Star Wars: The Changes - Part Four
In the fourth and final article in the series we explore the changes to the prequels
As the first in a series of features written in anticipation of the release of the original theatrical versions of the Star Wars trilogy (well, as close to the ‘original trilogy’ as we’re going to get), I have decided to expand my comparison articles to include the changes to the prequel trilogy. While they remain largely untouched when compared to the many alterations made to the original trilogy, it seems that George Lucas just can’t help fiddling with his movies. Who knows why he continues to do this? Perhaps he just didn’t have the technology to realise his original vision back in 1999…Anyway, without further ado, here are those prequel changes in full.
The second disc of the Star War: Episode I - The Phantom Menace DVD set includes a number of deleted scenes. One of these is a complete podrace grid sequence, which introduces all of the racers taking part in the Boonta Eve Classic. Some, but not all, of this footage was reintegrated into the feature film on disc one of the set, as evidenced by the above shot of Ody Mandrell. It doesn’t really have any effect on the plot, but it does affect the pacing. Some felt that the podrace sequence was already long enough in its original form, and that the extension merely slowed the film down even further.
Immediately after podrace announcers Fode and Beed mention the name of Sebulba, the theatrical release of The Phantom Menace features a cutaway shot of Watto cheering on the ‘especially dangerous Dug’. For some reason, the DVD release omits this scene. The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed an unmasked Warwick Davis sitting to one side of Watto. Warwick is most famous for playing Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi, but this little cameo is absent from the DVD release (although his is briefly visible in other shots).
Another fairly significant alteration to the DVD version was the inclusion of more footage during the second lap of the podrace. The race was originally much longer than the one shown in theatres (hard to believe, I know), with more nastiness from Sebulba, more feats of daring-do from Anakin, more Tusken Raider activity and a brief appearance by some scavenger droids. Although not all of the deleted footage was reintegrated, shots of Anakin repairing his racer and outwitting his rival Gasgano were included.
This is one of those changes that most people probably wouldn’t notice, or even care about. Orn Free Taa’s aides were originally a red-skinned Twi’lek female named Supi and a white-skinned male who bore a passing resemblance to Bib Fortuna. Sometime before the theatrical release of The Phantom Menace, the aides were digitally replaced with two humans played by ILM Visual Effects Executive Producer Chrissie England and Lucas Digital President Jim Morris.
For the DVD release, the human aides are gone, and Supi is restored to the scene. She is accompanied by Pampy, Orn Free Taa’s aide from Attack of the Clones. We never did get to see the white-skinned Twi’lek male on screen, but there are numerous images of him scattered around the Internet.
When the Jedi, Queen Amidala and Anakin arrive on Coruscant, they meet with Supreme Chancellor Valorum. After a brief exchange, in which Qui-Gon states that ‘the situation has become much more complicated’, there is an optical wipe to Senator Palpatine’s quarters. In the DVD version, after Qui-Gon’s line, there is a new scene in which Padmé, Anakin and Jar Jar board an air taxi. The taxi’s journey allows for an extended view of the Coruscant cityscape before the wipe to Palpatine’s quarters. This is another scene that slows the pacing of the film, although it does allow for some nice visual effects shots. It also gives Jar Jar another couple of lines of dialogue… It's also worth noting that the addition of the air taxi scene results in the omission of an establishing shot of Senator Palpatine's quarters, as seen below.
This shot immediately followed the old optical wipe, before the scene moved to the interior of Palpatine's quarters. Now, there is an optical wipe at the end of the air taxi sequence, which takes us inside of the building without this establishing shot.
This is one of those ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ moments. In the original theatrical release, Anakin loses his lightsaber while trying to apprehend Zam Wesell, only for Obi-Wan to pluck it out of the air as it flies past. In the shot above you can just about make out a speeder to the left of the frame (look for the long white light above Obi-Wan’s head). In fact, several speeders fly past at high speed during the scene.
What’s this? The above capture is taken from the same moment in time as the first image, but now the speeder has disappeared! In fact, all of the speeders that used to fly past have gone. One theory is that the quick movement of the speeders drew focus away from the relatively small, spinning lightsaber as it flew through the air. This has to rank as one of the most bizarre alterations in the entire saga, but it looks as though no change is too big or too small.
For the digital and DVD releases of Attack of the Clones, the scene in which Anakin confesses to the slaughter of the Tusken Raiders was briefly extended to include new dialogue. You can click here to listen to the original audio, or here for the revised version. In this instance, the extended dialogue actually goes some way to explaining the ease with which Padmé forgives Anakin’s crimes.
This remains one of the most contentious of the alleged changes to the film, and I’m still not entirely convinced anything has been altered. However, so many people claim that the scene has been enhanced I thought it best to include it. In the DVD commentary for Attack of the Clones, George Lucas states that additional sparks have been added to Jango’s jet pack for the DVD version of the film (just after the reek stomps on him). While preparing this article I compared both versions side-by-side and they appear to be identical. However, the quality of my theatrical release of the film isn’t particularly good, so it is possible that the sparks are slightly more vibrant or visible on the DVD version, but there are no additional sparks.
This was one of the most welcome changes for the digital and DVD releases of the film. In the theatrical release, Padmé makes a startling recovery after being thrown out of a moving gunship, as evidence by her rather comical reply to clone trooper’s question. For the digital and DVD releases, the much-derided ‘yes’ was replaced by a more pained expression of ‘uh-huh’.
In the original theatrical release of Attack of the Clones, there is a shot of Anakin’s mechanical arm during Anakin and Padmé’s wedding. In this version the arm remains relatively still, with only a few ticks and twitches before the shot pans upwards.
The digital and DVD releases are different, in that Padmé now takes Anakin’s mechanical hand in hers before the vertical pan. The fingers of the hand are also considerably more animated in this version.
To my knowledge the following only affected the UK release of the film (and subsequently the UK release of the DVD). Because our beloved BBFC have a thing against head butts, apparently because they’re an ‘imitable technique’ (and punches and kicks aren’t?), a one-to-two second shot of Jango Fett head butting Obi-Wan during their fight was excised. Here we see the shot immediately preceding the head butt.
In this shot, Jango’s helmet connects with Obi-Wan’s comparatively unshielded face. Of course, you didn’t get to see this if you went to see the film in the UK, or if you bought the UK release of the DVD.
Here we see Obi-Wan flying back from the impact of Jango’s helmet (no jokes, please). Again, this shot was absent from the UK theatrical and DVD release of the film.
Finally we cut to another angle as Obi-Wan flies unceremoniously backwards, to eventually land on his arse. This shot was included in the UK theatrical and DVD release. You’d be correct in thinking that the omission of the head butt makes for a rather confusing jump in the action, as Obi-Wan appears to fly backwards for no good reason. Another triumph for the BBFC!
The Revenge of the Sith DVD features only one change from the theatrical release. In the scene above, Obi-Wan has just left Mustafar aboard Padmé’s skiff after defeating Darth Vader. As you can see, there is an optical wipe to a shot of Vader clawing his way up the bank of a river of molten lava.
While the DVD release of the film is much the same, the wipe has been replaced by a traditional cut (this is the exact same frame as above). Not a particularly huge difference, but a difference all the same.
That concludes the list of changes to the prequel trilogy. As you can see, the alterations are nowhere near as extensive as those made to the original trilogy of films, but it’s still interesting to see that changes do occur even in the relatively short window between the theatrical and DVD releases. The Phantom Menace suffers/benefits from the most tinkering—quite probably because of the length of time it took for the DVD to come to market—and as we move through the trilogy the number of alterations lessens until we reach the solitary, almost inconsequential change made to Revenge of the Sith. However, when it comes to George Lucas, the changes still paint a picture of a man who’s never satisfied with the state of his own work. But I digress… Look out for a complete overhaul of the original Star Wars – The Changes articles in the coming weeks, along with reviews of the new DVDs just as soon as I can get my hands on them. Until then, I’m off to imitate Jango’s head butt...
You can read the first, second and third instalments of the guide by clicking here, here and here.
My thanks go to Russ Dawson for his invaluable help in sourcing some of the material for this comparison. I'd also like to thank Greg Rossiter and SKot Kirkwood for pointing out the speeder scene change.
Editorial by Chris Gould
Alterations to Existing Scenes
Extended Podrace Grid Sequence
The second disc of the Star War: Episode I - The Phantom Menace DVD set includes a number of deleted scenes. One of these is a complete podrace grid sequence, which introduces all of the racers taking part in the Boonta Eve Classic. Some, but not all, of this footage was reintegrated into the feature film on disc one of the set, as evidenced by the above shot of Ody Mandrell. It doesn’t really have any effect on the plot, but it does affect the pacing. Some felt that the podrace sequence was already long enough in its original form, and that the extension merely slowed the film down even further.
Watto Cheers Sebulba
Immediately after podrace announcers Fode and Beed mention the name of Sebulba, the theatrical release of The Phantom Menace features a cutaway shot of Watto cheering on the ‘especially dangerous Dug’. For some reason, the DVD release omits this scene. The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed an unmasked Warwick Davis sitting to one side of Watto. Warwick is most famous for playing Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi, but this little cameo is absent from the DVD release (although his is briefly visible in other shots).
Extended Pod Race Lap Two
Another fairly significant alteration to the DVD version was the inclusion of more footage during the second lap of the podrace. The race was originally much longer than the one shown in theatres (hard to believe, I know), with more nastiness from Sebulba, more feats of daring-do from Anakin, more Tusken Raider activity and a brief appearance by some scavenger droids. Although not all of the deleted footage was reintegrated, shots of Anakin repairing his racer and outwitting his rival Gasgano were included.
Orn Free Taa's Aides
This is one of those changes that most people probably wouldn’t notice, or even care about. Orn Free Taa’s aides were originally a red-skinned Twi’lek female named Supi and a white-skinned male who bore a passing resemblance to Bib Fortuna. Sometime before the theatrical release of The Phantom Menace, the aides were digitally replaced with two humans played by ILM Visual Effects Executive Producer Chrissie England and Lucas Digital President Jim Morris.
For the DVD release, the human aides are gone, and Supi is restored to the scene. She is accompanied by Pampy, Orn Free Taa’s aide from Attack of the Clones. We never did get to see the white-skinned Twi’lek male on screen, but there are numerous images of him scattered around the Internet.
New Scenes
Coruscant Air Taxi
When the Jedi, Queen Amidala and Anakin arrive on Coruscant, they meet with Supreme Chancellor Valorum. After a brief exchange, in which Qui-Gon states that ‘the situation has become much more complicated’, there is an optical wipe to Senator Palpatine’s quarters. In the DVD version, after Qui-Gon’s line, there is a new scene in which Padmé, Anakin and Jar Jar board an air taxi. The taxi’s journey allows for an extended view of the Coruscant cityscape before the wipe to Palpatine’s quarters. This is another scene that slows the pacing of the film, although it does allow for some nice visual effects shots. It also gives Jar Jar another couple of lines of dialogue… It's also worth noting that the addition of the air taxi scene results in the omission of an establishing shot of Senator Palpatine's quarters, as seen below.
This shot immediately followed the old optical wipe, before the scene moved to the interior of Palpatine's quarters. Now, there is an optical wipe at the end of the air taxi sequence, which takes us inside of the building without this establishing shot.
Alterations to Existing Scenes
Missing Speeders
This is one of those ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ moments. In the original theatrical release, Anakin loses his lightsaber while trying to apprehend Zam Wesell, only for Obi-Wan to pluck it out of the air as it flies past. In the shot above you can just about make out a speeder to the left of the frame (look for the long white light above Obi-Wan’s head). In fact, several speeders fly past at high speed during the scene.
What’s this? The above capture is taken from the same moment in time as the first image, but now the speeder has disappeared! In fact, all of the speeders that used to fly past have gone. One theory is that the quick movement of the speeders drew focus away from the relatively small, spinning lightsaber as it flew through the air. This has to rank as one of the most bizarre alterations in the entire saga, but it looks as though no change is too big or too small.
'To be angry is to be human.'
For the digital and DVD releases of Attack of the Clones, the scene in which Anakin confesses to the slaughter of the Tusken Raiders was briefly extended to include new dialogue. You can click here to listen to the original audio, or here for the revised version. In this instance, the extended dialogue actually goes some way to explaining the ease with which Padmé forgives Anakin’s crimes.
Jango's Jet Pack
This remains one of the most contentious of the alleged changes to the film, and I’m still not entirely convinced anything has been altered. However, so many people claim that the scene has been enhanced I thought it best to include it. In the DVD commentary for Attack of the Clones, George Lucas states that additional sparks have been added to Jango’s jet pack for the DVD version of the film (just after the reek stomps on him). While preparing this article I compared both versions side-by-side and they appear to be identical. However, the quality of my theatrical release of the film isn’t particularly good, so it is possible that the sparks are slightly more vibrant or visible on the DVD version, but there are no additional sparks.
'Are you alright?'
This was one of the most welcome changes for the digital and DVD releases of the film. In the theatrical release, Padmé makes a startling recovery after being thrown out of a moving gunship, as evidence by her rather comical reply to clone trooper’s question. For the digital and DVD releases, the much-derided ‘yes’ was replaced by a more pained expression of ‘uh-huh’.
Hand in Marriage
In the original theatrical release of Attack of the Clones, there is a shot of Anakin’s mechanical arm during Anakin and Padmé’s wedding. In this version the arm remains relatively still, with only a few ticks and twitches before the shot pans upwards.
The digital and DVD releases are different, in that Padmé now takes Anakin’s mechanical hand in hers before the vertical pan. The fingers of the hand are also considerably more animated in this version.
Cuts
Stitch That!
To my knowledge the following only affected the UK release of the film (and subsequently the UK release of the DVD). Because our beloved BBFC have a thing against head butts, apparently because they’re an ‘imitable technique’ (and punches and kicks aren’t?), a one-to-two second shot of Jango Fett head butting Obi-Wan during their fight was excised. Here we see the shot immediately preceding the head butt.
In this shot, Jango’s helmet connects with Obi-Wan’s comparatively unshielded face. Of course, you didn’t get to see this if you went to see the film in the UK, or if you bought the UK release of the DVD.
Here we see Obi-Wan flying back from the impact of Jango’s helmet (no jokes, please). Again, this shot was absent from the UK theatrical and DVD release of the film.
Finally we cut to another angle as Obi-Wan flies unceremoniously backwards, to eventually land on his arse. This shot was included in the UK theatrical and DVD release. You’d be correct in thinking that the omission of the head butt makes for a rather confusing jump in the action, as Obi-Wan appears to fly backwards for no good reason. Another triumph for the BBFC!
Alterations to Existing Scenes
The Optical Wipe
The Revenge of the Sith DVD features only one change from the theatrical release. In the scene above, Obi-Wan has just left Mustafar aboard Padmé’s skiff after defeating Darth Vader. As you can see, there is an optical wipe to a shot of Vader clawing his way up the bank of a river of molten lava.
While the DVD release of the film is much the same, the wipe has been replaced by a traditional cut (this is the exact same frame as above). Not a particularly huge difference, but a difference all the same.
Conclusions
That concludes the list of changes to the prequel trilogy. As you can see, the alterations are nowhere near as extensive as those made to the original trilogy of films, but it’s still interesting to see that changes do occur even in the relatively short window between the theatrical and DVD releases. The Phantom Menace suffers/benefits from the most tinkering—quite probably because of the length of time it took for the DVD to come to market—and as we move through the trilogy the number of alterations lessens until we reach the solitary, almost inconsequential change made to Revenge of the Sith. However, when it comes to George Lucas, the changes still paint a picture of a man who’s never satisfied with the state of his own work. But I digress… Look out for a complete overhaul of the original Star Wars – The Changes articles in the coming weeks, along with reviews of the new DVDs just as soon as I can get my hands on them. Until then, I’m off to imitate Jango’s head butt...
You can read the first, second and third instalments of the guide by clicking here, here and here.
My thanks go to Russ Dawson for his invaluable help in sourcing some of the material for this comparison. I'd also like to thank Greg Rossiter and SKot Kirkwood for pointing out the speeder scene change.
Editorial by Chris Gould
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p0mt3 wrote: Vader's "Noooo!" scream is altered to sound alot less comical.
I've compared it to the one on the leaked version and it's exactly the same.
I've compared it to the one on the leaked version and it's exactly the same.
Lincoln6Echo wrote: Chris Gould wrote: Quote: I suspect you'll be doing these reviews all over again for the 2007 30th Anniversary Editions.
I won't, as I'm not buying HD for a while. I assume you mean THX restoration as well? TPM looks terrible by today's standards. It's incredibly dirty and has loads of halos for a start. It never really set the word alight even back in 2001.
Star Wars on HD disc? I don't see that happening for a while, at least not next year. Remember how long it took Lucas to finally adopt DVD. I think he'll wait till the medium fully develops itself.
What I was talking about was just the standard DVD edition for next year. Including the CG Yoda for EpI. With such a major change like that, I can only hope EpI gets a new transfer. Even the lightsabers look a little weak in that one compared to EpII and III.
Ick. I dissagree. The sabers in Ep1 looked the best out of all six films; they looked realistic, because they flickered and the outer glow dissolved away very nicely around the edges so it seemed like a weapon like this could actually exist.
The episode 2 and 3 sabers looked like they were done by some kid on his home computer, with pointed tips and solid colors for the glow that simply cut off at the edges. Looked like they were painted on. Very shoddy job, if you ask me.
By the way, if you want proof that all of the films will be re-released soon, including an all-CGI Yoda in Episode 1, simply pop in disc two of the Episode 3 DVD and watch "The Chosen One" featurette, and feast your eyes on a small glimps as to what is to come!
Oh yeah, some things you didn't catch on Episode 3:
Vader's "Noooo!" scream is altered to sound alot less comical.
I could swear on my mother's grave that when I went to the premier of the film in theaters, Ian McDarmid made a face at the camera immediately after his "Double your search" line. When I went to see it later, and subsequently on the DVD, that last second of the shot is now gone. Doess anyone else remember this happening, or am I off my rocker?
I won't, as I'm not buying HD for a while. I assume you mean THX restoration as well? TPM looks terrible by today's standards. It's incredibly dirty and has loads of halos for a start. It never really set the word alight even back in 2001.
Star Wars on HD disc? I don't see that happening for a while, at least not next year. Remember how long it took Lucas to finally adopt DVD. I think he'll wait till the medium fully develops itself.
What I was talking about was just the standard DVD edition for next year. Including the CG Yoda for EpI. With such a major change like that, I can only hope EpI gets a new transfer. Even the lightsabers look a little weak in that one compared to EpII and III.
Ick. I dissagree. The sabers in Ep1 looked the best out of all six films; they looked realistic, because they flickered and the outer glow dissolved away very nicely around the edges so it seemed like a weapon like this could actually exist.
The episode 2 and 3 sabers looked like they were done by some kid on his home computer, with pointed tips and solid colors for the glow that simply cut off at the edges. Looked like they were painted on. Very shoddy job, if you ask me.
By the way, if you want proof that all of the films will be re-released soon, including an all-CGI Yoda in Episode 1, simply pop in disc two of the Episode 3 DVD and watch "The Chosen One" featurette, and feast your eyes on a small glimps as to what is to come!
Oh yeah, some things you didn't catch on Episode 3:
Vader's "Noooo!" scream is altered to sound alot less comical.
I could swear on my mother's grave that when I went to the premier of the film in theaters, Ian McDarmid made a face at the camera immediately after his "Double your search" line. When I went to see it later, and subsequently on the DVD, that last second of the shot is now gone. Doess anyone else remember this happening, or am I off my rocker?
Han shot first!
Another change in the Episode II DVD (from the theatrical release) is that when Anakin's mother dies, the croaking sound is a lot shorter. I also think that the "i love" count was dropped from 5 to 2 (but I can't remember exactly) "i luff yuh, i luff yuh, i luff, ughhhhhhhh"
It might not only be that, but I remember the scene wasn't the same as the theatrical version
and with Jango Fett's jetpack, the DVD version made it more noticeable. i don't know if there were more sparks, brighter, or the sound effect was louder but I didn't know the jet pack was busted until the first time i saw the DVD version (though i saw the theatrical one maybe 5 times)
for episode III, the "Nooooooooo" was cut down. i remember people were laughing about that after the movie in the theaters. it was, indeed, too long.
It might not only be that, but I remember the scene wasn't the same as the theatrical version
and with Jango Fett's jetpack, the DVD version made it more noticeable. i don't know if there were more sparks, brighter, or the sound effect was louder but I didn't know the jet pack was busted until the first time i saw the DVD version (though i saw the theatrical one maybe 5 times)
for episode III, the "Nooooooooo" was cut down. i remember people were laughing about that after the movie in the theaters. it was, indeed, too long.
maul blood spray
I've been bothered about Episode 1's ending for a while and wondered if you could clarify. I'm sure that when Maul gets halved at the end of the film, the blood spray that clearly occurs in the DVD release was either not in the cinema release or not very visible.
Can you confirm/refute this? I wondered if they'd added a blood spray to make it clear what happened.
Can you confirm/refute this? I wondered if they'd added a blood spray to make it clear what happened.
they should fix yoda somehow in episode 1..haha
Chris Gould wrote: That's not true (that's impossible!). I've compared both versions.
Thanks for clarifying! That must be a misake on IMDb's part (wouldn't be the first time).
Thanks for clarifying! That must be a misake on IMDb's part (wouldn't be the first time).
Yeah, but the number of screenshots and the captions beneath each one make it very impressive. With probably 2 more to come, it'll make for a very impressive resource for comparing the original against the later versions.
It's not really an article, just a series of screen shots comparing the two versions.
Quote: IMDb reports an additional change for Episode III.
"Darth Vader's drawn out "Nooooo!" after learning of Padme's death has been shortened in the DVD release compared to the cinematic version."
Has anyone noticed?
That's not true (that's impossible!). I've compared both versions.
Quote: IMDb reports an additional change for Episode III.
"Darth Vader's drawn out "Nooooo!" after learning of Padme's death has been shortened in the DVD release compared to the cinematic version."
Has anyone noticed?
That's not true (that's impossible!). I've compared both versions.
On www.starwars.com, there's a very detailed article available showing many of the changes in Episode IV. It's part of their promotion for the new releases of the original trilogy, so I assume there's going to be similar articles regarding the other two episodes as well. It's a fantastic article, showing comparisons between 1977 and 2004, or just screenshots if it's regarding something completely new. 122 sets of images altogether, so VERY impressive.
IMDb reports an additional change for Episode III.
"Darth Vader's drawn out "Nooooo!" after learning of Padme's death has been shortened in the DVD release compared to the cinematic version."
Has anyone noticed?
"Darth Vader's drawn out "Nooooo!" after learning of Padme's death has been shortened in the DVD release compared to the cinematic version."
Has anyone noticed?
I'm not surprised your head hurts, as you keep talking about one thing then moving onto another! The deleted scene comment was aimed at the person who says that the waterfall scene is in the DVD - it's not. It's a deleted scene.
I already addressed your comment about Mace - it's either meant to be someone else, or it's a pick-up shot and a lookalike was used as Sam Jackson wasn't available. Either way, it's the same in all versions so it's not a difference. These articles aren't about pointing out every little inconsistency in the films - I'd never finish.
I already addressed your comment about Mace - it's either meant to be someone else, or it's a pick-up shot and a lookalike was used as Sam Jackson wasn't available. Either way, it's the same in all versions so it's not a difference. These articles aren't about pointing out every little inconsistency in the films - I'd never finish.
Hi Chris, My head hurts, what is a deleted scene? The scene I'm on about with Mace is in the film. When Palpatine tells Aniken " He'll watch his career with great interest".
That's a deleted scene, and it's been covered in a previous post. It was never reintegrated into the film.
Maybe in 2025 Lucas can CGI him in for the Ultra Extended Super Delux Special Editions!!!
That sort of thing happens all the time. It's probably a pick-up shot, and Jackson was unavailable so they used a lookalike. It's not a change, as it's the same in all versions.
Sorry, the Jackson bit I'm on about is at the end of EP 1. When Palpatine and the Jedi get off the ship on Naboo. I know you don't see Yoda but whey all get off, its not Jackson. Maybe he was sick on the day of shooting??
Sam wrote: Chris I have the ofical R2 and its there!! May be its an early copy? I do have a boot leg EP 3 and the scene where Anikin burns and OBI looks away is longer than the DVD version. dont know. Also did you notice that Mace Windu and the end getting out of the ship with Yoda and Palpatine is not played by Jackson?
I'll need some proof before I believe you. I've had my copy since the official release date and it's not there. It's in the deleted scene, but not the main feature itself. Same with the other two regions.
I also have the Episode III boot, and the scene with Anakin and Obi=Wan is no longer than on the DVD. There is no point in Episode III where Palpatine, Mace and Yoda are even on screen together. Yoda, Mace and Obi-Wan, yes, but not the other three.
I'll need some proof before I believe you. I've had my copy since the official release date and it's not there. It's in the deleted scene, but not the main feature itself. Same with the other two regions.
I also have the Episode III boot, and the scene with Anakin and Obi=Wan is no longer than on the DVD. There is no point in Episode III where Palpatine, Mace and Yoda are even on screen together. Yoda, Mace and Obi-Wan, yes, but not the other three.
Sam wrote: Chris I have the ofical R2 and its there!! May be its an early copy? I do have a boot leg EP 3 and the scene where Anikin burns and OBI looks away is longer than the DVD version. dont know. Also did you notice that Mace Windu and the end getting out of the ship with Yoda and Palpatine is not played by Jackson?
Wait - what scene? Are you talking about in Ep. II? I can't remember any scene in III where Yoda, Palpatine, and Windu are even together.
Wait - what scene? Are you talking about in Ep. II? I can't remember any scene in III where Yoda, Palpatine, and Windu are even together.
What is it with the BBFC and headbutts? I think the Aussies are a little more forgiving when it comes to such things. I think it is easier to stick with my original VHS tapes and the recent "remastered" box set that I have.
Cheers on the editorial Chris.
Cheers on the editorial Chris.
Chris I have the ofical R2 and its there!! May be its an early copy? I do have a boot leg EP 3 and the scene where Anikin burns and OBI looks away is longer than the DVD version. dont know. Also did you notice that Mace Windu and the end getting out of the ship with Yoda and Palpatine is not played by Jackson?
Then you must have seen a bootleg, as it's not in the official DVD release.
Quote: Chris you stated - The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed an unmasked Warwick Davis sitting to one side of Watto. Warwick is most famous for playing Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi, but his little cameo is absent from the DVD release.
I have a R2 and this scene IS on the disc.
I have the R1, UK R2 and R3 release of TPM, and it's not in any of those. Warwick does appear briefly in other shots, but the shot with Watto shouting 'Sebulba!' is gone.
Quote: Chris you stated - The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed an unmasked Warwick Davis sitting to one side of Watto. Warwick is most famous for playing Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi, but his little cameo is absent from the DVD release.
I have a R2 and this scene IS on the disc.
I have the R1, UK R2 and R3 release of TPM, and it's not in any of those. Warwick does appear briefly in other shots, but the shot with Watto shouting 'Sebulba!' is gone.
I'm pretty sure the waterfall scene was added back in for the DVD that I've seen.
Man, I hate that the different regions get different little nuggets in them. Why is that?
I agree 100% with ya Chris. Good stuff here, actually nice to talk about the OT DVD's and PT DVD's and it is not all negative.
I agree 100% with ya Chris. Good stuff here, actually nice to talk about the OT DVD's and PT DVD's and it is not all negative.
Sam wrote: Chris you stated - The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed an unmasked Warwick Davis sitting to one side of Watto. Warwick is most famous for playing Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi, but his little cameo is absent from the DVD release.
I have a R2 and this scene IS on the disc.
I'm 99% sure my R3 has that scene in too
I have a R2 and this scene IS on the disc.
I'm 99% sure my R3 has that scene in too
Chris you stated - The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed an unmasked Warwick Davis sitting to one side of Watto. Warwick is most famous for playing Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi, but his little cameo is absent from the DVD release.
I have a R2 and this scene IS on the disc.
I have a R2 and this scene IS on the disc.
The waterfall scene wasn't re-inserted in Episode I. It's a deleted scene on the second disc.
That's a deleted scene. It's not actually in the film.
Great feature, nice to see all the stupid changes George has made over the years covered in such a nice way. I do remember one change made to TPM for the DVD that you missed. In the scene when Obi- Wan, Qui- Gon, and Jar Jar arrive in the Naboo capital city, in the theatrical and VHS releases, they just get out of the submarine and that it. But the DVD does feature an extended version of the scene, where the boat fall down a waterfall and almost kills them. I haven't seen either version in a while, so it may have been in the original but I'm not too sure.
Well it all comes down to one's own point of view (to paraphrase Obi-Wan). These releases aren't even that cheap (the RRP over here is £22.99!!!). If they wanted them out there cheaply 'for the fans', they would have released them as a budget, bare-bones three disc set.
I'm not buying the new DVDs. I will be reviewing them, but I'm not giving Lucasfilm money out of my own pocket for a shoddy release. Of course we can't win either way. If we buy them, Lucasfilm gets money and can say that no one cares about the lack of anamorphic enhancement. If we don't buy them, they can claim that there was never any real demand for the original films, and revert to their 'Special Editions only' stance.
I'm not as bothered as some though. Hell, I've had the OT on DVD for years. I would like to see them get the treatment they deserve, but I'm not going to cry about it. At the end of the day I write these articles because there is interest in these changes and it makes for a decent editorial. If I knew The Sound of Music inside-out I would be writing features about that.
I'm not buying the new DVDs. I will be reviewing them, but I'm not giving Lucasfilm money out of my own pocket for a shoddy release. Of course we can't win either way. If we buy them, Lucasfilm gets money and can say that no one cares about the lack of anamorphic enhancement. If we don't buy them, they can claim that there was never any real demand for the original films, and revert to their 'Special Editions only' stance.
I'm not as bothered as some though. Hell, I've had the OT on DVD for years. I would like to see them get the treatment they deserve, but I'm not going to cry about it. At the end of the day I write these articles because there is interest in these changes and it makes for a decent editorial. If I knew The Sound of Music inside-out I would be writing features about that.
True, I can understand your point Chris. Valid stuff. I stand firm on my initial reaction to the OT coming out on DVD that it was put out there, as is, in as quick an effort to give fans the unaltered OT on DVD as cheaply as possibly. There is no doubt the unaltered OT will be available on the new technology with all the bells and whistles when they can take the time and effort to do it. That might be something the technology advanced will decry as blasmaphy, money grubbing ,etc. But as I said, the average joe/jane viewer out there is going to be more concerned with seeing the Ewoks jumping around and dancing to the original "Rub Nub" song (for the life of me I don't know why....LOL)and Sebastian Shaws's image with Yoda & Obi Wan, not Hayden Christensen's. They don't care if it is anamorphic or not. Most don't have HD sets. Most don't have home theater systems.
We have the ultimate power here; don't buy this incarnation. Just as simple as that. I am as big a Star Wars fan as they come. Was 12 when New Hope came out, grew up with it as being THE ultimate trilogy. But I will pass on this incarnation and await the new technology upgrade. All without loss of sleep or ranting every day that Lucas stole my childhood! LOL
Tinkering doesn't bother me, especially when it gives us a better product or enhances the movie and doesn't change the story. In the OT, the only tinkering I hated was the song in Jabba's hideout. Didn't like the Snooth song in the original and really didn't like this new one. Other than that, all the enhancements on the OT get a thumbs up from me.
Back on this topic, in the case of Ep1, I think Lucas was so in love with the pod race he went overboard with the enhancing for the DVD release. You can tell in the making of docu he was sure this segment would be a fan favorite. Well, it is a technological marvel to watch, but in the end was just too long. The even longer version on the DVD is down right boring. Episode 2, I thought he could have added even more stuff, to include 4 of the deleted scenes, mainly the ones of Anakin and Padme. They were some of the better interactions between the two. Finally, Episode 3, I hate that he didn't put the Yoda scene in the film. I would like to see him add that back in on a later release. I think it helps to give proper conclusion for Yoda as he really is the only one that we don't see settle in to his new surroundings.
All that said Chris, I hear ya man, can relate and understand. But I just don't see the big hub bub about it
We have the ultimate power here; don't buy this incarnation. Just as simple as that. I am as big a Star Wars fan as they come. Was 12 when New Hope came out, grew up with it as being THE ultimate trilogy. But I will pass on this incarnation and await the new technology upgrade. All without loss of sleep or ranting every day that Lucas stole my childhood! LOL
Tinkering doesn't bother me, especially when it gives us a better product or enhances the movie and doesn't change the story. In the OT, the only tinkering I hated was the song in Jabba's hideout. Didn't like the Snooth song in the original and really didn't like this new one. Other than that, all the enhancements on the OT get a thumbs up from me.
Back on this topic, in the case of Ep1, I think Lucas was so in love with the pod race he went overboard with the enhancing for the DVD release. You can tell in the making of docu he was sure this segment would be a fan favorite. Well, it is a technological marvel to watch, but in the end was just too long. The even longer version on the DVD is down right boring. Episode 2, I thought he could have added even more stuff, to include 4 of the deleted scenes, mainly the ones of Anakin and Padme. They were some of the better interactions between the two. Finally, Episode 3, I hate that he didn't put the Yoda scene in the film. I would like to see him add that back in on a later release. I think it helps to give proper conclusion for Yoda as he really is the only one that we don't see settle in to his new surroundings.
All that said Chris, I hear ya man, can relate and understand. But I just don't see the big hub bub about it
Ah right, I see what you mean now. I'll probably end up covering that. The Episode I transfer is fekkin appalling compared to the other films, even the 2004 original trilogy release. It sticks out like a very sore thumb.
Chris Gould wrote: Quote: I suspect you'll be doing these reviews all over again for the 2007 30th Anniversary Editions.
I won't, as I'm not buying HD for a while. I assume you mean THX restoration as well? TPM looks terrible by today's standards. It's incredibly dirty and has loads of halos for a start. It never really set the word alight even back in 2001.
Star Wars on HD disc? I don't see that happening for a while, at least not next year. Remember how long it took Lucas to finally adopt DVD. I think he'll wait till the medium fully develops itself.
What I was talking about was just the standard DVD edition for next year. Including the CG Yoda for EpI. With such a major change like that, I can only hope EpI gets a new transfer. Even the lightsabers look a little weak in that one compared to EpII and III.
I won't, as I'm not buying HD for a while. I assume you mean THX restoration as well? TPM looks terrible by today's standards. It's incredibly dirty and has loads of halos for a start. It never really set the word alight even back in 2001.
Star Wars on HD disc? I don't see that happening for a while, at least not next year. Remember how long it took Lucas to finally adopt DVD. I think he'll wait till the medium fully develops itself.
What I was talking about was just the standard DVD edition for next year. Including the CG Yoda for EpI. With such a major change like that, I can only hope EpI gets a new transfer. Even the lightsabers look a little weak in that one compared to EpII and III.
Still, a vocal minority who expect quality when they pay for a product. What Lucasfilm/Fox is releasing is nothing better than the bootlegs that are currently available. I agree that some fans can be quite militant, but I'd be complaining if this was any other films as well. This is 2006 and releasing a film in the state that these new versions will be in is just not on.
As for the general public not caring, they will when they all have 16:9 TV sets and the DVDs look terrible. Why should the enthusiasts suffer just because the masses don't care about anamorphic enhancement? Should we just have pan and scan releases for everything and be done with it?
As for the general public not caring, they will when they all have 16:9 TV sets and the DVDs look terrible. Why should the enthusiasts suffer just because the masses don't care about anamorphic enhancement? Should we just have pan and scan releases for everything and be done with it?
LLcruize wrote: Did you ever stop to think that a lot of that was down to the marketing of the OT boxed set? No mention of the changes was made, so unless people knew about them in advance they would have bought blind. Not everyone uses the Internet, and even fewer frequent DVD sites.
You want to know what John Q Public thinks? When the listing went online that the original Star Wars cuts were being released, I called my friend Dan and told him about it. That I was going to drop $70 for the discs, as I haven't seen the theatrical versions in nearly ten years (I was born post-Jedi, so I don't have the childhood affinity for these cuts like soem do).
His response when I said I'd buy them? "Why? Why would you want those?" My film-geek mother who was 19 when Star Wars was released said the same thing. It very much is a vocal minority that's complaining about this.
You want to know what John Q Public thinks? When the listing went online that the original Star Wars cuts were being released, I called my friend Dan and told him about it. That I was going to drop $70 for the discs, as I haven't seen the theatrical versions in nearly ten years (I was born post-Jedi, so I don't have the childhood affinity for these cuts like soem do).
His response when I said I'd buy them? "Why? Why would you want those?" My film-geek mother who was 19 when Star Wars was released said the same thing. It very much is a vocal minority that's complaining about this.
Great job Chris, once again your eye for detail is amazing.
If anyone remembers, back in October 2005 ITV showed CLONES on TV at 9pm in the night, I thought strange and why? then in all it's glory they showed the headbutt, funny aint it when we see heads (JANGO) bodies (DARTH MAUL) arms (Anikin/luke) being decapitated (frequent thing in STAR WARS films) and yet a head butt is to violent. BBFC you PLONKERS.
I've read more changes are planned whenever they re-release these. CGI Yoda will replace the puppet in Episode I for example.
Chris how on earth do you have access to a theatrical print?
Chris Gould wrote: What always bothered me about it, was that some less recognisable films like The Fifth Element had head butts, but got away with it, whereas films like The Matrix had cuts enforced.
True. The BBFC has let animal cruelty too through.
If Warner had bothered to resubmit the Matrix for the box set it would've passed uncut (just like Sony have done for Goldeneye) but they didn't bother so it's still cut.
Chris Gould wrote: What always bothered me about it, was that some less recognisable films like The Fifth Element had head butts, but got away with it, whereas films like The Matrix had cuts enforced.
True. The BBFC has let animal cruelty too through.
If Warner had bothered to resubmit the Matrix for the box set it would've passed uncut (just like Sony have done for Goldeneye) but they didn't bother so it's still cut.
LLcruize wrote: I have searched for a posting I made on another board in regard to the OT being released on DVD unaltered. I said then even if the "unaltered" OT was ever released to DVD there would still be no satisfying the vocal few on the net and that has come to be almost down to the exact complaints. I say "vocal few" because lets face it, the vast majority of people that buy these could really care less (just check the sales figures for the OT boxed set). When you have folks critiquing down to the mili-second of a sound bite, you are never going to please those folks.
Did you ever stop to think that a lot of that was down to the marketing of the OT boxed set? No mention of the changes was made, so unless people knew about them in advance they would have bought blind. Not everyone uses the Internet, and even fewer frequent DVD sites.
You also seem to have completely missed the point regarding the OT DVD release. The reason that people are still kicking up about the new OT release is that it's shoddy. It's a bare-bones, non-anamorphic transfer from a Laserdisc master - hardly worthy treatment for such iconic films. The version of Star Wars voted into the AFI's all-time greatest list wasn't the one with a CGI Jabba the Hutt and a load of other muck. The changes aren't just cosmetic, they affect the plot and pacing of the films. The additional footage is also incongruous with the original footage.
Did you ever stop to think that a lot of that was down to the marketing of the OT boxed set? No mention of the changes was made, so unless people knew about them in advance they would have bought blind. Not everyone uses the Internet, and even fewer frequent DVD sites.
You also seem to have completely missed the point regarding the OT DVD release. The reason that people are still kicking up about the new OT release is that it's shoddy. It's a bare-bones, non-anamorphic transfer from a Laserdisc master - hardly worthy treatment for such iconic films. The version of Star Wars voted into the AFI's all-time greatest list wasn't the one with a CGI Jabba the Hutt and a load of other muck. The changes aren't just cosmetic, they affect the plot and pacing of the films. The additional footage is also incongruous with the original footage.
Bradavon wrote: From what I understand you could kill someone with one head butt (i.e - young kids trying it at home) but it's harder to kill someone with just one punch or kick.
Unless you know secret illegal ninja moves from the government. What always bothered me about it, was that some less recognisable films like The Fifth Element had head butts, but got away with it, whereas films like The Matrix had cuts enforced.
Unless you know secret illegal ninja moves from the government. What always bothered me about it, was that some less recognisable films like The Fifth Element had head butts, but got away with it, whereas films like The Matrix had cuts enforced.
Great stuff Chris. I look forward to reading the rest after Lord Flannel no doubt plays with the movies yet again.
Kudos on anther interesting article on the ever evolving Star Wars Saga.
I knew of these changes. If you listen to the docs on the DVD and commentary or if you read the packaging, these changes are listed. I do agree, the pod race was long enough theatrically, the addition of more scenes slows that portion of the film down. To be honest, I always fast forward through the last half of the pod race to when Qui Gon goes to pick up Anakin.
I really don't mind the tinkering of the effects and such. The stories are never touched, so I always find all this worrying about the little details to be trivial.
I have searched for a posting I made on another board in regard to the OT being released on DVD unaltered. I said then even if the "unaltered" OT was ever released to DVD there would still be no satisfying the vocal few on the net and that has come to be almost down to the exact complaints. I say "vocal few" because lets face it, the vast majority of people that buy these could really care less (just check the sales figures for the OT boxed set). When you have folks critiquing down to the mili-second of a sound bite, you are never going to please those folks.
I really don't mind the tinkering of the effects and such. The stories are never touched, so I always find all this worrying about the little details to be trivial.
I have searched for a posting I made on another board in regard to the OT being released on DVD unaltered. I said then even if the "unaltered" OT was ever released to DVD there would still be no satisfying the vocal few on the net and that has come to be almost down to the exact complaints. I say "vocal few" because lets face it, the vast majority of people that buy these could really care less (just check the sales figures for the OT boxed set). When you have folks critiquing down to the mili-second of a sound bite, you are never going to please those folks.
Quote: Because our beloved BBFC have a thing against head butts, apparently because they’re an ‘imitable technique’ (and punches and kicks aren’t?)
I believe the BBFC are more lenient with head butts now a days. Aren't there head butts in Goldeneye? Well that's now uncut.
From what I understand you could kill someone with one head butt (i.e - young kids trying it at home) but it's harder to kill someone with just one punch or kick.
I believe the BBFC are more lenient with head butts now a days. Aren't there head butts in Goldeneye? Well that's now uncut.
From what I understand you could kill someone with one head butt (i.e - young kids trying it at home) but it's harder to kill someone with just one punch or kick.
Wow nice work Chris. I never knew the prequels were altered too.
I've come to the conclusion Lucas will NEVER be happy with these films. He's changed the originals so many times it's ridiculous. As soon as new technology comes along he'll be tinkering with the originals and prequels for sure.
I've come to the conclusion Lucas will NEVER be happy with these films. He's changed the originals so many times it's ridiculous. As soon as new technology comes along he'll be tinkering with the originals and prequels for sure.
"In the fourth and final article in the series we explore the changes to the prequels"Final article... until Lucas changes the films again that is.
I was considering buying the "unaltered" versions but now I have decided to pass. There is no way that I am going to put any more money into the Mr Lucas' sweaty little palms or company. Studios seem to be concerned over why people buy pirate copies of DVD's - heres a tip..... dont treat the public like mugs.
I think Lucas will tinker with the PT for regular DVD one more time at least before making the jump to HD-DVD/ Blu Ray. Also it wouldn't surprise me if they clean up the orinigal versions fo the OT and make them anamorphic for the 30th anniversary next year.
Nice article. I can't wait to see if any more changes are coming to make way for a Part 5.
Nice article. I can't wait to see if any more changes are coming to make way for a Part 5.
I could've sworn that Lucas added more smoke during the Vader 'Birth' scene for the digital and DVD versions, but I guess I was just too hopped up on the Q at the time.
I gotta say I'm impressed by the star wars changes that Chris has listed and truly didn't know the prequels were messed with for the dvd and Digital editions...Episode II if the digital and dvd versions were the same...I didn't know as I only saw it in digital. I wasn't as lucky with episode III as the theatre with digital near me closed up! Either way excellent work on the series of changes!
Interesting look at the prequels, II could use the most tweaking, soundwise.
Great list, never realized that Lucas went back to change even his new tinker toys. When will this man stop!?! Make some new movies! Leave these alone!
the thing about Head-Butts is that the kid that immatates it will learn his lesson real fast.
Quote: I suspect you'll be doing these reviews all over again for the 2007 30th Anniversary Editions.
I won't, as I'm not buying HD for a while. I assume you mean THX restoration as well? TPM looks terrible by today's standards. It's incredibly dirty and has loads of halos for a start. It never really set the word alight even back in 2001.
I won't, as I'm not buying HD for a while. I assume you mean THX restoration as well? TPM looks terrible by today's standards. It's incredibly dirty and has loads of halos for a start. It never really set the word alight even back in 2001.
He can tinker with Episode 1 "The Phantom Menace" all he wants it still won't be a good movie.
I suspect you'll be doing these reviews all over again for the 2007 30th Anniversary Editions.
I have said, and I'll stand by my wishes for some certain changes for the OT. I hope this time, for God's sake that they total redo the light sabers for the entire OT. ANH still has a number of inconsistancies, expecially during the Falcon training scene and in Obi-wan's hut. The blade is BLUE LucasFilm, not white, not green...but blue. Also, I wished they re-animate the laser blaster blasts. The bland red smears they used look like s**t. They need to redo them with the white centers. It'd take some work, but it'd make the films look up to date with the PT.
And that's really all I wished they'd change.
As for the PT, I'm actually looking forward to the TPM CG Yoda. It's painful to watch the badly designed puppet they used originally. And to be honest, TPM needs a DTS-Digital restoration as the original transfer suffers from early 2001 compression techniques.
I have said, and I'll stand by my wishes for some certain changes for the OT. I hope this time, for God's sake that they total redo the light sabers for the entire OT. ANH still has a number of inconsistancies, expecially during the Falcon training scene and in Obi-wan's hut. The blade is BLUE LucasFilm, not white, not green...but blue. Also, I wished they re-animate the laser blaster blasts. The bland red smears they used look like s**t. They need to redo them with the white centers. It'd take some work, but it'd make the films look up to date with the PT.
And that's really all I wished they'd change.
As for the PT, I'm actually looking forward to the TPM CG Yoda. It's painful to watch the badly designed puppet they used originally. And to be honest, TPM needs a DTS-Digital restoration as the original transfer suffers from early 2001 compression techniques.
Once again Chris' eye for detail is just off the scale.
I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing how Lucas has evolved his beloved films to a borderline analness that has resulted in near perfect films. Too bad we could drive trucks through some of the plot holes created by starting a story long after it has ended.
Thank you Chris for your eye on such details. Keep us posted if you find anymore. I really enjoy reading about the differences.
I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing how Lucas has evolved his beloved films to a borderline analness that has resulted in near perfect films. Too bad we could drive trucks through some of the plot holes created by starting a story long after it has ended.
Thank you Chris for your eye on such details. Keep us posted if you find anymore. I really enjoy reading about the differences.
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