RogueLeader said:
…the planet coming into view at the same time as the ship divides our focus, whereas in the original our focus goes from moon 1, to moon 2, to Tatooine, then to Tantive IV. In Petro’s version, ship and planet enter frame simultaneously.
Yes, this exactly. It’s not just that “the original is better,” it’s that it was paced deliberately to have specific “reveals” on specific beats, and the music was composed to accentuate those specific beats.
The camera tilts down and we see a small moon. “Oh, neat, a moon,” the audience goes. The music continues to swell and then we see a larger moon. “Oh wow, this must be the planet,” the audience goes. But then the music swell continues, and the tilt continues…
And then a massive planet that won’t even fit into frame comes into view and the music punctuates the audience’s awe right at the same time.
Only then does the action start, but it’s the same - we see a ship go by, being fired at, and we think “Whoa, spaceship, wonder what’s firing at them?” And then an enormous ship fills the frame…and keeps coming…and coming…and coming.
Now, mind you, I’m trying to put everyone in the mindset of those people sitting down to see this in 1977 that had never seen anything like that. But the shot is deliberately and meticulously constructed to get exactly this type of reaction, in stages.
Update the effects themselves all you want, but the new effects should honor the meticulous design of the original, down to the pacing, especially with the music which was composed specifically to match that pacing.
