't buy him at all as an actor.

5. The Solo/Jabba scene in ANH. Kind of takes away the grossness and surprise at seeing Jabba later on.

6. Of course, the Greedo scene. Why the hell would Lucas change this so dramatically ? It was much better when Greedo didn't shoot at all. The CG that was used to make Han jerk to the side to avoid Greedo's blast was so horrible. Ugh.
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There are a few things I liked and disliked.

ANH

Liked:

1) The shots of Ben's hut and the Outrider.
2) The improved shots of the Rebel force heading for the Death Star.
3) Inserting the Biggs scene at Yavin.
4) Fixing the cell block length.

Disliked:

1) Greedo shooting first (self-explanatory)
2) Introducing the Millennium Falcon by having Jabba and his goons surrounding it. It really feels in the OUT like you're seeing things from Luke's perspective, and following him around and being awed by this massive freighter that's practically invincible. It gives the Falcon a greater presence, in my opinion.
3) Mos Eisley is a "hive of scum and villainy", not a hive of repair droids and Jawas acting slapstick on Rontos.
4) Having Han run into a crowded Stormtrooper room complete with Tie Fighter. (Look, he's getting shot at by MANY Stormtroopers! KOMEDY!!!!)

ESB

Liked:

1) Showing the Bespin residents being warned by Lando of the Imperials.
2) The improved visual effects.

Disliked:

1) Luke's scream while falling down the shaft in Cloud City. (Why scream if you're voluntarily dropping down the shaft???)
2) The "improved" Emperor scene. (Stupid, adds more continuity issues, and makes Vader look like a putz.)
3) Adding more of the Wampa. (It's scarier when you DON'T see the whole creature! Build UP the suspense!)
4) Vader going to his Star Destroyer. (Do we REALLY need to see this? It's unnecessary padding.)

ROTJ

Liked:

1) Most of the Celebration scenes at the end.

Disliked:

1) The Naboo Celebration scene. (Unneeded, forced, and just plain stupid.)
2) Anakin as a Force ghost. (Makes no sense whatsoever.)
3) New song in Jabba's Palace. (Stupid and clumsy attempt to show off the latest CG.)
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I think the one SE change that I can honestly say is really excellent is the re-introduction of the scene with Biggs and Red Leader in ANH. It would be great to see the earlier scenes on Tatooine put back in as well. It makes the previously background-less comment by Luke ("Biggs is right, I'm never going to get out of here") pay off by connecting more sturdily with the character we previously only met once the BY was under way.

Cleaning up blue screen effects shots (e.g. on Hoth), altering the perspective of the cell block corridor, etc. I don't have a big problem with. I liked the introduction of windows in the corridors of Cloud City.

I still haven't watched the 2004 SEs, just the 1997 versions. The one thing I thought would have been done in 1997 and wasn't was putting Ian McDiarmid in ESB. I think it provides some nice continuity between ESB and ROTJ. But I fail to see why the script needed to be altered.

I regard all the other changes as surplus to requirements.
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Probably everything here has been said before, but I'd still like to give my thoughts =)

Did Like:
IV
*canyon behind Artoo and cliff-canyon overlooking Mos Eisley
*ring-around-the-toilet-bowl-planet-explosions
*2004 twin sunset, not 1997 version or 1993 version
*troopers and Dewbacks scouting the desert
*Millenium Falcon escaping from Mos Eisley
*Vader's red lightsaber as the blast doors are closing
*scout in the Yavin forest pointing at the Falcon as it approaches the Yavin Base
*X-Wings departing the Yavin Base over the trees
*added scene with Biggs before the big fight
*real people at the celebration
V
*no more transparent snowspeeder cockpits
*better looking Slave I following Falcon in the trash
*all the windows in Cloud City
*mixed feelings for the other added CGI outside Cloud City
VI
*absolutely nothing - IMO the original of ROTJ is the absolute best it could have been


Did Not Like:
IV
*new Sandcrawlers rolling across the desert
*Obi Wan's new house
*all the cartoon CGI at Mos Eisley, especially the droids punching eachother
*no more Wolfman in the Cantina
*Greedo shoots first
*1997 and 2004 scene with Jaba - both terrible CGI and waste of film time
*Han runs into an entire fleet of Stormtroopers
*blinking Dianoga in the trash compactor for 2004
*the Falcon flies to the side of the planet approaching Yavin IV, not under it
*all added X-Wing sequences except the initial departure from Yavin Base
V
*Wampa eating a bloody chicken-leg
*holo-Emperor-image AND voiceover dialog
*added snakes and reptiles on Dagobah
*Vader gets in his shuttle and flies to the Executor after his fight with Luke
VI
*the cartoon music video in Jaba's Palace
*Grandma Oola screaming
*the Sarlacc-Fly-Trap with radar/motion/sonar-detection-tentacles
*Obi-Wan's ghost is blindingly bright, like a "small moon"
*the removal of Anakin's eyebrows, the only piece of manhood he still had left
*the entire ending sequence, including Hayden, the music, the cartoon cities, the extra fireworks


*edit*
But hey, at least the scene in VI when Han gropes Leia after she gets shot is still there, so it's not all bad. Way to get her when she's down, Han, way to go.
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I don't think anyone could be suprised to see what Jabba looks like at this point. Maybe in 87, but Jabba is a culture icon now. Even people who don't watch these all the time know what he looks like. So seeing him in Episode 1 and 4 don't seem to kill anything.
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I prefer the new song in the end of ROTJ to "Yub Nub;" it was much more dramatic, but I hate the other celebration scenes mixed in. I mean, how the hell did word travel that fast? And even so, the planets they chose to be celebrating were stupid.

Another change I like is the added stormtroopers in ANH when Han is chasing them down the corridor. He sees just a few in the original and runs, not making sense, and then sees a shitload of them in the special edition and it makes sense why he flees. That was the best addition by far.

And things like the skyline on cloud city, those are nice.
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Originally posted by: iamstillhiro1112
I don't think anyone could be suprised to see what Jabba looks like at this point. Maybe in 87, but Jabba is a culture icon now. Even people who don't watch these all the time know what he looks like. So seeing him in Episode 1 and 4 don't seem to kill anything.


Yeah, especially since you wouldn't watch Episode I until after the original trilogy anyway.

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Originally posted by: iamstillhiro1112
I don't think anyone could be suprised to see what Jabba looks like at this point. Maybe in 87, but Jabba is a culture icon now. Even people who don't watch these all the time know what he looks like. So seeing him in Episode 1 and 4 don't seem to kill anything.



I really dislike the added Jabba scene in the SE, and not only for the obvious and poorly executed CGI either.

In my opinion Han would have managed to get off Tatooine WAY before Jabba even got the chance to catch up with him.

In fact, I don't think Han would be careless enough to leave any trails to allow Jabba to discover where the Falcon was docked.
Han was better than that!

Just another thing to mess up Han's character, and is right up there with the 'Greedo shoots' scene for me!

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I hate every last little thing about that stupid fucking Jabba scene in Star Wars. The CGI is god awful, the Huttese dialouge sound terrible, etc. Why would they have that scene anyway? It's too redundant. We'd just heard all that from Greedo. Plus, Jabba really wasn't supposed to be introduced until Return of the Jedi. It had the suspense bulding. I loved how Jabba was just a charecter of reputation, and that although we never saw him he was a constant evil presence for Han.
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Yes, the CG Jabba is not executed at all well. But the character of Jabba that appeared in that deleted scene from SW was a different character to the Jabba in ROTJ anyway.

The Jabba of ROTJ was not the sort of creature that would turn up in the heat and bustle of Mos Eisley to collar a smuggler when he had already sent out a bunch of hired guns to deliver his message. The Jabba of ROTJ was so fat that I doubt he went anywhere under his own steam anyway. He certainly wouldn't have put up with anyone being so disrespectful of him as Solo is in that scene. The dialogue is off as well, I think. The Jabba in that scene doesn't speak in the same way as the Jabba in ROTJ.

The scene should have been left out, I think.
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Totally agree there! Jabba would have sent his henchmen to do his 'dirty work' for him.
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I felt ANH SE was really well done. ESB SE was great except for Vader's line being changed from an angry, demonic "bring my shuttle!" to a brooding "alert my star destroyer to prepare for my arrival." Also Luke's screaming as he falls down was not needed.

My only real gripe with the SE was in ROTJ when they replaced Lakti Nek with the infamous Jedi Rocks scene. It really detracted from the movie experience and quite frankly didn't fit with the rest of the movie or the trilogy as a whole.
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I like most changes. What I really dislike is the new Han & Jabba scene in ANH because it doesn't fit into the movie. Not because the digital Jabba is bad, its just the harsh break in the way the story is told. Another thing is the Han shoots second scene, or at the same time on the DVD. Han Solo doesn't wait to get into trouble, he is the trouble! After that I really dislike the magical musical in JEDI. That scene doesn't fit into that movie! It's like the genre switched for a moment.

All the other Changes are really okay for me. Well, there was no real need for that scenes but they are okay since they are. I specially like the new sound when the stormtrooper hits the door in ANH. That's a scene you can show people who have seen this movie at least ten times and they still haven't noticed, even with the sound on the DVD.

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Originally posted by: Darth_Evil
I prefer the new song in the end of ROTJ to "Yub Nub;" it was much more dramatic ... Dramatic? It's syrupy and schmaltzy, I think. At least "Yub Nub" sounded like music that could be made by a primitive tribe of Ewoks. It also blended very satisfyingly with the music for the credits.Originally posted by: Darth_Evil
Another change I like is the added stormtroopers in ANH when Han is chasing them down the corridor. He sees just a few in the original and runs, not making sense, and then sees a shitload of them in the special edition and it makes sense why he flees. That was the best addition by far.
The Stormtroopers stopped because they reached a dead end! That was why Solo turned and ran. There was just the one of him and several Stormtroopers and nowhere to go except back. How does that not make sense?
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The only change that makes me mad is this i dont understand how Lucas cant make a blue lightsaber for Luke in A New Hope when he is training on his way to Alderan its like green who wants to see that crap we want to see a bright blue lightsaber like Anakins in Revenge Of The Sith i just dont get it? Lucas can do great this with the prequel trilogy but can make a blue lightsaber for Luke in the special edition trilogy even were its suppost to be better than the original trilogy i just dont get it? But other than that i like all the changes in the special edition trilogy besides the green Luke lightsaber in A New Hope........
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I will always prefer the original versions but I wouldnt have had a problem with his version of the SE if he just kept it to updating the special effects and the visuals eg expanded Mos Eisley without the slapstick opening up of Bespin etc, that part of the SE I do like, but what I am not keen on at all in his SE is where he has altered and erased the performances of the actors that you have got used to and like for god knows how many years except maybe The Emperor for continuty which is maybe understandable and scenes like the Shuttle landing which I feel alters the pace of the movie, this is why I like to see the fan versions eg ADMs DEs etc. along side the original versions.
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Hi. I'm slowly getting the three laserdisc rips, only have SW now, but I was shocked, after having watched the SEs for some time, to see SW as what I remember in the theatre (or at least close to it).

After watching the laserdisc rip, the SE version started looking a whole lot worse. I do appreciate some FX updates, like dealing with matte lines as well as cleanup efforts. But wholesale replacement of scenes just really bugs me. In my view is a slap in the face to the creative teams originally responsible for what were then cutting edge effects, and there wasn't a thing wrong with the scenes...I mean ticket sales didn't plummet because there was a missing ywing during a scene change or something like that. And in the theatre, in 77, the audience cheered when the Death Star blew up, they didn't go "boo, that explosion doesn't have a shock wave!"... The scenes of the Stormtroopers at the pod crashsite and scenes of Mos Eisley were beautifully minimal, Kurosawa-ish (whether by intent or budget isn't relevant...they made them work) but filling them up with annoying CG crap killed that aesthetic. I could go on and on but I'll stop.

May the midichlorians be with you.

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Originally posted by: hanakin
Probably everything here has been said before, but I'd still like to give my thoughts =)
*edit*
But hey, at least the scene in VI when Han gropes Leia after she gets shot is still there, so it's not all bad. Way to get her when she's down, Han, way to go.

Well considering they took out "Han shoots first" they needed to show Han was still rough around the edges.
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Originally posted by: kaine23
Originally posted by: hanakin
Probably everything here has been said before, but I'd still like to give my thoughts =)
*edit*
But hey, at least the scene in VI when Han gropes Leia after she gets shot is still there, so it's not all bad. Way to get her when she's down, Han, way to go.

Well considering they took out "Han shoots first" they needed to show Han was still rough around the edges.


Ha ha ha.

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I hated every change made except:

1. wider views of cloud city

2. the cell block perspective

3. Kenobi's home

4. ropes around Han's feet

Every other change is a detriment to me, besides the cleaning up of the transfer and improvement of saber color.
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None of them really. A couple of Death Star battle shots from Ep. IV but the quality of those shots were so inconsistent with the original footage that it was more annoying to watch than anything else. Also scenes in Ep. IV that SHOULD'VE been changed weren't, e.g., Ties chasing Rebs in the trenches. One moment Ties but no Rebs, next moment Ties fire and Rebs just ahead explode to kingdom come. I also hate the remastered look of the SEs. They look nothing like the films from their runs during the late 70s - early 80s. The contrast levels are nice but overall it's just so damn revisionist.
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None of the changes belonged. Its a seventies movie. Let it be a seventies movie. All those little quirks it had make it the epidemy of a classic. The cardboard audience in the end of SW is a perfect example. It isn't state of the art now, and looks corny if you judge it by today's standards, but it makes it feel like a true classic through and through.
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While I still much prefer the original versions, as per thread title, changes that I liked:

ANH
Jawa Sandcrawler.
Less vaseline under the landspeeder.
Spaceships in far distance over Mos Eisley.
The animated Dewback outside the Cantina.
Falcon leaving Mos Eisley and arriving at Yavin 4.


TESB
Wampa.
Hoth mattes.
Bespin windows.
When Luke is picked up from under Bespin Cloud City, when the Falcon's hatch opened, light was pouring in when viewed from inside, yet pouring out when viewed from outside (always bothered me), extra hatch added to explain this.

ROTJ
Nothing.