DVD Movie Rating for: Star Wars Trilogy

Rating

Movie Plot of: Star Wars Trilogy

Star Wars A New Hope:

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... An evil Empire maintains an iron grip on the galaxy. But a rebel alliance has formed to fight them and are massing against the Empire's latest secret weapon, the Death Star. Young Luke Skywalker becomes involved with the alliance and finds himself drawn into the war against the Empire and their agent, the evil Darth Vader

Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back:

Hiding from the Empire's fleet of Imperial Star Destroyers, the Rebellion takes refuge on the ice planet of Hoth. While out on patrol, Luke Skywalker (Hamill) is confronted by the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Guinness), who instructs him to go to Dagobah and seek out the Jedi Master Yoda (Oz). The rebels are discovered, and following a battle with the Empire, Luke leaves the Rebellion to find Yoda, while Princess Leia (Fisher), Han Solo (Ford), Chewbacca (Mayhew) and the droids C-3PO (Daniels) and R2-D2 (Baker) leave Hoth in the Millennium Falcon.

After arriving on Dagobah, Luke begins his training with Yoda to becoming a Jedi Knight. Meanwhile, Darth Vader (Prowse/Jones), dispatches a number of bounty hunters to seek out Princess Leia and her protectors. Boba Fett, one of the hunters, tracks the Millennium Falcon to Cloud City where he devises a trap.

Star Wars Return of the Jedi

After Luke Skywalker (Hamill), Princess Leia (Fisher), Chewbacca (Mayhew) and the two droids, C-3PO (Daniels) and R2-D2 (Baker), rescue Han Solo (Ford) from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt back on Tatooine, the group joins up with the Rebel forces who are preparing a major assault on the Empire. The plan is to have Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and the droids slip onto planet Endor where the Empire keeps their power generator used to create a force field around the Death Star. Once the generator is destroyed, the Rebellion will make an all out attack on the Death Star in the hopes of destroying it and Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), hidden inside.

But while on Endor, Luke is troubled by the knowledge that to become a Jedi, he must destroy Darth Vader (Prowse/Jones), who has discovered Luke's location using the Force.

DVD Production Details of: Star Wars Trilogy

Star Wars Trilogy The Movies

The Star Wars Trilogy had the rare distinction of becoming a cultural phenomenon, a defining event for its generation. On its surface, George Lucas's story is a rollicking and humorous space fantasy that owes debts to more influences than one can count on two hands, but filmgoers became entranced by its basic struggle of good vs. evil "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away," its dazzling special effects, and a mythology of Jedi knights, the Force, and droids. Over the course of three films- - Star Wars A New Hope (1977), Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Star Wars Return of the Jedi (1983)--Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and the roguish Han Solo (Harrison Ford) join the Rebel alliance in a galactic war against the Empire, the menacing Darth Vader (David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones), and eventually the all-powerful Emperor (Ian McDiarmid). Empire is generally considered the best of the films and Jedi the most uneven, but all three are vastly superior to the more technologically impressive prequels that followed, Episode I, The Phantom Menace (1999) and Episode II, Attack of the Clones (2002). How Are the Picture and Sound?

In a word, spectacular. Thanks to a new digital transfer, you've never seen C-3PO glow so golden, and Darth Vader's helmet is as black as the Dark Side. And at the climactic scene of A New Hope, see if the Dolby 5.1 EX sound doesn't knock you back in your chair. Other audio options are Dolby 2.0 Surround in English, Spanish, and French. (Sorry, DTS fans, but previous Star Wars DVDs didn't have DTS either.) There have been a few quibbles with the audio on A New Hope, however. A few seconds of Peter Cushing's dialogue ("Then name the system!") are distorted, and the music (but not the sound effects) is reversed in the rear channels. For example, in the final scene, the brass is in the front right channel but the back left channel (from the viewer's perspective), and the strings are in the left front and back right. The result feels like the instruments are crossing through the viewer.

Star Wars Trilogy What's Been Changed?

The rumors are true: Lucas made more changes to the films for their DVD debut. Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) has been added to a scene in Jedi, Ian McDiarmid (the Emperor) replaces Clive Revill with slightly revised lines in Empire, Temuera Morrison has rerecorded Boba Fett's minimal dialogue, and some other small details have been altered. Yes, these changes mean that the Star Wars films are no longer the ones you saw 20 years ago, but these brief changes hardly affect the films, and they do make sense in the overall continuity of the two trilogies. It's not like a digitized Ewan McGregor has replaced Alec Guiness's scenes, and the infamous changes made for the 1997 special-edition versions were much more intrusive (of course, those are in the DVD versions as well).

Star Wars Trilogy How Are the Bonus Features?

Toplining is Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy, a 150-minute documentary incorporating not only the usual making-of nuts and bolts but also the political workings of the movie studios and the difficulties Lucas had getting his vision to the screen (for example, after resigning from the Directors' Guild, he lost his first choice for director of Jedi: Steven Spielberg). It's a little adulatory, but it has plenty to interest any fan. The three substantial featurettes are "The Characters of Star Wars" (19 min.), which discusses the development of the characters we all know and love, "The Birth of the Lightsaber" (15 min.), about the creation and evolution of a Jedi's ultimate weapon, and "The Force Is with Them: The Legacy of Star Wars" (15 min.), in which filmmakers such as Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott, and James Cameron talk about how they and the industry were affected by the films and Lucas's technological developments in visual effects, sound, and computer animation.

The bonus features are excellent and along the same lines as those created for The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. Each film has a commentary track, recorded by Lucas, Ben Burtt (sound design), Dennis Muren (visual effects), and Carrie Fisher, with Irvin Kershner joining in on the film he directed, The Empire Strikes Back. Recorded separately and skillfully edited together (with supertitles to identify who is speaking), the tracks lack the energy of group commentaries, but they're enjoyable and informative, with a nice mix of overall vision (Lucas), technical details (Burtt, Muren, Kershner), and actor's perspective (Fisher). Interestingly, they discuss some of the 1997 changes (Mos Eisley creatures, the new Jabba the Hutt scene) but not those made for the DVDs.

There's also a sampler of the Xbox game Star Wars: Battlefront, which lets the player reenact classic film scenarios (blast Ewoks in the battle of Endor!); trailers and TV spots from the films' many releases; and a nine-minute preview of the last film in the series, Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (here identified by an earlier working title, The Return of Darth Vader). Small extra touches include anamorphic widescreen motion menus with dialogue, original poster artwork on the discs, and a whopping 50 chapter stops for each film.

Star Wars Trilogy "The Force Is Strong with This One"

The Star Wars Trilogy is an outstanding DVD set that lives up to the anticipation. There will always be resentment that the original versions of the films are not available as well, but George Lucas maintains that these are the versions he always wanted to make. If fans are able to put this debate aside, they can enjoy the adventures of Luke, Leia, and Han for years to come. --David Horiuchi

Description
Includes:
* Star Wars Episode IV, A New Hope
Commentary by George Lucas, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher
* Star Wars Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back
Commentary by George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher
* Star Wars Episode VI, Return of the Jedi
Commentary by George Lucas, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher

* "Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy," the most comprehensive feature-length documentary ever produced on the Star Wars saga, and never-before-seen footage from the making of all three films
* Featurettes: The Legendary Creatures of Star Wars, The Birth of the Lightsaber, The Legacy of Star Wars
* Teasers, trailers, TV spots, still galleries
* Playable Xbox demo of the new Lucasarts game Star Wars Battlefront
* The making of the Episode III videogame
* Exclusive preview of Star Wars: Episode III

Star Wars Trilogy Bonus DVD

The Star Wars Trilogy Bonus DVD contains the following material:

Star Wars Episode III Behind the Scenes Preview: The Return of Darth Vader: Finally, Star Wars: Episode III will reveal just how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader, the most iconic villain in film history. In this exclusive preview, George Lucas discusses Anakin's descent, with a first look at the new Vader costume forged for Episode III. Also, experience how Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor have prepared for the epic lightsaber battle that has been anticipated for more than two decades: the climactic showdown between Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Birth of the Lightsaber: Its unforgettable hum and scintillating glow are instantly recognizable around the world. Now, viewers will discover the origins of this elegant weapon from a more civilized age in this documentary devoted to the lightsaber.

The Characters of Star Wars: An in-depth look at how favorite characters came to be, featuring rare concept art, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with George Lucas and the cast and crew who shaped the screen's favorite heroes.

The Force Is With Them: The Legacy of Star Wars: Star Wars opened up a galaxy of possibilities to a generation of filmmakers and creative talents. Hear from some of the most notable filmmakers of our time about how influential the Star Wars movies have been to their lives.

Star Wars Battlefront Trailer and Playable Demo: The fourth disc will offer a trailer featuring an exciting look at the upcoming Star Wars Battlefront video game from LucasArts, along with a special demo for Xbox users that lets players fight the Battle of Endor as a Rebel or Imperial soldier and drive AT-STs, ride speeder bikes and use different weapons to lead their side to victory. The full version of Star Wars Battlefront will also be released Sept. 21 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC.

Star Wars: Episode III Making the Game Preview: Video-game players will be able to experience the stunning Jedi action of Episode III themselves in the new Star Wars: Episode III game, due out in Spring 2005 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. This special feature shows how game developers at LucasArts worked behind-the-scenes and on the set to create the most authentic Jedi experience ever.

Star Wars Original Trailers and TV Spots: The original theatrical teaser, launch and re-release trailers for each film, plus TV spots, are featured on the DVD.

Star Wars Never-Before-Seen Production Gallery: Delve into an unseen corners of the Lucasfilm Archives with exclusive photos from the making of the trilogy, with hundreds of rare behind-the-scene images.

Star Wars Posters and Print Campaigns: The original releases of the Star Wars films came at a time when international campaigns produced a wealth of intriguing, alternative poster art. Explore a collection of theatrical posters from around the world.

Star Wars Exclusive DVD-ROM Content: The Star Wars Trilogy DVDs are keys that unlock exclusive content available only through a special DVD-ROM website.

Star Wars Trilogy Easter Eggs

On the Bonus Disc, go to Video game & Still galleries page. Using the remote press 11 or 10+,1, wait for the pause,3 wait again & then 8

Interview with George Lucas on the making of Star Wars Trilogy

Q. Why did you change your mind and decide to put the original three movies out on DVD now?
George Lucas: A lot of people are getting very worried about piracy. That has really eaten dramatically into the sales. It really just came down to, there may not be a market when I wanted to bring it out, three years from now. So rather than just sit by and watch the whole thing fall apart, better to bring it out early and get it over with.

Q. Why did you rework the original trilogy into the special-edition versions in the late 1990s?
George Lucas A. The special edition ones are the films I wanted to make. Anybody that makes films knows the film is never finished. It's abandoned or it's ripped out of your hands and it's thrown into the marketplace, never finished. ... And even most artists, most painters, even composers would want to come back and redo their work now. They've got a new perspective on it, they've got more resources, they have better technology, and they can fix or finish the things that were never done. ... I wanted to actually finish the film the way it was meant to be when I was originally doing it. ... I said, "Well, the film only came out to be 25 or 30 percent of what I wanted it to be." ... If you read any interviews for about an eight- or nine-year period there, it was all about how disappointed I was and how unhappy I was and what a dismal experience it was. ... So this was my chance to finish it.

Q. Why not release both the originals and special editions on DVD?
George Lucas A. The special edition, that's the one I wanted out there. The other movie, it's on VHS, if anybody wants it. ... I'm not going to spend the, we're talking millions of dollars here, the money and the time to refurbish that, because to me, it doesn't really exist anymore. It's like this is the movie I wanted it to be, and I'm sorry you saw half a completed film and fell in love with it. But I want it to be the way I want it to be.

Q. Do you pay much attention to fan reactions to your choices?
George Lucas A. Not really. ... The thing about science-fiction fans and "Star Wars" fans is they're very independent-thinking people. They all think outside the box, but they all have very strong ideas about what should happen, and they think it should be their way. Which is fine, except I'm making the movies, so I should have it my way.

Cast of the movie: Star Wars Trilogy

Cast of Star Wars movies

• Mark Hamill .... Luke Skywalker
• Harrison Ford .... Han Solo
• Carrie Fisher .... Princess Leia Organa
• Peter Cushing .... Grand Moff Tarkin
• Alec Guinness .... Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi
• Billy Dee Williams .... Lando Calrissian

Photo Gallery of the movie: Star Wars Trilogy

Click on one of the thumbnails to see the full size high quality photos, posters and wallpapers of Star Wars Trilogy

Star Wars Trilogy DVD Set

Reviews of the movie: Star Wars Trilogy

There was nothing like Star Wars when the first installment hit the screens in 1977. Sure, there had been science fiction films before, even great ones like 2001: A Space Odyssey or Planet of the Apes, both in 1968. There were action sci-fi serials like Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon, and television shows like Star Trek or Doctor Who. For fantasy, there were the stop-motion animated spectacles of Ray Harryhausen. But Star Wars took an astonishing leap forward: there really was nothing even remotely like it.

What was so ground-breaking about Star Wars? First and foremost, I'd argue that it's a phenomenally successful blending of science fiction and fantasy, something that hadn't been done before and, in truth, has not really been done since. Star Wars is not really "science fiction" in anything other than its superficial trappings; it is really a fairy tale. And it's deliberately so: George Lucas drew on basic elements of mythology to craft his tale, drawing insights and inspiration from Joseph Campbell, who had explored the nature of the mythological hero figure in The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

It's that mythological base that makes the story arc of Star Wars work so well, particularly with younger viewers. Luke Skywalker is the hero, but he's an Everyman kind of hero: a farm boy who discovers that he is the heir to an amazing legacy, and who is catapulted unprepared into a story of galactic proportions. As the most naive of the characters, he shares our wonder and amazement as he discovers the world beyond his limited horizons. Shrewdly, though, Lucas made Skywalker very much a functioning part of his universe: while the audience may be amazed at things like droids, hovercraft, and weird aliens, Luke takes them as a matter of course, because they're part of his normal surroundings.

Everything about the epic Star Wars saga has its roots in myth and fable. The enemy is the Empire, with its chilling ranks of armored, faceless Stormtroopers; the good guys are the rebels fighting for freedom. You might think it's odd for the Republic to be represented by a princess, but in fairy tale and myth, royal blood and essential goodness go hand in hand. But as with Luke, George Lucas wisely gave Leia a modern touch to make her more than just an archetype: she's no passive sit-in-a-tower princess, but a true leader of her people. And let's not forget Darth Vader, who embodies all that is dark and frightening about human nature: a dark side that Luke (like us) cannot simply destroy, but must come to terms with.

What's perhaps most interesting about this blend of fantasy and science fiction is that it still remains essentially unique; while many films and television shows were immediately inspired by the science-fictional elements and the sweeping story arc, the fundamental concept of blending the two genres still remains largely the province of Star Wars. That continuing uniqueness is one reason why the three original Star Wars films retain their storytelling power. Think of The Lord of the Rings, in contrast: the original novel was utterly ground-breaking when it was published in the 1950s, but its influence was too profound for its own good. After reading and watching so many stories that were influenced by Tolkien's work, it's almost impossible to experience The Lord of the Rings as having the same power as when it first came out. Not so with Star Wars, which still has its original freshness.

In terms of narrative structure, the three Star Wars films are deftly crafted. We start out "in the middle of things" as C-3PO and R2-D2 escape with Princess Leia's message, giving us a taste of the thrills to come. It doesn't overload us, though, because immediately afterwards we shift to the quieter scenes of Luke tending the farm and dealing with ordinary life (although it's still far from truly "ordinary" to the viewer). From here on, we add new complications and new characters at a steady but never overwhelming pace: as we meet Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo and Chewbacca, Yoda, Lando Calrissian, and the Emperor, each new element layers on over the preceding ones to build a more and more engaging story. As Luke learns more about himself and his place in the galaxy, so do we... which makes our attachment to him, the Everyman character, all the stronger.

The story is far from the only reason why the Star Wars films succeed the way they do. Lucas' vision of the Star Wars universe is extraordinarily original even now, and certainly even more so when we consider the paucity of comparable material in 1977-1983. The worlds of the films - even the fact that we're talking about worlds, plural - offer a fresh and wildly imaginative universe that practically begs the viewer to imagine himself a part of it. While we might justifiably poke fun at the "single-climate planets" (a desert world, a snow world, a jungle world), we do get a richly textured society, developed primarily through the visual elements of the film: the varied alien races, their wide assortment of technology, the weird flora and fauna of each place, and so on.

It's not just the breadth and depth of Lucas' imagination that makes the Star Wars universe work... it's how he presents it. Lucas tells his story without explaining or showcasing the world it's set in: we see what we see when (and if) it becomes part of the story, and only to the extent that it is part of the story, whether it's the Mos Eisely spaceport, Cloud City, or the iniquitous den of Jabba the Hut. There are countless really neat details about the Star Wars universe, but what makes them work is that they remain in the background where they belong. Lucas never shoehorns in any "As you know, Bob" dialogue to explain things like droids; they're just there, and taken as a matter of course by all the characters, just like we take a telephone or a laptop computer as a matter of course. This approach is remarkably effective in creating the sense of an expansive world that extends beyond the fringes of the movie set, and it has been used to good effect in other films, particularly ones like Alien that were specifically influenced by Star Wars, but like the blending of fantasy and science fiction, it doesn't show up in other genre films to the extent that we might have expected.

Any discussion of the influence of Star Wars would be incomplete without mentioning the innovation of the "used future," which is one element that has certainly had a profound influence on subsequent science fiction. Unlike the plastic-and-steel sterility of earlier science fiction worlds, Star Wars looks grubby. The equipment is beat-up, places are dirty and messy, people have worn and grubby clothes. In other words, the universe of Star Wars looks lived-in, and that adds a tremendous amount to its depth and believability. I love Star Trek, but to be honest, when Scotty or Geordi is desperately trying to fix something-or-other in the engine room, it never has the same gritty feeling of realism as when Han Solo is jerry-rigging the Millennium Falcon. Star Wars would be noteworthy for this visual innovation alone, even if it weren't such a success on all its other levels.

And in the end, what it comes down to is that the three Star Wars movies are lots of fun. Influence and significance aside, they tell a gripping and entertaining story that sucks you in from the very beginning and doesn't ever let go. I haven't addressed the films individually in this review because in all the ways that really matter, the Star Wars trilogy is one piece. A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi all have different things to offer in terms of excitement and discovery, but the reasons why they work so well are common to all three films. I'm not even going to profess any favorites here: all three films are well paced, and all three build progressively on the story and characters to a satisfying climax. I am without a doubt in the minority when I say this, but I even think the Ewoks are perfectly OK in Return of the Jedi: a little silly perhaps, but not, I think, overdone. (For those who feel otherwise, the game Star Wars: Battlefront will be to your liking: apparently you can kill Ewoks in it.)

This review wouldn't be complete if I didn't address the issue of "special edition versus original edition." In a nutshell: the fact that we're seeing just the special edition is the reason this set is half-a-star short of a perfect five stars for content. I truly appreciate the restoration that has been done to the films, and I wouldn't trade the special-edition restored versions for an unrestored original version... but I wish these were the original cuts of the film, because I don't think the added material is good enough to justify messing around with the film that a whole generation knew and loved. On the other hand, I don't think the changes really hurt the films, either, and in fact some of the added visual details do add to the depth and texture of the story world as intended. In any case, what's abundantly clear is that this version is what George Lucas really wants us to see... it would be silly to let dissatisfaction over a few relatively minor changes spoil our enjoyment of a truly phenomenal story. My praise for Star Wars holds true for the "special edition" just as much as much as for the original... and probably more so, in truth, now that improved technology has allowed Lucas to effectively erase the once-visible line between "real" and "special effect."

What's the final verdict? These are great films. They're important for their place in film history, to be sure, but more importantly in my view, they're fun to watch, transporting us to a different place and time and drawing us into an exciting and compelling adventure story. There's a reason why Star Wars has lodged itself so deeply in popular culture: it's fantastic.

Star Wars Trilogy The DVD

The Star Wars Trilogy is a four-DVD set: one DVD per film, plus a fourth for the bonus material. Each disc is packaged in a single keepcase, which fits into a paperboard slipcase. A slightly sturdier glossy paperboard outer slipcase fits over this case, making for an overall very attractive presentation, as the outer case's artwork features an embossed Darth Vader face on one side and the group of main characters on the other, all drawn in a stylized manner. I'm very pleased to see Fox go for practical, easy-to-access packaging rather than trying to create some weirdly inventive new way to hold the discs; the set looks very nice, it's easy to handle, it's convenient to be able to take out the individual films in their own cases, and it will fit nicely on the shelf.

Each DVD has an insert sheet with the chapter stops (for the films) and the content of the bonus material (for the fourth disc).

For those who like fancy menus, the Star Wars DVDs are sure to please. Each DVD has its own specially designed animated menu with its background drawn from the planets visited in that film. For each menu, there are three different "planet style" options: you'll get a different one randomly each time you boot up the DVD. The menus themselves are animated with shots from the film; there are some spoiler images but nothing too bad. It's easy to navigate, as the menu selection text is clear and easy to read.

I am very pleased to report that all of the menu animations are entirely skippable, so once you get tired of admiring them, you can proceed swiftly to the actual content.

Star Wars Trilogy Video

With all the fanfare surrounding the release of the Star Wars TrilogyDVDs, you would naturally expect a flawless transfer, and I'm pleased to report that the Star Wars Trilogy lives up to nearly everything we might expect.

Each of the films is presented in its original 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio (at least if you get the widescreen version: there's a pan-and-scan release as well. Ugh. Look for the word "widescreen" printed on the spine of the case to identify the right version.). All three are anamorphically enhanced.

Across all three films, the new and painstaking restoration process allows us to see the material in all its glory; it's not even remotely exaggerating to say that these transfers are far better than anything that was ever shown in the theaters, whether in 1977 or 1997. The prints are impeccably clean, with not even the tiniest bit of noise or particle of dirt appearing in the image. (If that doesn't sound impressive, take a look at the image as it appears in the trailers: you'll be shocked at how awful it looks.) In some scenes, a very small amount of grain is perceptible, more so in Episode IV than in the other two, but I think we're looking at the ultimate limitations of the source material here.

Colors are certainly a high point of the new transfers. Everything looks bright and vibrant, but not too much so: the world of Star Wars is still a grimy "used" future. But where we're supposed to get color, it looks fantastic, from C-3PO's golden droid skin to the blue of a cloudless sky. Skin tones are always natural-looking, with none of the brownish tint that so often creeps into 1970s-era films. Whites are stunningly clean and white, even in extremely challenging scenes like those on the snow-covered planet of Hoth, and blacks are always richly dark.

One especially pleasing aspect of the transfers is how seamlessly all the footage blends together. The footage added in 1997 for the special editions is so smoothly integrated that it's impossible to notice it; regardless of your thoughts on the merits of adding that material, in terms of the visual integrity of the material it's impeccable. On the other end of the time scale, the original special effects shots have been treated amazingly well in the restoration. Because of the way that the special effects were created (using multiple layers of film), they inevitably showed more flaws and wear than the rest of the print; viewers will also recall the blocky matte outlines that surrounded the ships in the space shots. All those special-effects-related flaws have been gracefully corrected: even with a highly critical eye I couldn't catch any indications that the shots were anything but "live action." In this case, the visual seamlessness of the films adds considerably to the enjoyment of the story, reducing almost to zero the potential moments where suspension of disbelief is shaken. (There are still those puppets in the cantina, but hey, they have their own charm.)

A nice side effect of the cleaned-up space shots is that, without the distraction of matte lines, it's a lot easier to appreciate the spectacular special-effects cinematography. The battle scenes in particular make impressive use of all three dimensions, which is something that's rare to see in science fiction films even now.

To be entirely accurate, I'll point out that the transfers aren't absolutely perfect. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope doesn't look quite as pristine as the two sequels: the image tends to be very slightly softer, and some of the dimly-lit scenes look a bit too dark in some areas of the image. That's really to be expected, though, given that this film is older than the others. The one real flaw is the presence of a small amount of edge enhancement in all three films. It's only apparent in a few scenes where there's high contrast between foreground and background, and it's minor as far as edge enhancement goes, but it didn't need to be there at all. Even so, considering that the transfer of The Phantom Menace was butchered by edge enhancement, the minimal presence of edge enhancement in Attack of the Clones and now this release is a huge step forward for Lucasarts.

Star Wars Trilogy Audio

Viewers have the choice of a Dolby 5.1 or a Dolby 2.0 soundtrack for each film. (A dubbed Spanish 2.0 and French 2.0 track are also included.) While the Dolby 2.0 option is very good for a basic surround track, offering a clean and pleasing listening experience, the 5.1 is what you'll want to choose if you have the setup for it. English subtitles are also included.

The Dolby 5.1 track offers a lovely, detailed audio experience, with a pleasing sense of depth to the sound quality in all three films. Dialogue is consistently crisp, natural-sounding, and well balanced with the track as a whole... and of course, unlike a tame dialogue-based film, the Star Wars movies are loaded with nifty audio special effects, all of which sound fantastic. John Williams' unforgettable score fills the speakers with a rich, full sound that complements the film perfectly; this is one set of movie soundtracks that's truly worth listening to purely on its own merits.

Of the three films, A New Hope makes the least use of specific surround effects; the overall sound is nicely balanced across all the channels, creating an immersive audio experience, but there aren't many instances of discrete effects being placed to the side or rear channels. All that changes in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, both of which have phenomenal surround sound. From environmental noises like wind, to blaster shots whipping right past your ear, the audio mix in the second and third films really does a superb job of placing the viewer in the midst of the movie action.

One thing that's constant across all three films is how effectively the soundtrack uses bass: your subwoofer will see a workout in any of the space battles. The deep rumble of the battleships gets right into your bones, and there's a definite bass punch to the more powerful weapons. Not only do the Empire's ships look impressive, they sound that way too.

The only quibble I have with the soundtracks is that I think they're perhaps a bit too aggressive with the volume levels in the action sequences. While as a whole the soundtrack is very well balanced among dialogue, music, and special effects, when the large action scenes start up, the overall volume gets higher than I think is totally necessary. If you have no neighbors (or if they're very understanding neighbors) this may not bother you; otherwise, you may have to tweak the volume controls a few times over the course of the films.

Star Wars Trilogy Extras

Each of the three films has a full audio commentary track: George Lucas, sound designer Ben Burtt, special-effects cameraman Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher participate in the commentaries for all three movies, with director Irvin Kershner also present for the commentary on The Empire Strikes Back. It's clear that each person's comments were recorded separately, as there's no conversation back and forth among them; instead, we get a segment of one person discussing part of the film, then another commenting on another part that he was more involved with, and so on. While viewers may at first be disappointed at the lack of spontaneity here, the end result is a commentary that's considerably more worthwhile than most. Because the various comments appear to have been thought-out beforehand, the content is interesting and substantive, with few pauses and no instances of "I have nothing to say so I'll describe what's happening in the scene."

The real bonus content is on the fourth disc, and it's very nice indeed. Front and center is the making-of documentary: "The Empire of Dreams." At two and a half hours, this is a complete film in its own right. Produced and directed by Kevin Burns, who directed the outstanding making-of documentary for Cleopatra, "The Empire of Dreams" follows the making of the three films from beginning to end, using archival footage as well as a bevy of brand-new interviews (from more than 40 participants) to create a detailed picture of the epic story that went on behind the scenes as well as in front of it. Burns was given a mandate by George Lucas to do a truly honest, warts-and-all portrayal, and the result is a fascinating piece that will be a delight to both die-hard fans and relatively casual viewers.

Three additional featurettes covering various "behind the scenes" topics are also included in the same section. "The Characters of Star Wars" (19 minutes) touches on the development of the main characters, as well as the casting of the actors, with some very interesting facts coming to light, like the original idea for Han Solo to be a green monster. "The Birth of the Lightsaber" (15 minutes) delves into the inspiration for the famous Jedi weapon as well as technical details of its implementation, and "The Force Is with Them: The Legacy of Star Wars" (13 minutes) talks about the profound influence that Star Wars had on filmmaking.

The next section is a compendium of trailers and TV spots: since it's actually a truly complete collection, with every trailer or teaser ever made, it's worth a browse even for casual fans. The trailers are organized by film, with each segment of the trilogy having a teaser, a launch trailer, and a re-release trailer (as well as an additional 1997 trailer for A New Hope). In the TV spots section, we get a total of eleven spots: four, four, and three respectively.

The Video Games and Still Galleries section contains the balance of the special features. The "production photos" section is quite sensibly designed, so that (unlike most photo galleries) it's actually worth flipping through: the content includes archival images that are exclusive to the DVD, and each image has an informative caption, which can be toggled off if desired. Each film has its own photo gallery, with a "Play all" feature as well. The poster gallery presents images of every one-sheet poster ever made for the films, and allows viewers to switch between full and detail views of each poster.

"Episode III: Making the Game" is a six-minute featurette that takes a look (as the title says) at the process of making the computer game of Episode III. Next is a trailer for Star Wars: Battlefront, a game for the PC, XBox, and Playstation 2. Viewers who have an XBox can also pop the bonus disc into their XBox to access a fully playable demo level of Battlefront (the battle of Endor). Also in this section is a preview of Episode III, called "The Return of Darth Vader." I avoid spoilers like the plague, so I didn't actually watch this, but if you like this sort of thing, you'll probably love this: it's nine minutes long.

Finally, the special features conclude with a notice that you can access further DVD-ROM content on starwars.com.

In a very nice touch, all the bonus materials are presented in anamorphic widescreen, with excellent video and sound quality.

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