The person's premise is the kind of moronic thing you hear at every forum. The way films are made today, it is no wonder people believe this. Today, effects are the substitute for story. Making an effect now is a matter of pressing some buttons. In 1976/77, they had to do actual work. I would put the special effects of New Hope and Empire Strikes Back up against anything coming out today. I happen to like the orange blob under the speeder. I think it looks like the speeder is picking up dirt and sand. It adds realism. I've never noticed the matte lines. I was to busy with the story. The saber effects and Death Star attack are not crappy. They looked great up on the big screen before Lucas changed them and they'd look great on a DVD player.