Subject: Review: Star Wars: The Special Edition (1997)

From: [email-masked] (Chad Polenz)
Date: 7 Jul 1997 04:34:35 GMT

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.

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E-mail: [email-masked]
(C)1997 Chad Polenz