The Star Wars Trilogy On DVD: The Epic Space Saga

Author's Rating:

Pros: Fantastic story, memorable characters, Epic space battles

Cons: The DVDs are slightly altered in some places from the original movies

The Bottom Line: 
One of the greatest trilogies of all time.

Author's Review
Plot Details: This review reveals only minor details about the movies’ plots.

It was on a Saturday afternoon in late 1977 that I first saw the original Star Wars. I was only 8 years old and I did not understand a lot of the film but the movie opened my imagination like no other film I had ever seen. Every gift my brother and I asked Santa for that year was Star Wars related. Even my father, who was not a big sci-fi guy, got into the Star Wars craze for a while.

The past three Christmases I received Episode I, II and III from my brother. I had the original trilogy on BETA video tape many, many years ago (I think it was around 1986) but the tapes became worn and degraded from many plays over the years. Finally in 1997 our BETA player died and I had not seen any of the original movies since then.

August of this year, my darling wife bought me the Star Wars Trilogy on DVD. I had only mentioned one time that I would like to have it and she is so thoughtful that she got them for my birthday. I watched the original three movies back to back and reveled in the nostalgia.

I do not usually do movie reviews so please bear with me on this :-)


Star Wars Trilogy

For those of you who may have lived on a deserted island for the last 30 years, the Star Wars trilogy consists of the original three movies in the Star Wars saga which includes:

* Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
* Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
* Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi

The first movie is about a young boy named Luke Skywalker who finds his way into the middle of a rebellion against an overwhelming Empire of star systems. The Empire is lead by an evil Sith Lord Emperor and his apprentice Darth Vader.

In the second movie, the Empire retaliates against losses to the Rebel Alliance and strikes at the heart of the rebellion. The battle between good and evil heats up and the story line gets even more complex.

The third and final movie in the saga brings the tale to an end and reveals secrets only hinted at in the first two movies. When the movie was originally released on the big screen, there were many questions left unanswered and anyone who had not read the books was left in the dark for years until the first three episodes were finally brought to life on the big screen.

My Opinion

Being an avid Star Wars fan for most of my life, I am a little biased when it comes to one of my most favorite movie series. The story is epic and unfolds in a way that keeps you watching. The Star Wars world is fantastic, the special effects are some of the best even by today’s standards.

Many of the original effects have been augmented by computer animation in the Trilogy DVD, which I can appreciate but I would have preferred that the movies be left in their original state, but that is just me I guess.

There are some scenes on the DVDs that were originally left out of the theatre versions. I did like the addition of these scenes and I wonder why they were left out originally. One such scene in the first movie, Episode IV, introduces a character named Jabba the Hutt who was originally not seen until the third movie, Episode VI, when the movies were in the theatre.

The acting is not the greatest, but gets progressively better as the story unfolds. Harrison Ford and his character, Han Solo, is full of attitude and one-liners that usually get him dirty looks (or a kiss) from Carrie Fisher’s character, Princess Leia Organa. Princess Leia is all attitude and smart remarks with a hint of sweetness. Luke Skywalker, an adventurous young man ready to take the his place in the universe, is played by Mark Hamil. Ben Kenobi, Luke's friend and teacher, is played by the late Alec Guiness and the voice of the evil Darth Vader is none other than James Earl Jones. Not a bad line-up.

The story of Star Wars is basically the eternal good versus evil set in another time and place, or as it is said, “Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away”. The story has everything that makes a great tale; action, romance, rivalry, humor, science fiction and drama.

If you have kids who have never seen the original trilogy, this would be a great gift for them. It is also great for anyone who lived through the Star Wars lines and liked the movies as much as I did.


Conclusion

The Star Wars Trilogy on DVD is my personal ticket to the past. On a rainy day when there is nothing to do I can pop in my DVD and feel like I did on that Saturday afternoon in 1977 when my brother, my Grandmother and I waited in line for almost three hours to see Star Wars (by the way, thanks a lot Grandma!). My youngest brother was born in 1978 and he didn’t get to see the original Star Wars until 1986 when I bought the BETA tape, and he loved it too.

I know I didn’t go much at all into the story, but most of us have seen the movies by now and so there really isn’t any need for that. To those who haven’t seen them, you'd be better off not knowing anything until you watch them. If you saw Episode I through III but never saw the original movies, this is what happens in the next generation. Anyway, that is my opinion of the Star Wars Trilogy on DVD.

Thanks for reading,
Gr8ful ;-)