From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Feb 10 16:57:13 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news00.sunet.se!sunic!mn6.swip.net!plug.news.pipex.net!pipex!lade.news.pipex.net!pipex!dish.news.pipex.net!pipex!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!bowl.news.pipex.net!pipex!pipex-sa.net!iafrica.com!uct.uni.net.za!csir.uni.net.za!wits.uni.net.za!howland.erols.net!feed1.news.erols.com!worldnet.att.net!cbgw2.lucent.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: berardin@bc.cybernex.net (James Berardinelli) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) (1997) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 27 Jan 1997 20:37:50 GMT Organization: - Lines: 153 Sender: eleeper@lucent.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: eleeper@lucent.com Message-ID: <5cj3mu$2dr@nntpa.cb.lucent.com> Reply-To: berardin@bc.cybernex.net (James Berardinelli) NNTP-Posting-Host: mtvoyager.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #06782 Keywords: author=Berardinelli Originator: ecl@mtvoyager Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:6194 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1198 STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) A film review by James Berardinelli Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli RATING (0 TO 10): 9.0 Alternative Scale: **** out of **** United States, 1997 (original 1977) Release date: 5/25/77 (wide) Special Edition Release date: 1/31/97 (wide) Running Length (special edition): 2:09 MPAA Classification: PG (Mild violence) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, voice of James Earl Jones Director: George Lucas Producer: Gary Kurtz Screenplay: George Lucas Cinematography: Gilbert Taylor Music: John Williams U.S. Distributor: 20th Century Fox When one examines the roster of the tens of thousands of motion pictures produced since the late 1800s, not many stand out as trailblazers. One of the few inarguable members of that select cadre is George Lucas' soaring 1977 space opera, STAR WARS (or, as it has since become known, STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE). Not only is this film a rousing adventure, but, upon its initial release, it revived science fiction as a viable movie medium, and, most importantly, began a special effects revolution that is still going on. Industrial Lights and Magic, the premiere special effects house of the '80s and '90s, was born as a result of STAR WARS, and its manifest contributions to the industry have included everything from making the Starship Enterprise fly to breathing life into the dinosaurs of JURASSIC PARK. It's impossible to estimate the full ramifications of STAR WARS, but that single movie has surely influenced much about the making and marketing of motion pictures over the last two decades. When STAR WARS was first released on the Wednesday before Memorial Day in 1977, it arrived in theaters with good reviews and excellent advance word. It didn't take long for it to become a phenomenon (although, admittedly, 1997's publicity for the SPECIAL EDITION dwarves that of the original 1977 release). It was a true family film -- perfect for kids and parents, a throwback to the space serials of the past and a look ahead to what the future might hold. Adults appreciated Lucas' masterful, magical movie-making. Children loved all the strange creatures. Suddenly, STAR WARS was everywhere; there were bed sheets, lunch boxes, trading cards, action figures, comic books, picture books, posters, records, and just about anything else you could imagine. The STAR WARS fad, such as it was, lasted into the early '80s, and the original film received two additional theatrical runs. Then it was on to the small screen. But watching the movie on videotape, which has been the exclusive viewing experience of just about anyone under the age of twenty, isn't the same as seeing it in a packed theater. Now, however, with the advent of the original movie's twentieth anniversary and the promise of new films in another two years, STAR WARS is as hot as it has ever been. Those predicting anything less than a financial windfall for the SPECIAL EDITION don't have the world's pulse. Every year, a handful of movies are re-released to commemorate an anniversary. All of these feature new, clean prints. Some have re- mixed soundtracks. A few, such as LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, VERTIGO, and THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG, have been painstakingly restored. But Lucas wanted more than this for STAR WARS. He didn't just want to re-create the original theatrical experience, he wanted to improve upon it. So, in addition to cleaning up the print and re-mixing the soundtrack into a digital format, he has used state-of-the-art special effects to change the film's look. This includes adding more than four minutes of never- before-seen footage. And, while the new scenes don't appreciably improve the movie, they're fun to see, especially for anyone who has memorized every detail from the original. More importantly, although the newer, flashier effects subtly alter the STAR WARS experience, they do not degrade it. By now, the heroes -- Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), C-3P0 (Anthony Daniels), and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) -- are household names. Equally well-known are the villains -- Governor Tarkin (Peter Cushing) and, of course, the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader (David Prowse; voice courtesy of the inimitable James Earl Jones). These characters, familiar types with enough unique personality traits to brand them as individuals, have become so universally recognized that the mere mention of their names almost anywhere in the world will spur a reaction. Another thing that's instantly recognizable about STAR WARS is its music. When George Lucas first approached John Williams for an epic score, little did he imagine that the result would sell millions of copies and spawn a disco-era radio hit. Few motion picture themes are as well-known and often-played as that of STAR WARS. Even the music from E.T., the current highest-grossing film, doesn't leap as readily to mind. Williams' evocative, grandiose score provides the perfect compliment to the STAR WARS visual experience. At its heart, STAR WARS is about Luke's quest to join the battle against evil. He doesn't want to be just another bystander while the struggle for freedom goes on all around him -- he wants to be a participant. And, when two droids carrying a secret message from a beautiful rebel princess fall into his hands, his chance arrives. Amidst of the dunes of Luke's home planet of Tatooine, the young man meets the aging Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who teaches of the mysterious Force, a mystical energy field that binds together all things in the universe. Obi-Wan convinces Luke to join the droids and him on a mission to rescue the princess. Accompanied by a cynical smuggler, Han Solo, and his first mate, the hairy Chewbacca, the odd little group blasts off into space, agents of the corrupt Galactic Empire in pursuit. Their destination: the dreaded Imperial Death Star, a confrontation with the evil Darth Vader, and motion picture immortality. STAR WARS borrows from numerous sources, but the most obvious inspirations are the serialized adventures of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, Arthurian legends, Greek mythology, and Akira Kurosawa's THE HIDDEN FORTRESS. There are also multiple nods to Westerns and the dogfights of World War II movies. But, like all great craftsmen, Lucas has managed to fashion this material in a manner that not only honors the original sources, but makes it uniquely his own. Hacks rip off other movies; artists synthesize and pay homage to their inspirations. Compare INDEPENDENCE DAY to STAR WARS and the difference will become apparent. During its original period of theatrical release, STAR WARS' special effects were described as everything from "eye popping" to "mind blowing". And, indeed, for their time, they were. (Keep in mind that KING KONG's rather cheesy visuals had won the Academy Award just two months before STAR WARS was released.) In fact, they're not bad even by today's standards. But "not bad" wasn't good enough for Lucas, and his vision of what they should have been fills the screen in the SPECIAL EDITION. This is most notable during three key sequences: Luke and Ben's entry into the city of Mos Eisley, Han's heretofore unseen hanger bay meeting with Jabba the Hut, and the final attack on the Death Star. However, in scenes both with and without effects improvements, STAR WARS is just as compelling and invigorating a movie experience today as it was when it first came out, and the new stuff blends in seamlessly with the old. Since 1977, there have been many science fiction movies, but none has managed to equal STAR WARS' blend of adventure, likable characters, and epic storytelling. Like some indefatigable King of the Hill, it stands alone and triumphant, regardless of the many imitators that assail its position. As is true of CITIZEN KANE, CASABLANCA, and GONE WITH THE WIND, STAR WARS will endure long after its creators are gone. And watching this new edition today is like coming home after a long journey and finding everything just as you remember it -- if not better. - James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Feb 10 16:57:45 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!solace!mn6.swip.net!plug.news.pipex.net!pipex!lade.news.pipex.net!pipex!dish.news.pipex.net!pipex!pipex-sa.net!iafrica.com!uct.uni.net.za!ru.uni.net.za!wits.uni.net.za!howland.erols.net!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!worldnet.att.net!cbgw2.lucent.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: syegul@ix.netcom.com (Serdar Yegulalp) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) (1997) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 3 Feb 1997 14:45:41 GMT Organization: Jackie Chan's Kung Fu Process Servers Lines: 80 Sender: eleeper@lucent.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: eleeper@lucent.com Message-ID: <5d4tml$1ch@nntpa.cb.lucent.com> Reply-To: syegul@ix.netcom.com (Serdar Yegulalp) NNTP-Posting-Host: mthost1.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #06826 Keywords: author=Yegulalp Originator: ecl@mthost1 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:6225 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1199 STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) A film review by Serdar Yegulalp Copyright 1997 Serdar Yegulalp CAPSULE: Go. Now. What a movie this is! STAR WARS did for the movies what Elvis Presley did for popular music: broadened its scope, intensified its appeal, caused a shattering impact on public consciousness. For every American under thirty and a good many over thirty, STAR WARS stood as *the* cultural landmark (aside from maybe "Star Trek" and Madonna) in its time. What is most astonishing, twenty years later, is that STAR WARS has not aged one bit. It has the same romantic sweep and unabashed audience-rocking joy that made it stand out like a boulder amongst grains of sand. Audiences in the Seventies were getting fed up with anti-heroes and unpleasantness for its own sake; they still had a thirst for heroes, for a real sense of good guys 'n bad guys. STAR WARS slaked that thirst, but by playing straight and sweet rather than stupid. Aside from being possibly the ultimate movie experience -- emotional and visceral -- this time, STAR WARS surprised me with how subtle a good deal of it is, something I attribute to seeing the movie after what feels like a whole other lifetime of experience. Many of the movie's best moments are sub-verbal and even subliminal. When Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi (the inimitable Alec Guinness, in a role he at first refused to take) presents Luke Skywalker (Mark Hammill) with his father's lightsaber, Luke turns it on without even being told how. Such is destiny. And when Ben perks up at the mention of the name Obi-Wan, and Luke asks him "Is he dead?", Ben looks sidelong and says, "Oh, he's not dead. Not yet," in a way that forebodes everything and nothing. Han Solo (Harrison Ford, looking impossibly young) is another character who's easy to misread as a stereotype. Look carefully at the scene between him and Luke before the attack on the Death Star. Han does not sound like he's convinced of his own greed; he sounds angry and recriminative, and his parting line to Luke -- "May the Force be with you" -- tells us that his thoughts and his actions, and his heart, are very deeply divided indeed. The relationship with Leia (Carrie Fisher) is divded between bickering and backslapping, but it's the germ of the developments to come between them in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. (Another thing that comes to mind on watching the movie is how well it fits in as part of a larger whole. We learn just enough to know there is a larger story, and sidelong references get spun out into a great deal more in the succeeding movies.) There has been a good deal, both good and bad, written about the way the movie has been reworked. For the most part, the changes are positive -- they didn't change anything that wasn't broken to begin with, so to speak. I will not ruin any surprises (of which there are more than a few), but I will say that the best scenes, the ones that worked as is, are all still the same: The lightsaber duel. The chess game. The 'droid scrapheap. All of these touches were technology in the service of a carefully deployed story. In a couple of places, there have been changes to more thoroughly evoke an atmopshere (the changes to Mos Eiseley are jawdropping and nicely done), or to replace an effect which didn't work as well the first time (the ships leaving from the rebel base to attack the Death Star). In many cases, they left in things that were just pure craftsmanship. The now-primitive computer animation used to render the Death Star attack plans, for instance, were considered state-of-the-art then, and were more or less designed by hand. They were a labor of love for those who created them, and updating them would have been pointless; hence, they have been left intact. Also untouched: a good deal of the modelwork, which was groundbreaking then and still terrifically exciting now, probably because we *care* about what's happening to these people. It's not just another sound-and-light show. This is the real reason this movie commands such joyful respect. In a way which is still unique and unmatched, George Lucas put together a high-tech fireside to tell us a hell of a story. And it is still a hell of a story. Four out of four lightsabers. ____________________________________________________________________________ syegul@ix.netcom.com EFNet IRC: GinRei http://serdar.home.ml.org another worldly device... ____________________________________________________________________________ From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Feb 10 16:59:48 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!solace!nntp.uio.no!newsfeeds.sol.net!news.maxwell.syr.edu!worldnet.att.net!cbgw2.lucent.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: srenshaw@leland.stanford.edu (Scott Renshaw) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews,rec.arts.movies.current-films Subject: REVIEW: STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) (1997) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.reviews Date: 3 Feb 1997 15:00:38 GMT Organization: Stanford University Lines: 101 Sender: eleeper@lucent.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: eleeper@lucent.com Message-ID: <5d4uim$1hc@nntpa.cb.lucent.com> Reply-To: srenshaw@leland.stanford.edu (Scott Renshaw) NNTP-Posting-Host: mthost1.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #06829 Keywords: author=Renshaw Originator: ecl@mthost1 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:6226 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1200 rec.arts.movies.current-films:91149 STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) A film review by Scott Renshaw Copyright 1997 Scott Renshaw (20th Century Fox) Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness. Screenplay: George Lucas. Producers: Gary Kurtz. Director: George Lucas. MPAA Rating: PG (violence) Running Time: 125 minutes. Reviewed by Scott Renshaw. The impact of STAR WARS on those who are writing about movies today can be measured by the number of reviews or articles of the past few months which began as follows: "I was x years old in 1977..." The release of George Lucas' seminal blockbuster 20 years ago was the kind of happening which affected a generation of movie-goers, and I include myself in that generation. I was 10 years old in 1977, and when you were 10 years old in 1977 you were not judged by whether you had seen STAR WARS; you were judged by how many _times_ you had seen STAR WARS. It awed us, it delighted us...and yes, hyperbolic though it might seem to say so, it changed us. As much as it changed the people who watched movies, however, it changed the people who made movies even more. Hollywood heads were sent spinning by the success of STAR WARS, a film with no stars, a simplistic story-line out of old Westerns and some nifty special effects. It was not long before studio executives realized that two fundamental lessons of STAR WARS could be translated to other films: 1) If you made a special effects-laden adventure with a modicum of skill and dropped it into your summer release schedule, when young potential movie-goers had summer job money burning holes in their pockets, they would come and come again, story be damned; 2) One successful film could turn into one or two more, plus action figures, lunchboxes and T-shirts (the twin goddesses of Franchising and Merchandising). And thus STAR WARS begat the "event film," which begat BATMAN, which begat TWISTER and INDEPENDENCE DAY. And they slew the medium-budget film, and there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. You can't really blame Lucas for what has happened to American film-making, though, because there is no way he intended for crass commercial concerns to become so dominant. There is no way STAR WARS could have worked if he _had_ had such an intention. Lost in all the ink spilled with references to Joseph Campbell, back-brain mythopoetics and anti-technological humanism is the fact that STAR WARS was not a great movie. The most surprising thing a viewer might find in the SPECIAL EDITION has nothing to do with with the dozens of critters tossed into the backgrounds, but rather how restless he might get waiting through the first half. For nearly an hour, STAR WARS is characterized by the fussy quarrelsomeness of C-3P0 (Anthony Daniels), the intergalactic Leo Buscaglia sermonizing of Ben Kenobi (Alec Guinness) and the laughably petulant plea by Luke (Mark Hamill) to "go to Tashi Station and pick up some power converters. STAR WARS wasn't a great movie; it was, however, an extraordinary movie-going experience. You sat in a theater with a few hundred other people and for two hours you were utterly transported, because it was innocent in a way no film can ever be innocent again. You felt as though you were part of something joyous, a celebration of cinema as fantasy and a celebration of good triumphing over evil. In an era when you can see the veins bulging on big-budget action films as they strain to impress you, STAR WARS was effortless in its enchantment. That movie-going experience is what this re-release is all about. The difference between STAR WARS on the big screen and STAR WARS on the small screen is the difference between Mount Rushmore and a picture of Mount Rushmore, between Wagner on a cassette deck and Wagner played by a symphony orchestra. If there is an element of not-inconsequential element of nostalgia in the way crowds will flock to this re-release, that is understandable; many will be hoping to re-capture a youthful moment when they fell in love with movies for the first time. STAR WARS: SPECIAL EDITION may end up disappointing those who come to it as though on a pilgrimage, but the dazzling editing of the climactic trench run will certainly remind anyone who has seen what passes for a "spectacular" in the last few years how exciting a science-fiction adventure film can be. There has been some consternation over the idea of Lucas fiddling with such a cherished film, but frankly, I don't understand all the fuss. This isn't a case of someone whose only connection with a film is ownership of its rights deciding to colorize it; this is a director's attempt to realize the vision he always had for his film, a fairly common practice in an era of "Director's Cut" video and laserdisc releases. Some of the new additions are merely window dressing, including Han Solo's (Harrison Ford) encounter with Jabba the Hutt; others, like a scene between Luke and his friend Biggs (Garrick Hagon) help set up later scenes more effectively. But if anything Lucas has done threatens someone's memories of a first experience of STAR WARS, I can only suggest that the experience couldn't have been terribly profound. In terms of the details, this is a different STAR WARS, but it is the spirit of this story which has moved people for twenty years. Now they have the opportunity to come once again -- some with their children -- and visit that galazy far, far away. On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 shooting stars: 9. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit Scott Renshaw's MoviePage http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~srenshaw Subscribe to receive reviews directly via email See details on the MoviePage --------------------------------------------------------------------------- From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Feb 10 17:00:29 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!solace!nntp.uio.no!www.nntp.primenet.com!nntp.primenet.com!newsxfer3.itd.umich.edu!howland.erols.net!math.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!lll-winken.llnl.gov!fnnews.fnal.gov!cbgw1.lucent.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: yamash01@dons.ac.usfca.edu (Yamamoto) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) (1997) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 3 Feb 1997 15:29:38 GMT Organization: I need to put my ORGANIZATION here. Lines: 52 Sender: eleeper@lucent.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: eleeper@lucent.com Message-ID: <5d5092$1mv@nntpa.cb.lucent.com> Reply-To: yamash01@dons.ac.usfca.edu (Yamamoto) NNTP-Posting-Host: mthost1.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #06832 Keywords: author=Yamamoto Originator: ecl@mthost1 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:6231 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1201 STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) A film review by Yamamoto Copyright 1997 Yamamoto There I was, chillin' as usual and walking down the street. And guess what I get? This Mormon guy comes up to me and start preaching about their belief and everything. What really bothered me was that the guy was carrying a Russian bible. Talk about redundant. Anyhow, I escaped their grasp. Speaking of being born again, STAR WARS came out and I had to go check it out. You know the story, it's about the good vs the evil. Throw in the princess in distress, two goofy rescuers and a wise ol' teacher. Yeah, it's what the legends are made of. And no, it never gets tired. And the edits and the added scenes are really cool. No nakkid boobs. No bullets (but with bullet sounds). Kazillion dead bodies. 12 on the vomit meter. No moon shots. What we got here are: In the galaxy far far away-fu, attack of killer star destroyer-fu, storm troopers-fu, Mr Darth-fu, droids from hell-fu, elephants in rags-fu, little rats-fu, more star destroyers-fu, astroids from hell-fu, attack of killer death star-fu, and of course, the force- fu. Video hall of fame nominations to Harrison Ford for saying stuff like "May the Force be with you" and to Mark Hamill for saying stuff like "I want to learn about the force". And of course to Carrie Fisher for saying stuff like "You listen to me, got it?" and to Alec Guiness for saying stuff like "Use the Force Luke". Four stars. Shaggy Bobs says wicked! Spoilers -- There was once a wise man who told me this -- digital means you can play it loud! (without distortion) Go see it on the big screen with good sound system. It's the whole reason why you want to go see it. Ok, the added scenes are cool. And they did a good job editing the special effects. But Star Wars is one of the few movies that has that certain magic. And you won't get most out of it unless you see it on the big screen. If you're waiting for the phone call from Rachel Blanchard, just call her up and take her to see this movie. She won't hate you for it. Well, that's assuming that you already know her and you're not being a pain. Alien Alert! What's this I hear about da mayor wanting to bring Steinheart to SOMA? Just what goes through morons' minds (if there is any)? Hello? Oh, I forgot, we're talking about people who'd demolish freeway one level at a time and never replace them. Just once, I'd like to hear about sound decisions. I guess I'll be dead before that but I can always dream can't I? For wisdom according to Shaggy Bob, hit that Reply key now. Shaggy Bob From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Feb 10 17:01:44 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!solace!nntp.uio.no!newsfeeds.sol.net!uwm.edu!lll-winken.llnl.gov!fnnews.fnal.gov!cbgw1.lucent.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: robotech@eyrie.org (Christopher E. Meadows) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) (1997) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 3 Feb 1997 15:49:15 GMT Organization: Superguy Listserv: http://www.halcyon.com/superguy/index.html Lines: 110 Sender: eleeper@lucent.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: eleeper@lucent.com Message-ID: <5d51dr$t5@nntpb.cb.lucent.com> Reply-To: robotech@eyrie.org (Christopher E. Meadows) NNTP-Posting-Host: mthost1.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #06836 Keywords: author=Meadows Originator: ecl@mthost1 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:6233 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1202 STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) A film review by Christopher E. Meadows Copyright 1997 Christopher E. Meadows MPAA: PG (sci-fi violence, brief strong language) Written and Directed by George Lucas, Produced by Gary Kurtz Starring Mark Hamil, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels, et al Rating: 10/10 (***** out of *****) What can you say about a legend? Books could be, and indeed have been written about the Star Wars trilogy, and rightfully so. This is a set of movies that shattered all expectations of what science fiction could be in the late 70s/early 80s, inspiring literally dozens of clones, from Battlestar Galactica all the way up to Stargate and Independance Day, and one could argue revitalizing the whole science fiction genre. The special effects were groundbreaking, revolutionary for their day and still eminently watchable well into twenty years later. Literally millions of people have seen the Star Wars trilogy and been touched by it. And now, George Lucas brings it back for a new audience to enjoy. Much has been and is still being made of the fact that Mr. Lucas has gone back and revised his trilogy for rerelease now. Some fans are angry that he has dared to meddle with what they consider perfection, while others are thrilled by the idea of seeing yesterday's Star Wars updated with today's special effects wizardry. Either way, the Special Edition release means that Star Wars is back on the big screen, where it rightfully deserves to be seen. Can there be anyone in the world who doesn't know what Star Wars is about? In a way, Star Wars is so much a part of our cultural heritage that it feels silly and almost artificial to try to summarize it. It's a story about a young man's coming of age, a fight for freedom against an oppressive empire, a tale of swashbuckling and derring-do the likes of which haven't been seen on the silver screen in decades, strange new worlds with strange alien creatures and weird surprises around every turn, and the yearning within each of us to realize our dreams and make a difference in the world. It's high adventure, incredible special effects, and...well, it's just an _experience_. Something about this movie sparked the imagination of a generation...and it's about to do so again. This new release of Star Wars comes as no surprise to many of the film's devoted fans, who have been trading rumors and bits of information about it for quite some time now. Interviews, trailers, leaks from within Lucasfilm...all of these have been collected, collated, and placed on webpages for people to see (pages such as http://www.islandnet.com/~corona/films/details/sw4.html or, my personal favorite, http://leopard.cs.latrobe.edu.au/~koukoula/). Pictures of before and after have been placed side by side...even months before the movies were released, fans were making comparisons. In some cases, the changes were nothing less than phenomenal, and this can be seen from the comparison shots even before you go into the movie theater. The digital matte effects that were little more than a toy in Forrest Gump are put to excellent use here, unnoticeably sprucing up scenes that that George Lucas was unsatisfied with in the original. For instance, in my personal favorite example, the ancient temple on Yavin that was formerly a flat stone edifice now has deep, moss-covered carvings and etchings. And Mos Eisley Spaceport is now a bustling, booming city, with more surprises and things going on in the background than you can notice on the first viewing. All the starships and fighters are now computer-animated, getting rid of glitches and artifacts of the special effects processes used when the film was originally made--and they look _fantastic_. Four and a half minutes of new or missing footage have been added, including a scene with Jabba the Hutt that had originally been shelved because the state of special effects in 1977 simply couldn't do it justice. However, much of the ten million dollars that was spent on the Star Wars Special Edition restoration went into restoring the quality of the film itself. The negatives, badly damaged by the ravages of time, were brightened and returned to their original splendor. The audio tracks were remixed and reprocessed, with reworked sound effects by effects maven Ben Burtt, into glorious, booming, theater-shaking full-THX Dolby digital stereo. And _that_, more than the added scenes or new special effects, is where the real value of this new version lies. It's really true what they say in the commercials: Star Wars loses _so much_ on the small screen. Even letterboxing doesn't make up for the decrease in size and definition. In regard to the Star Wars Special Edition, and to the other two films of the trilogy which have yet to be released, I'll make this final recommendation: Go and see it. Go and see it more than once...it may be another twenty years before it comes back to the big screen after it's gone this time. Take along the youngsters who've never had the big-screen Star Wars experience--you'll enjoy seeing it through their eyes as much as they will enjoy it for the first time. There's magic in this movie--Special Edition or no, there can be no denying that it's still Star Wars, and still has the power to thrill and enthrall children of all ages, from four to four hundred. Let's all return to that time long ago, and that galaxy far, far away... Rating: 10 out of 10. A _must-see_. This review is copyright 1997 by Christopher E. Meadows. Permission granted for not-for-profit Usenet distribution via rec.arts.movies reviews and associated archival; permission granted for inclusion in Internet Movie Database and associated archival. All other distribution, including CD-ROM, requires permission from the author. -- Chris Meadows aka | Author, Team M.E.C.H.A., Crapshoot & Co. Robotech_Master | on the Superguy Listserv (bit.listserv.superguy) robotech@jurai.net | With a World Wide Web homepage located at robotech@eyrie.org | http://www.jurai.net/~robotech/index.html From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Feb 10 17:01:51 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!sunic!02-newsfeed.univie.ac.at!01-newsfeed.univie.ac.at!news.radio.cz!CESspool!news.maxwell.syr.edu!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!howland.erols.net!math.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!lll-winken.llnl.gov!fnnews.fnal.gov!cbgw1.lucent.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: erkyrath@netcom.com (Andrew Plotkin) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) (1997) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 3 Feb 1997 15:51:56 GMT Organization: Netcom On-Line Services Lines: 62 Sender: eleeper@lucent.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: eleeper@lucent.com Message-ID: <5d51is$tk@nntpb.cb.lucent.com> Reply-To: erkyrath@netcom.com (Andrew Plotkin) NNTP-Posting-Host: mthost1.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #06840 Keywords: author=Plotkin Originator: ecl@mthost1 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:6236 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1203 STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) A film review by Andrew Plotkin Copyright 1997 Andrew Plotkin Finally -- the long-awaited new release of this classic! But, as I'm sure you've heard, with a difference. The director, George Lucas, has undertaken a bold experiment: a full, unabridged, four-hour-long version of _Star Wars_. It's just *terrific*. We all know the story. Young Luke Skywalker lives in a remote desert manor on Tattooine, with his aunt and uncle. But a mysterious message from a ghostly apparition jars him out his everyday life; and soon he learns of the dark figure that murdered his father Old Luke. And Luke vows revenge. Thus is set the stage for a story of starships, swordfights, vengeance, and plays within plays. Luke quickly gathers around him a motley crew as familiar to modern viewers as the Raskellar Gang. His old companions, Artoo Detoo and See Threepenstern, are summoned to find out why he is suddenly so keen to leave the moisture farm and go haring off across the galaxy. The old adviser, Ben Kenobi, tutors Luke in the ways of the Force. Han Solo, a disreputable smuggler and son of Kenobi, offers his battered old freighter, the trusty Millennium Handsaw. And, of course, there is the beautiful princess, Solo's sister, who has been kidnapped by the evil King. The setting of the film is simply gorgeous. The looming, shadowy towers of Elsinore were a special-effects marvel twenty years ago; they can honestly be said to have created the modern science fiction movie. But director Ken Lucas has completely redone the effects for this release. An opulent European manor forms the stage for this tragedy, replete with moldering libraries, secret passages, marble balustrades, and -- the heart of the story -- the central hall, the hall of mirrors, where the action returns to again and again. The Princess is imprisoned in a padded cell behind these mirrors; the dark King and his Grand Moff Norway conceal themselves there to spy on young Luke. When our heros are about to be crushed in a pirate compactor, the robots, Artoo Denkrantz and Guildenstepio, save them by interfacing with the program controls behind these mirrors, and inverting the execution polarity. It's an all-star cast, of course. Mark Hamill is the lead, partnered by Robin Williams as Han Solo, Tim Roth and Gary Oldman as the robots, and Ophelia (created by Jim Henson's Creature Workshop.) But there are any number of excellent smaller roles, as well. Who can forget Frank Oz as the aged councillor Kenobi, with his fractured syntax, squeaking, "Wisdom, you seek? When Vader you have faced, then a Jedi, you will be. To thine own self, be true!" Or Richard Attenborough as the leering courtier, Osric the Wookiee? And, even at four hours in length, the pacing doesn't flag for a moment. Running gun-battles in the hallways, the fiery saber-duel at the climax, and of course Luke's desperate run down the trench to pour poison into the Death Star's ear. All underscored with Walter Jon Williams' transcendent orchestral music. Shakespeare's literary jewel has never had a more flamboyant setting than this one; director George Branagh has achieved a five-star triumph. -- --Z From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Feb 10 17:02:31 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!sunic!02-newsfeed.univie.ac.at!01-newsfeed.univie.ac.at!news.radio.cz!CESspool!news.apfel.de!news.nacamar.de!uunet!in2.uu.net!205.252.116.190!feed1.news.erols.com!howland.erols.net!math.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!lll-winken.llnl.gov!fnnews.fnal.gov!cbgw1.lucent.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: ram@iris3.carb.nist.gov (Ram Samudrala) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) (1997) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 3 Feb 1997 15:51:00 GMT Organization: The Centre for Advanced Research in Biotechnology Lines: 61 Sender: eleeper@lucent.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: eleeper@lucent.com Message-ID: <5d51h4$ti@nntpb.cb.lucent.com> Reply-To: ram@iris3.carb.nist.gov (Ram Samudrala) NNTP-Posting-Host: mthost1.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #06838 Keywords: author=Samudrala Originator: ecl@mthost1 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:6239 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1204 STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) A film review by Ram Samudrala Copyright 1997 Ram Samudrala If you've never seen Star Wars, I think you're in an enviable position, as I consider it one of the most impactful sci-fi movies of all time. If you've never seen it on a big screen before, you've not seen Star Wars. Before I left to see the show, I was told by a friend: "What's the point? It's a 70s movie with a 70s story. You may as well just go out and rent it." After seeing it on a huge screen sitting in the fourth row with THX sound, I can safely say that the experience far surpasses a rental experience. The plot is simple, and as a pre-teenager, it had a magical appeal to me (a flashlight was my light sabre, and I personally preferred playing the role of Darth Vader): the evil Galactic Empire attacks Princess Leia Organa's (Carrie Fisher) ship and captures her. Leia is the leader of the Rebel Alliance fighting against the Empire. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is recruited by Obi-Wan Kenobee (Alec Guinness) to rescue her and aid the Alliance. Luke is instructed by Obi-Wan in the ways of the force (an idea borrowed from various Eastern philosophies) and with the aid of his new found knowledge, he must destroy the Death Star, a massive space station built by the Empire that can obliterate entire planets. While I was thrilled whenever I watched the movie on video and heard Darth Vader say "I find your lack of faith... disturbing" 10 years ago, for some reason it seemed really corny when I saw it in the theatre. In fact, the rest of the plot also seemed pretty much dated and out of touch with the times, and the underlying philosophy (which I could now seriously appreciate having actually /read/ some Joseph Campbell) was what moved me this time around. Many people complain about the 4+ minutes of added footage. I personally thought it did little, if anything, to hurt the movie, and for the most part, actually enhanced it. George Lucas, the original director, has played it safe here. I think the real test for Lucas will come when the prequels are released---whether viewers will be able to reconcile the technology used to make the prequels with the technology in episodes IV, V, and VI remains to be seen. Besides the overall improved quality of the film and the sound, the parts I liked the best were limited to the extra 4.5 minutes. I was impressed with the interaction between Han Solo (a young and dashing Harrison Ford) and Jabba the Hut. The crowded Mos Eisley spaceport is another enhancement that I particularly liked. The music by John Williams is incredible, and listening to it through a high-quality sound system is a definite plus. The one enhanced part I didn't like was the scene between Han and Greedo the bounty hunter (Diana Sadley Way), which I think totally was out of sync with the rest of the other changes. Watching /Star Wars/, you can easily see how hundreds of sci-fi movies that followed it have borrowed from it, and sometimes even improved upon it. It pioneered a new way of sci-fi film-making. I can't wait for the next two episodes (which, in terms of story, I consider better than this one). Until then, may the force be with you. me@ram.org || http://www.ram.org || http://www.twisted-helices.com/th Movie ram-blings: http://www.ram.org/ramblings/movies.html From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Feb 10 17:03:31 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!solace!news.stealth.net!www.nntp.primenet.com!nntp.primenet.com!enews.sgi.com!lll-winken.llnl.gov!fnnews.fnal.gov!cbgw1.lucent.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: WFrith1680@aol.com (Walter Frith) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) (1997) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 4 Feb 1997 22:34:05 GMT Organization: America Online Lines: 65 Sender: eleeper@lucent.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: eleeper@lucent.com Message-ID: <5d8dgt$54q@nntpb.cb.lucent.com> Reply-To: WFrith1680@aol.com (Walter Frith) NNTP-Posting-Host: mtvoyager.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #06861 Keywords: author=Frith Originator: ecl@mtvoyager Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:6244 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1206 STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) (1997) A film review by Walter Frith Copyright 1997 Walter Frith It would be ludicrous to tell the world anything about the plot of 'Star Wars'. The 1977 film which won six Academy Awards, the most of any film that year (Sound, Film Editing, Art Direction/Set Decoration, Costume Design, Original Score, and Special Visual Effects) has returned and Special Edition refers not only to its restoration but also its enhancement. What beat it out for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay? 'Annie Hall', Woody Allen for 'Annie Hall', and Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman for 'Annie Hall'. Alec Guinness (who turned down the role of Obi-Won Kenobi several times before Lucas convinced him to take it) was edged out for Best Supporting Actor by Jason Robards for 'Julia'. It actually is the recipient of seven Oscars as a special achievement award for Sound Effects was given to Benjamin Burtt, Jr. for the creation of the alien, creature and robot voices but this was a non-competitive category. George Lucas and 20th Century Fox have invested millions (most reports indicate $10-15 million) to re-mix the original mono soundtrack which originally appeared in the credits in 1977 as D OLBY SYSTEM - making movies sound better for stereo and digital sound at that but the analog mix can still be differentiated from today's technology. Dolby Stereo movies actually hit screens in 1978 with 'Superman' and 'The Deer Hunter' being two classics with that new technology and 'The Deer Hunter' won the Oscar for sound that year. The 'Star Wars' negative has also been cleaned up (although the print that I viewed had some colour contrast problems). It isn't quite twenty years since 'Star Wars' hit the big screen. It actually debuted in May of 1977 but they are doing the right thing by re-releasing it now because from May of 1997 right through to the fall, we will be bombarded with multi-blockbuster hits such as the fourth 'Batman' movie and Steven Spielberg's sequel to 'Jurassic Park'. 'The Empire Strikes Back' is due for re-release on February 21st and 'Return of the Jedi' finishes off the space western trilogy with re-release on March 7th. There is approximately four and a half minutes of new footage included this time in 'Star Wars' with a conversation between Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Jabba the Hut who looks smaller than he appeared in 'Return of the Jedi' and since it is a computer enhanced Jabba this time, he moves much more quickly than 'Jedi's' Jabba who was slower because he was a puppet. Actually, a super puppet :-) The other additional scene has Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) talking to one of his star fighter buddies before the climax occurs which is the attack on the Death Star. So much for the additions. As for the enhancements, there are scenes from the first movie that have background additions such as flying objects, live action creatures and new laser effects from the weapon known as the 'blaster'. Purists have complained that Lucas should never have tampered with the original but as someone who has seen the film over 50 times, I had no problem with it and I think they've done a good job to keep the film above date and it does stand up remarkably well twenty years after the fact. Endless imitations followed 'Star Wars' and most of them flopped ('Battlestar Galactica', 'Buck Rogers in the 25th Century' and 'Flash Gordon') but 'Star Wars' was a revolutionary contribution to society's pop culture and influenced other outer space creations such as the return of the 'Star Trek' series which went from the small screen to the big one, the invention of the 'Alien' series, 'E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial', and no doubt today's 'The X-Files' which is arguably the best program on television for its combination of Earthly crime, outer space connection and paranormal activity. 'Star Wars: Special Edition' is a grand opportunity for everyone to enjoy it all over again and for a new generation to experience a wonder which will remain just as strong in 2077 as it does today. OUT OF 5> * * * * * From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Feb 10 17:03:39 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!solace!mn6.swip.net!newsfeed.sunet.se!news99.sunet.se!newsfeed.luth.se!news.luth.se!eru.mt.luth.se!www.nntp.primenet.com!nntp.primenet.com!news.maxwell.syr.edu!worldnet.att.net!cbgw2.lucent.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: SL8L5@cc.usu.edu (James W. Otis) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) (1997) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 7 Feb 1997 21:45:28 GMT Organization: - Lines: 94 Sender: eleeper@lucent.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: eleeper@lucent.com Message-ID: <5dg7po$kbo@nntpa.cb.lucent.com> Reply-To: SL8L5@cc.usu.edu (James W. Otis) NNTP-Posting-Host: mtvoyager.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #06874 Keywords: author=Otis Originator: ecl@mtvoyager Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:6281 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1211 STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) A film review by James W. Otis Copyright 1997 James W. Otis Statesman Features Writer ****1/2 (out of *****) It's been 20 years since Star Wars premiered. What started as a low- budget Sci-Fi movie turned into a cultural icon for two generations. Now the movie back where it was intended to be, on the big screen. What makes the re-release of Star Wars impressive isn't the fact that only a handful of movies have ever seen a big screen more than once. Instead, it's the major and minor changes that have been made to the film. When Star Wars opened on May 25, 1977, it had been made with a budget of only $10 million, of which only $2 million had been set aside for the film's special effects. Even when the film opened 20 years ago, writer/ director George Lucas spoke of how he felt the film wasn't where he had hoped it would be in regards to the special effects. Twenty years later, Lucas finally has the technology to accomplish that wish. With a budget of $10 million, Lucas has given his team at Industrial Lights & Magic (ILM) the charge to go back and create Star Wars: Special Edition. A long list of improvements was made. The first improvement was the original. After 20 years, the original was in surprisingly bad shape, and a crew of technicians reportedly spent months cleaning each cell painstakingly by hand with a small sponge. The end result are colors that are more vivid and true to the original. Next came the improvement to the sound of the film. When Star Wars first came out, there were just two options for sound, stereo and mono. Now there are such techniques as THX, Dolby Surround Sound and DTS. The digital enhancements made to the sound are reported to have made the film the best sounding that it has ever been. Most of the attention for the film's changes have been in the special effects area. Only four and one-half minutes of footage has been changed, small things such as two more aliens being introduced at the cantina in Mos Eisley Spaceport and a new exterior shot of Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi's home. But what has drawn most of the attention(and controversy) are three major sequences in the film. The first is Mos Eisley spaceport. As the character Ben Kenobi says in the movie, "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious." In the original version, Mos Eisley looked like nothing more than a small town filmed in the desert (Arizona to be exact), not the "wretched hive of scum and villainy" that we were warned of. The Special Edition takes care of that. Computer-generated images (CGI) of various animals, robots and space craft have been added. These were made in addition to completely new scenes of Luke Skywalker flying around on his hover car that were created entirely within the computer. Next is Jabba the Hutt. In the original script, the character Han Solo was supposed to have a meeting with Jabba to discuss the money that Solo owed Jabba. The original film never had this scene because the technology wasn't available. Creating a smaller Jabba (roughly half the size of Jabba seen in Return of the Jedi) through CGI, Solo is now seen interacting with the huge gangster-like slug. This scene has caused quite a bit of controversy among fans of the original film. Most claim that in the scene, Jabba appears as nothing more than a half-sized gangster wannabe. Despite these claims, Lucas maintains that the scene adds to, instead of detracts from the Trilogy's presence. The last major change made to the film comes in the dogfight finale. The fighters, which swoop and dodge around, create more of a theme-ride feel to the movie. The picture has also been cleaned up, removing matte lines and motion blurs. The end result is a dog fight that feels more like combat in space than ever before. When Star Wars first came out there were many doubts as to how well the picture would perform. This is evident in the mere 32 screens that first premiered the film. Now, 20 years later, those concerns are brought up again. Many Hollywood executives question whether or not the new Special Edition will be successful. They feel that since most audience members have already seen the film and own the videos, that no one will be interested in seeing it again. However, the $36.2 million that the film made opening weekend is proof enough that Star Wars' popularity has reached a status of cultural icon. It has been almost 15 years since the last film in the Trilogy (Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi) was made. With the last two movies being released later this year, Empire Strikes Back on February 21 and Return of the Jedi on March 7, many have asked the question, "What's next?" The answer will come at the close of the century when Lucas debuts the first of three "prequels" in 1999. The movies will follow the fall of Darth Vader to the "dark side of the force." The audience will be given new pieces to the puzzle that Lucas has created. The third "prequel" will finish at about the beginning of the film that started it all, Star Wars. -- From rec.arts.sf.reviews Thu Feb 13 16:19:50 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!Zeke.Update.UU.SE!columba.udac.uu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news00.sunet.se!sunic!news.sprintlink.net!news-peer.sprintlink.net!www.nntp.primenet.com!nntp.primenet.com!howland.erols.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uwm.edu!lll-winken.llnl.gov!fnnews.fnal.gov!cbgw1.lucent.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: mredman@bvoice.com (Michael Redman) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) (1997) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 10 Feb 1997 21:47:23 GMT Organization: ... Lines: 71 Sender: eleeper@lucent.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: eleeper@lucent.com Message-ID: <5do51b$31h@nntpa.cb.lucent.com> Reply-To: mredman@bvoice.com (Michael Redman) NNTP-Posting-Host: mtvoyager.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #06886 Keywords: author=Redman Originator: ecl@mtvoyager Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:6284 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1212 STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) A film review by Michael Redman Copyright 1997 Michael Redman **** (out of ****) There are some images and stories so ingrained in the human psyche that they are universal throughout the history of the world. Tales of the flawed hero's quest, stories of boy versus father, fables of rescuing the captive princess: these are omnipresent in mankind's legends and religions. And they are the basis for "Star Wars". Joseph Campbell who spent a lifetime studying myths and their commonalties in various traditions had high praise for the film. He talked about the shared themes between the science fiction movie and those beliefs that dwell deep within the collective unconsciousness. And aside from all that, it's one hell of a film! The Special Edition has been remastered with new effects and the inclusion of over four minutes of new footage. As cutting edge as the film was 20 years ago, director George Lucas was unsatisfied with some of the effects that were underdone due to budget considerations. Now, with megabucks in his pockets, he has gone back to polish them up. Most of the new footage fits in seamlessly. The obvious changes are a scene where Han Solo (a very young soon-to-be-major-star Harrison Ford) encounters Jabba The Hut and the backwater Mos Eisley spaceport has become more of a busy place. Mucking around with a classic is dangerous business, but Lucas has succeeded in improving the original. True, Jabba seems less impressive than he does in the later films (seeing him "walk" is believable, but ruins the image of the hedonistic despot), but the episode still works. The minor change when Han kills Greedo is the only failure in the new version. The visuals are clumsy and there is an unneeded change in Solo's character. This film changed the movie industry. Spawning dozens of imitators and the search for bigger effects and even larger budgets, Lucas is indirectly responsible for most of the major movies from the past two decades. Of course that was not all good news. Personal films fell by the wayside only to begin reappearing in recent years. "Star Wars" was the harbinger of things to come. Very few films have become such cultural icons. The only other one that I can think of that _everyone_ has seen is "The Wizard Of Oz". Both films are not talked about in terms of if one has experienced it, but, rather how often. In some ways, "Star Wars" is a reworked "Wizard". The characters match: the tin man, the large furry animal, the wicked witch of the Empire, the young adventurer searching for truth and tons of munchkins. Luke even lives on a farm with his auntie. It's impossible to talk about "Star Wars" as just a film. It is a cultural phenomenon. The re-release of the first of the middle trilogy (nine films are planned in all, the new one opens in a few years) will be followed by "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return Of The Jedi" within the next several weeks. Many of us saw this when it opened in the summer of 1979. If you were among those, you'll be surprised at how well it holds up. It's still an amazing spectacle. If you have only viewed this on your VCR, you absolutely _must_ get thyself to a theater. Seeing it on a big screen is a completely different event and one that needs to be experienced. Go to a packed house and sit near the front. History awaits you. [This appeared in the "Bloomington Voice", Bloomington, Indiana 2/6/96. Michael Redman can be reached at mredman@bvoice.com ] From rec.arts.sf.reviews Tue May 6 13:37:25 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!solace!nntp.uio.no!news.radio.cz!CESspool!eerie.fr!news.apfel.de!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!worldnet.att.net!cbgw2.lucent.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: david.wilcock@btinternet.com (David Wilcock) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) (1997) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 22 Apr 1997 15:15:02 GMT Organization: - Lines: 41 Sender: eleeper@lucent.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: eleeper@lucent.com Message-ID: <5jiklm$56d@nntpa.cb.lucent.com> Reply-To: david.wilcock@btinternet.com (David Wilcock) NNTP-Posting-Host: mtvoyager.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #07364 Keywords: author=Wilcock Originator: ecl@mtvoyager Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:6774 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1258 STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) A film review by David Wilcock Copyright 1997 David Wilcock A sci-fi/adventure starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing,Harrison Ford and Alec Guiness A TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX PICTURE Well, what can I say about this film? It's, Star Wars, isn't it? And everyone knows that Star Wars. But, in this speacil edition, the sound has been beefed up (the ships really do swoop around you, and the atmosphere in the Death Star is now much better) Also, there has been added extra footage, including a conversation between Han Solo (Ford) and Jabba the Hut (which looks really good) Everyone knows the plot by now. Hamill, Guiness, Fisher and Ford (plus his wookie friend Chewbacca, and the droids C3PO and R2D2) all help the rebels the destroy the empires (led by Cushing, and Darth Vadar who is voiced by James Earl Jones and David Prowse) evil plan, which is blowing the rebels up with the Death Star. This has to be one of the simplest plots ever, and thats what makes the film fun, the fact that you don't think about whats going on, you just enjoy yourself. Basically, this has to be one of the best space adventures out there. The bad guys are really bad, the good guys do really good guy things (all stick for each other, etc) and C3PO and R2D2 have to be one of the greatest comedy pairings ever. And with the new THX and digital sound, and the added footage, it is even better. So, overall then, I would recommended this film to anyone over the age of 3. See it! RATING=***** out of ***** REVIEW BY DAVID WILCOCK =============================== DAVID WILCOCK EMAIL:david.wilcock@btinternet.com From /home/matoh/tmp/sf-rev Fri Aug 22 16:35:04 1997 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Tue Jul 15 23:07:47 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lejonet.se!newsfeed1.telia.com!masternews.telia.net!newssrv.ita.tip.net!ubnnews.unisource.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.grnet.gr!btnet-feed3!unlisys!fu-berlin.de!newsfeed.nacamar.de!news-peer.sprintlink.net!news.sprintlink.net!Sprint!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!europa.clark.net!mis3!worldnet.att.net!news.u.washington.edu!grahams From: ChadPolenz@aol.com (Chad Polenz) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: The Special Edition (1997) Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 7 Jul 1997 04:34:35 GMT Organization: University of Washington Lines: 57 Approved: graham@ee.washington.edu Message-ID: <5pprkr$8sg@nntp5.u.washington.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: homer38.u.washington.edu Content-Type: text NNTP-Posting-User: grahams Summary: r.a.m.r. #08142 Keywords: author=polenz X-Questions-to: movie-rev-mod@www.ee.washington.edu X-Submissions-to: movie-reviews@www.ee.washington.edu Originator: grahams@homer38.u.washington.edu Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:7573 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1414 Star Wars: The Special Edition Chad'z rating: **** (out of 4 = excellent) 1997, PG, 125 minutes [2 hours, 5 minutes] [fantasy] starring: Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi), James Earl Jones (voice of Darth Vader), produced by Gary Kurtz, written and directed by George Lucas. I was only eight months old when "Star Wars" was released. I can't remember the first time I saw the film but my entire childhood seemed to revolve around it. Our access to video wasn't as affluent then as it is now, so I would go crazy whenever it was shown on television or someone managed to rent a copy of it. When I heard the trilogy was going to be re-released as special editions, that innocent, child-like thrill came back to me in full force (no pun intended). The original version was already a masterpiece, how could this special edition improve upon perfection? Seeing it in on a giant screen with completely remastered sound and picture is the best and most obvious improvement. For the first time in over 15 years I noticed things happening in the background and on the sides that were hidden or out of focus before. I realized just how important the fine details were to this movie. Everything seems to take up actual space, and it doesn't seem two-dimensional and flat anymore. George Lucas released this special edition because the technology wasn't available at the time to create some of the special effects. The scenes in and around the Mos Eisley spaceport and the rebel assault against the Death Star are not only the best scenes, but the most enhanced in this version. Originally, Mos Eisley seemed like only one street to me, but now an entire city is present. There is both organic and mechanical insects buzzing around with even more storm troopers. It also takes Luke a little longer to drive through the city, which makes it seem like an actual place and not just a scene in a movie. The Death Star battle sequence is probably one of the most moving and suspenseful scenes in all of cinema. I always get a fantastic rush whenever I watch this scene and the new version still lives up to the excitement of the old one. The spaceships seem much more realistic as they are loaded with exquisitely fine detail. The new camera work is also profound - constantly moving and showing new positions and shots that make for an excellent three-dimensional appearance. I've seen "Star Wars" so many times I know every line and every shot in the film. This special edition was both a journey through time and a brand new movie for me. At times the additional scenes, characters and objects might be a bit distracting, but it's not the effects alone that make this film great, it's the story, the adventure, and the innocence. Please visit Chad'z Movie Page @ http://members.aol.com/ChadPolenz E-mail: ChadPolenz@aol.com (C)1997 Chad Polenz From rec.arts.sf.reviews Thu Sep 4 14:29:06 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!eru.mt.luth.se!feed1.news.erols.com!europa.clark.net!204.127.161.1!wnfeed!204.127.130.5!worldnet.att.net!news.u.washington.edu!grahams From: Phil Curtolo Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews,rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc Subject: Review: Star Wars - Special Edition (1997) Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc Date: 1 Sep 1997 17:01:47 GMT Organization: epix Internet Services Lines: 38 Approved: graham@ee.washington.edu Message-ID: <5uesdr$ga3@nntp5.u.washington.edu> Reply-To: curt@epix.net NNTP-Posting-Host: homer34.u.washington.edu Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit NNTP-Posting-User: grahams Summary: r.a.m.r. #08838 Keywords: author=curtolo X-Questions-to: movie-rev-mod@www.ee.washington.edu X-Submissions-to: movie-reviews@www.ee.washington.edu Originator: grahams@homer34.u.washington.edu Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:8240 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1516 rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc:165404 By Phil Curtolo In May of 1977, just 2 years after Steven Spielberg’s success with Jaws and 3 years after Francis Coppolas’ The Godfather, a risky, ambitious young director named George Lucas went for the same unpredictable box office success. Little did he know that Star Wars would become the greatest science fiction epic in the history of film. In January of this year, Lucas re-released Star Wars on its 20th anniversary. In this new, remastered version, the added effects, which range from leathery desert beasts inserted into already existing shots to an awkward new scene in which Hans Solo bargains his way out of a jam with a computer-generated Jabba the Hutt, don’t do much but call attention to themselves. Other than these, the film is exactly the same. Why pay to see it in the theaters, you might ask? Simply because when this movie was released, most of us were a few years short of being born. We should all get up and go to the movies for the experience, especially if you haven’t seen it. The plot is basic but in the same way, complex. It has many themes, but the one rotates around Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and his quest to become a Jedi Knight. His mission begins when a droid named R2-D2 plays back a secret message recorded by the beautiful Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), which tells him to contact the mysterious Obi-Wan Kanoby (Alec Guiness). He and Kanoby then, joined by two inter-galactic renegades, Hans Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca, and Skywalker’s two droids D2 and C3PO (the voice of Anthony Edwards), wage war upon the corrupt Empire, commanded by an evil general (Peter Cushing) and the traitorous Darth Vader (the voice of James Earl Jones). Skywalker defeats the evil Empire by rising out of himself to embrace something larger: the force. The film is obviously quite star-studded. But how was Lucas to know that Ford would become one of the most sought after men in Hollywood and Jones’ voice would appear so many more times in the future? It just happened to work out for him. The magic of Star Wars lies in the way that Skywalker’s triumph is symbolized by the audience’s sense of becoming something larger than life itself—a universe of fans, young and old, recreating a movie atmosphere that will impress generations forever. Grade: A+, ***** out of *****