CT Changes to the Original Trilogy

I was a fan of pretty much all of the changes made for the 1997 release. The exceptions being Greedo shooting first, Luke's goofy scream in Empire Strikes Back, and the "Alert my Star Destroyer..." line. My favorite changes are the new celebration at the end of ROTJ, redone Death Star battle, the new Mos Eisley, opening up Cloud City and the Wampa scenes.

I wasn't a fan of any of the changes made in subsequent releases. Ian McDiarmid as the Emperor was a cool idea, but the execution wasn't that great, plus I HATE the new dialogue in that scene. Same with Temuera Morrison as Jango Fett, it was a good idea, but the delivery of his lines was so bad.

 

Still trying to decide how exactly this would work pacing-wise and if it would fit well, but I love your idea for this new scene. That said, given the circumstances that Lucasfilm is no longer private and instead just a big asset in the Disney Empire, I don't think we'll ever see any massive revisions, enhancements, or new scenes to the OT or the PT.

 

James Earl Jones being credited.

 

I thought a lot of the scenes added nothing. CGI that looks dated. While the Han/Jabba scene added nothing information wise that wasn't given in the Greedo scene. That and stepping on his tail and Boba Fett looking goofily into the camera were just stupid.

The Wampa scene was more scary not seeing him whole as in the original version. Changing Vaders "bring my shuttle" to alert my star destoryer was pointless and using the RTJ scene for his landing back just urghh.

RTJ there are to many to list.

Personally I think Lucas did it as a way of trying to phase out his ex-wifes contribution as she had been universaly praised (and won an Oscar) for her editing. Just a tacky form of revenge,. Hey we are all human after all.

 

It establishes more of Han and Jabba's characters. One could argue that him repeating what he said to Greedo shows that he knows he's in trouble and he'll use whatever he can to get out of it. It establishes that Jabba is only giving him a little more time and that he's raising the price.

This is and opinion. The more graphic scene showing it eating the Tauntaun was the version released on home video (before the DVD with the completely original version). It was only in original theatrical showings that it had the glimpses of the Wampa.

Actually, there was a reason. The "Bring my shuttle" line had deteriorated in audio quality by the time of the DVD special edition re-releases such that it was in such poor condition, it would just stand out like a sore thumb. They had to improvise and use a line from a deleted scene in ANH.

Then list an example?

 

Exactly. The fact that Jabba gives him one last chance which Han then blows later on, shows that Greedo was stepping out of bounds. And adding Boba Fett into the mix foreshadows what happens in the next two films.

The scene was only cut with the Wampa to what it was originally, was due to how poor looking the mask was in 79. It was Kershner's idea to have it edit that way due to that and as a consequence, heighten the tension. Since the Wampa now made to look really intimidating, Lucas restored it.

That and the Imperial shuttle was already present, which doesn't make sense to bring it to him if it is already on the landing pad.

The changes to ANH had nothing to do with his ex-wife since most of her edits were during the Battle of Yavin 4. Putting Jabba in ANH was something that he's long talked about, back when is marriage was still in a good place. The other changes to that film were well documented as far as September or October of 1977, when he spoke again to Rolling Stone Magazine. Meaning he wished he had more money and time to get it right. What was changed with TESB and ROTJ was done because he decided to go full bore on those two films, the more he thought about it.

 

I dont think there are any changes that I really mind, aside from Vader's "no". Im torn on the Christensen issue in Return, I would prefer Shaw to be left as it was, at the same time the appearance of Hayden helps tie the two trilogies together

 

My favorite change is adding McDiarmid to ESB. McDiarmid IS Palpatine and his voice acting was superior to Revill's.

 

I'm with you there. In fact, I think that's probably the best change GL did to the OT. It's not perfect, given that the Emperor has the bloated look he had in ROTS, but it's an improvement over what it replaced.

Things like opening up Cloud City, tweaking the wampa scene, and cleaning up matte lines are good changes that actually had purpose. The new ending of ROTJ is also an improvement. But things that were done just for the sake of doing them (like the dug in Jabba's Palace, or the CGI Jedi Rocks) are not what I would consider examples of good change.

 

I agree. Oddly enough, one of the most bizarre changes, which made its debut on the 2011 Blu-Ray set, cropped up in Rinzler's Making of ROTJ - blinking Ewoks! A quote from while ROTJ was being made mentioned that they had tried to get the masks to blink, as that adds a realism to a creature's face, but couldn't do it, and they just didn't have the time to keep at it.

Blinking Ewoks still look freakish, though...

 

I also liked they included Temuera Morrison's voice as Boba Fett. In the Blu-Ray, did they also alter some of the stormtroopers' voices as well since I think most of them were still clones of Fett?

 

No - and the official line is that by the time of SW/ANH, not all stormtroopers were clones, anyway.

 

The original scene never bothered me. Just assumed that Palpatine loved to troll people or something.

 

There are ways of explaining it (Palpatine's mood, inteference), but I was still extremely happy about the change.

 

Eh. It's just like with the old Boba Fett voice. The old voice never bothered me. Yeah continuity is important but if it works why change it?

 

I'd say my favorite change is fixing the Vaseline smear on the camera for the Landspeeder in Mos Eisley scenes.

I think the new shots of Cloud City in ESB were pretty nice I suppose.

 

Yes... continuity-wise, it makes sense. But the way it turned out felt like TM phoned in his lines. Surely he could have mimicked the intonation and tone of of the original, though. I suppose it was good enough for GL, though.

 

It's a question of what jars the viewer out of the film more - a very minor continuity issue, or a very poorly executed change which is technically correct, continuity-wise.

 

I get pretty jarred out by simple things like the lightsaber swaps during the Mace/Sidious and Anakin/Obi-Wan duel. The Fett thing, honestly, was a major one for me as well, but after they changed it, I sort of wished that they hadn't. I guess the more aggravating thing was that TM could have done a better job matching the original lines, but for whatever reason (indifference, laziness, poor direction, etc.), he didn't.

 

I thought the original performance, continuity aside, was a very good one, and befitting the character at that point. Being a Kiwi, I also have something of a mental block when it comes to Tem. It's to do with a locally made hospital drama, which I'll spare you the details of...

 

I can't see or hear him without thinking of:



It's in another language and there's no subtitles, but I'm pretty sure when Obi-Wan turns up at Kamino in AOTC, Jango sends Boba off by saying "Now go get the man some ****in' eggs, Boba."

 

In one of the deleted scenes Jango is welcomed to Kamino with the line...

" You're not in Guatemala now..."

 

It's much easier and quicker for me to say what I don't like. I don't like that Han no longer shoots first, horrid CGI Jabba, Vader screaming no before killing Palps, and lastly replacing Shaw with Hayden. Everything else is good.

 

What I see first in a movie is what I will accept. Changes don't jar me out of the movie. Vader NO in ROTJ aside but I can get through it.
I like to think Boba Fett had a voice changer thing or something. With armor like he had is that really out of the question for him? I saw the youtube video of TM saying Boba's lines in ESB and it is flat compared to the original voice. If I think the original thing is cool as is the change had better be just as cool. The Fett voice change isn't.
The ESB Original Emperor thing is a change that is probably a good idea since it is the only time we see that but I like to think that Palpatine has a sense of humor or something.

 

I feel Morrison stresses the wrong words or something as Boba Fett's voice. The original voice was hardened, mean and memorable.