Which did you prefer, the SE or the 2004 DVD edition? — Page 4

For some reason the the '97 versions seem more...uh..."natural". I mean CG Jabba sucked, but at the time, the Special Editions were more of a commemorative thing than a revisionist one.

EDIT: Damn, this thred is OLD.

The Jabba scene was better on the 2004 release but it is still redundant all the information it conveys is already there in the original Han in the Cantina scene.

I don't know which is worse the Greedo scene shooting in the 1997 or 2004 but wish it was put back to its original form from 1997, okay maybe they could have added a greedo in a reshoot that looks less fake.  Still Han should be the only one who shoots.

Jedi 2004 was the worst to me Jar Jar and Hayden.

Empire was no better either replacing the better original emperor and the better original Boba Fett's voice, better vader dialogue between the emperor and vader in the 1980 release.

There are some changes, fixes and augments of effects i can undertstand but 90% of the changes just seem unesscessary in my honest opinion.  It was a testbed really for the prequels in 1997 and that is the only reason playstation one era video game effects made their way into the movies.  The 2004 release was another not necessary joke of an edit to try and fix those Continuity errors Lucas made with the prequels and there are still things he did not address.  But ruining perfectly good films to fix terrible to mediocre films is a crime against taste and filmaking in general.

There is also an error i believe in revisiting one's younger works be it as a filmaker or novelist and trying to "fix them"  instead of Moving on and making new things for the world to enjoy.  In fact the unspoken belief amongst average joes is that Lucas has some bizarre compulsion to make his films perfect.  They never are complete or good films to him, yet he butchers them when he already had an audience that loved them just they whey they were. 

To me more power to Lucas he can do fifty edits for all i care as long as the original versions are available in good quality up to todays standards.  It is kinda childish to force people to watch a version of the movie they love and turn it into hate instead of giving them the version they saw growing up. 

Those who grow up with the 1997 and 2004 should have those preserved as well. but the 1970's and 1980's versions should be preserved for all time as well.

Just think of the money Lucas is throwing away by not having a Blu Ray boxset with the 2004 versions and 1997 versions in 1080P and the originals in restored at 4k for live action and 6 k for the vistavision processed effects, then mastered down to 1080p.

And of course he could release just the originals seperately restored on dvd and blu ray for those of us who will never spend a dime on the versions we don't want or already have many times over in our collections.

Wow this hate the special editions is twelve years in the making,lol.  Seriously those who have wasted their lives wiating for a restored oot should just accept the gout and move on?  that is pretty much what has happened for me.  Still lampooning the general weird love/hate relationship people have of this once great film franchise its creator and companies is a little too much fun.

ANH: 1997 version, because the 2004 version royally screwed up the audio.

ESB: 2004 version, because Luke doesn't scream as he falls

RotJ: 1997 Version, for obvious reasons. 

Jedikev said:Which did you like?

What an odd choice of words.  Sorta like, "which do you like, being hacked by an axe or burned in a fire?"

Puggo - Jar Jar's Yoda said:

Jedikev said:Which did you like?

What an odd choice of words.  Sorta like, "which do you like, being hacked by an axe or burned in a fire?"

I'd prefer being hacked up with an Axe - It hurts a lot less.

....err....not that I've ever done it, or anything like that..***tries to look innocent***

I first experienced Star wars in 1997. Thse are treasured memories for me. While I do not agree with all of the changes, they are understandable. The 2004 dvds are an abomination. They are garishly overdone, and their only redeeming quality is the fantastic Lowry digital restoration-couldn't they have been given acess to the original masters? For me it goes:

97 ANH (Although I now prefer the theatrical)

97 Empire (Long live the real Boba Fett!)

97 Jedi (100% Hayden free!)