negative1 said:

but all the new effects/scenes/and changes jumped out pretty heavily
to me in adywans cut of ANH (and i'm still pretty much in the purist camp)..

so, i'm not sure where you're coming from...maybe that's why people
are debating additions etc..

-1,

I think you misunderstood me.

Looking at the film as a whole (ANH), the GOUT version looks consistent throughout. Nothing jumps out as odd since this is the original cut and what people are used to.

Looking at ANH-SE, the added Jabba scene as well as additions of robots and CGI characters where there were none before jump out and scream "This is new! Check me out!" It's especially noticeable to fans, but even casual observers would notice the changes.

Onto ANHR, any additional FX work will jump out as new and different to fans who have seen the film numerous times. Casual observers would most likely not notice anything that seems out of place. As a whole, the new edit flows and blends seamlessly between the original work and the enhancements. With all the garbage mattes phased out, new additions don't look like they don't belong. There's a certain polish to the whole product that makes it look like all elements are from the same time period. This can't be said of the official SE's as so many little things were left alone and broken to an extent, causing the new, pristine FX work to stick out.

What I'm talking about are all the little things that were added/corrected. New displays, repainted lasers/lightsabers, repaired jump cuts, better planet images, etc. These all add up and enhance what is already there and when taken in together, make the entire film feel modern while maintaining the spirit of the original. Sure, as a fan, I know when major things have been altered but that's just in the nature of knowing these films inside and out.

When friends and family saw the SE's they commented on what they perceived as new effects. With ANHR, they enjoyed it thoroughly, and weren't even aware of the sheer magnitude of what changed. I think that's the best compliment out there on Ady's work. Everything gels so completely that a casual fan can enjoy the film and not necessarily know that hundred of shots were changed.

When I talk of doing the FX the 'wrong way', I'm referring to sticking some CGI in a scene that had none and doing nothing the surrounding frame. To me, that sticks out and is just distracting. Subtle (and not so subtle) changes in context will be perceived, but if done 'right' won't detract from the viewing experience. This is what Ady has accomplished with ANHR and will most likely achieve with ESBR.