"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...", a group of proud and courageous rebels decided to rebel against an evil empire, thereby securing peace and freedom for all who lived.
But you know all that. I really see no point in restating the salient points of an unforgettable saga featuring a young Jedi in the making, his royal sister, her scruffy looking scoundrel of a love interest, said nerf herder's tall and hairy brooding sidekick, their two droids and the dark lord of the Sith who overshadows them all.
Instead, allow me to help you focus on why exactly George Lucas' cinematic masterpiece justly deserves its own special spot on your blu-ray shelf, as well as some of the incentives which have been thrown into this complete, nine-disc high definition set.
It's All About the Extras
Well, yes, there's also the fact that you get all six films (sold as a whole, or as two separate sets, for those of you averse to a certain annoying Gungan sidekick) in absolutely crisp and lush 1080p, not to mention completely remastered DTS sound. What really kills here is the massive amount of extras.
You have to assume at this point that George Lucas was patiently waiting for the HD format to exist before he decided to unleash every morsel of relevant info, picture, graphic, matte painting, interview and deleted scene, as contained in this definitive box set. Case in point, as of this writing I've had a review copy of this set for almost two weeks, and am just about done looking over the near-40 hours' worth of material included in this fan-friendly kit.
So, you ask, why give it a 4.75 out of 5? Why not give one of the most influential pieces of filmmaking of the past 30 years a perfect score? Well, my fellow rebel fighters (or Sith Lords? Judge I do not), it really all comes down to the Lucas Tweak.
Once again, the series' creator decided to go back to the drawing board one more time, in order to adjust some of those last untouched scenes which might have benefited from modern technology, if only to "improve" the final product.
Those cuddly Muppet offshoots, the Ewoks, now have eyes which seem a slight bit more animated, giving them less of a "little person in an Ewok suit" sort of feeling. Also tweaked is the appearance of Yoda in Episode I, where Lucas opted to replace the prequel's rubber puppet with the same CGI creature we got to enjoy in the following two films. The illusion is much better in this case.
My main beef with Mr. Lucas rests with an additional bit of dialogue in the pivotal climax of Episode VI, Return of the Jedi. As Luke slowly gets a deadly jolt of nasty Sith electricity throughout his poor Jedi frame, Darth Vader now appears to utter a goofy sounding "Noooooooo!" not unlike his shameful utterance from the last moments of Episode III, Revenge of the Sith. I found said tweak to be completely superficial, superfluous and downright silly.
So Why Buy Star Wars The Complete Saga?
The short answer? It's a must-have item for anyone who's accepted the joy that is high definition film in their lives. Most major scenes from this series -- I'm thinking the trench scene, the Duel of the Fates, Darth Vs. Luke on Bespin, the Battle Over Endor --- have never looked better. Add to this countless bonus features such as an incredibly informative audio commentary by Lucas himself with cast and crew, and you have yourself an item which can be watched over and over again, especially on a cold gloomy day.
To coin a phrase, the Force is definitely strong with this one.
Note: If you're a hardcore fan -- and I know you are, if you're reading this -- I suggest you seek out the four dozen or so deleted scenes from all six films. It brings so much more to the overall backstory and feel of the franchise. Enjoy!
Star Wars The Complete Saga on Blu-Ray: 4.75 out of 5
Dominic Messier - Dominic Messier is a Toronto-based Film & TV writer, Sci-Fi TV and Film Dramas Topic Editor, and creator of PopCultureLandscape.com
