Star Wars Blu-Ray: Are We Happy With A Return of the Jedi Or Is This A Case Of An Attack Of The Clones?

The new Blu-ray edition of the STAR WARS saga was released today and is likely to prove popular amongst fans across the world – but is George Lucas right to release this latest ‘version’ of the film series and should it be his last?

Back in August last year, George Lucas revealed his plans for a new STAR WARS saga on Blu Ray.

In announcing the release of the new nine- disc edition of the franchise, spanning six films, there was a telling quote from Lucas himself.

Speaking about the new ‘edits’ to the film, he admitted ‘there’s some really good material that will be included in there,’ adding that there would also be’“more deleted scenes that you haven’t seen yet.’

The comments were puzzling.  After all, the original STAR WARS trilogy had been subject to two revamps since its release. Back in 1997, cinemagoers enjoyed the ‘digitally remastered’ versions of the Star Wars trilogy, including some fully restored scenes and an overhaul of the picture quality and soundtrack.

Then in 2004, came the next chapter in the STAR WARS trilogy revamp, with the original three films released on DVD with a wealth of extra scenes, commentaries and documentaries. They were soon accompanied by the more recent prequel trilogy, as fans were able to soak up extra hours of Jar Jar Binks, Ewan McGregor’s beard and Hayen Christiansen waiting to be Darth Vader.

Now, fans of the series could enjoy previously unseen footage of the series alongside CGI improvements for the true ‘complete’ vision of the saga. Except it turns out that that wasn’t part of George Lucas’s vision. Instead, his vision seems to have focused on allowing STAR WARS fanatics to pay out for six double disc editions of the saga on DVD and then hit them with a Blu-ray disc release.

And how do you ensure that these fans will purchase the collection? Withhold a few deleted scenes for the release. Film studios have long applied the three stage rule to releasing films on dvd (vanilla disc, disc with extras, special two disc collector’s edition) but few have proven as cynical as George Lucas in their approach.

Worse still, a review of the ‘extra content’ featured on the film provides an even more alarming reminder of just how far things have gone. Highlights include CGI ewok eyelids, an improved door to Jabba the Hutt’s palace and a few scenes off the cutting room floor that are unlikely to ‘complete’ the vision for Lucas.

Yet arguably the most lamentable of these editions comes with the inclusion of a soundbite during Luke Skywalker’s final confrontation with Emperor Palpatine. Here, Darth Vader, in a moment of clarity, opts to save his son and push Palpatine to his death. A perfect conclusion for some, but how could it be improved?

Well, for Lucas, it seems that the logically improvement was to insert two different versions of Darth Vader saying ‘nooo!!!’ first as Luke confronts the Emperor and then just before he throws him from the platform.

Like the Ewok eyebrows and Jabba the Hutt’s door before it, the addition smacks of the unnecessary. The soundof James Earl Jones saying ‘nooo!!!’ adds little to the film and is instead seemingly designed to promote the disc as featuring ‘the original ending as the director intended.’

If Lucas had planned for this to feature, then thank goodness someone at the studio had the power to stop him. However, this is unlikely to be the case. Instead, the addition points to a much more cynical ploy from Lucas to mesh the original trilogy with the more recent prequel series.

At the conclusion of Episode III, Anakin Skywalker is turned into Darth Vader. Informed of his wife, Luke Skywalker’s mother’s death, Darth Vader breaks from his chains exclaiming ‘nooo!!!’

Suddenly, the inclusion makes sense; the two films are now linked by the most basic piece of dialogue. In truth, Lucas has long struggled to mesh the seemingly modern appearance of Episodes I to III with IV to VI.

This remains for many the real problem of the new trilogy. With a story line focusing on trade agreements, the scripts lacked the strength to stand alone. Instead we are treated a process of recognition, as we are introduced to characters and plots that we know will become relevant or of interest in the original trilogy.

Elsewhere of the trilogy then plays out with fans essentially waiting for Anakin to become Darth Vader fragmented scenes of lightsabre fights.

Dazzling in their own right, these scenes essentially boil down to a chance to promote the toys and stars of the film with the likes of Ewan McGregor and Samuel L. Jackson donning Jedi gear in a bid to boost the series marketability.

Make no mistake though, the original Star Wars represents one of the best family films of all time. Well-paced with stunning effects for its time, their influence remains timeless.Yet for Lucas and Co the time to move on has seemingly passed. The notion of creating a new film as a director seems to have been lost in those early efforts of such promise.

THX 1138 and AMERICAN GRAFITTI signalled the arrival of an exciting new talent and though he collaborated with Spielberg on the INDIANA JONES films, Lucas has failed to return to directing since then.

Instead, Lucas seems content to milk the Star Wars franchise for all it’s worth with the more recently trilogy seemingly offering the grounding for him to sell the saga to a new audience.

Need proof of that? Take a look at the newly made STAR WARS CLONE WARS animated series which looks set to follow THE EWOK ADVENTURE and DROIDS in the saga of tired cartoon cash ins.

Perhaps the truth of the matter lies in the reaction to THE PHANTOM MENACE itself. Lucas had spent so long out of the director’s seat, revered for his work in STAR WARS that when he released EPISODE I to negative criticism, that it may have given him a nasty shock.

Indeed, the pressure to replicate the success of STAR WARS may ultimately be the real reason behind Lucas’s choice to stick with the series. So for now, it may simply be wise to enjoy the STAR WARS Blu-ray saga for what it is: the only showcase of a talented writer and director with a fantastic vision of an alternate world.

Let’s just hope that there aren’t any other alternate visions of this world waiting for some kind of 3-D release. Though I wouldn’t count against it.