Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
- New Wampa scene, including losing limb
- Revised mattes (too many instances to list)
- Slave I following the Falcon in garbage
- Restoring the blue color to R2D2’s panels in space
- Ian McDiarmid replacing the original Emperor scene
- “YOU WERE LUCKY TO GET OUT OF THERE”
- Rank insignia swapping on Imperial officers
- New shots of Cloud City
- Wall panels replaced with windows in Cloud City, and a reflection added in some scenes
- A piece of rigging removed that was mistakenly in frame
- Temura Morrison voicing Boba Fett
- Additional shots of Cloud City residents reacting to Lando’s announcement,
- LUKE’S SCREAM WHILE FALLING (removed)
- “ALERT MY STAR DESTROYER TO PREPARE FOR MY ARRIVAL,” INSTEAD OF, “BRING MY SHUTTLE”
- Vader leaving Cloud City in delta shuttle
- REUSED SCENE OF VADER’S ARRIVAL IN STAR DESTROYER
- New hatch on Falcon
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Overall, the things I like are making things more consistent with the other movies (Boba Fett’s voice) and fixing errors (like when lightsabers weren’t colored correctly or costuming was wrong) or enhancing effect shots that weren’t done well originally. And in general, the things I don’t like are changing character, replacing dialogue with a lesser version, things that interrupt the flow of the music (since John Williams wrote the music to go along with the original theatrical version - same issue with some of the LotR EE changes)
The Kenobi yell thing is just dumb. It's more humorous than scary, sounding more like a ghost got kicked in the nuts or something.
The main problem with Han/Greedo is that originally it made Han seem like a badass, which might be trouble for Luke and Kenobi. Plus it is really weird how they kept messing with his head to dodge a shot, so instead of Han surprising Greedo it’s just that Greedo has a terrible aim or something.
The issue with the additional Jabba scene in ANH is that it is more or less the same dialogue as the Greedo scene we just saw. If Han had said something like, “Is everyone experiencing déjà vu in this conversation or is it just me?” or something like that, it would be better (but not as good as just leaving it out entirely). It was replaced with the Greedo scene in the original cut, so having them both doesn’t work due being repetitive.
Censoring the blaster shots is fairly minor, but it’s still kinda neutering or “kid-ifying” it a bit
With both “I can see better” and “You were lucky to get out of there” it replaced dialogue that is slightly better/more humorous with a lesser version.
The gruff and pissed off, “Bring my shuttle” is replaced with a calm and collected Vader saying “Alert my Star Destroyer . . .” plus the additional scene of him arriving in the Star Destroyer interrupts the flow of the scene/music. I see that Lucas was trying to show how Vader “magically” got from Bespin to the Star Destroyer, but it’s not something that really needed explaining. There were enough pieces for the average viewer to put it together without it being spelled out in a flashing neon, all-caps sign.
Luke yelling was a bad change for two reasons - it was clear it wasn’t Mark Hamil’s voice, and that Luke fell willingly. Thankfully it was changed back.
The new musical number in Jabba’s palace is just too contemporary and doesn’t seem “off-worldly” enough in the way that the Cantina or the celebration on Naboo. Not that the original was a banger, or anything.
Vader saying “no” several times before throwing the emperor down the shaft I don’t like because it removes some of the empathy we might feel before and the surprise of his reversal.
- JEDI ROCKS MAX REBO MUSICAL NUMBER (I mean, the original
Lapti Nek wasn’t particularly great, but still . . . ) - Dug added to Jabba’s crew
- Oola in the rancor pit
- Boba Fett additional shot in Jabba’s palace
- Rancore matte improvement
- Bantha herd shot addition
- Sarlacc pit beak and more tentacles
- CGI ropes added around Han’s ankles
- "IT’S ALL RIGHT I CAN SEE A LOT BETTER!"
- Ewoks given eyelids
- LIGHTSABERS MIXING/GENERAL COLOR TIMING (fixed in Blu-Ray release)
- R2D2 has more tools when shot
- Graininess of throne room scene improved
- VADER’S "NO . . . NOOO!" BEFORE THROWING EMPEROR
- Anakin’s eyebrows removed
- Death Star shockwave
- Added celebration on Endor, Bespin, Tatooine, Coruscant and Yub Nub replaced with new celebration song, and various small shots added and re-cut (changed several times)
- YOUNG ANAKIN FORCE GHOST
The Kenobi yell thing is just dumb. It's more humorous than scary, sounding more like a ghost got kicked in the nuts or something.
The main problem with Han/Greedo is that originally it made Han seem like a badass, which might be trouble for Luke and Kenobi. Plus it is really weird how they kept messing with his head to dodge a shot, so instead of Han surprising Greedo it’s just that Greedo has a terrible aim or something.
The issue with the additional Jabba scene in ANH is that it is more or less the same dialogue as the Greedo scene we just saw. If Han had said something like, “Is everyone experiencing déjà vu in this conversation or is it just me?” or something like that, it would be better (but not as good as just leaving it out entirely). It was replaced with the Greedo scene in the original cut, so having them both doesn’t work due being repetitive.
Censoring the blaster shots is fairly minor, but it’s still kinda neutering or “kid-ifying” it a bit
With both “I can see better” and “You were lucky to get out of there” it replaced dialogue that is slightly better/more humorous with a lesser version.
The gruff and pissed off, “Bring my shuttle” is replaced with a calm and collected Vader saying “Alert my Star Destroyer . . .” plus the additional scene of him arriving in the Star Destroyer interrupts the flow of the scene/music. I see that Lucas was trying to show how Vader “magically” got from Bespin to the Star Destroyer, but it’s not something that really needed explaining. There were enough pieces for the average viewer to put it together without it being spelled out in a flashing neon, all-caps sign.
Luke yelling was a bad change for two reasons - it was clear it wasn’t Mark Hamil’s voice, and that Luke fell willingly. Thankfully it was changed back.
The new musical number in Jabba’s palace is just too contemporary and doesn’t seem “off-worldly” enough in the way that the Cantina or the celebration on Naboo. Not that the original was a banger, or anything.
Vader saying “no” several times before throwing the emperor down the shaft I don’t like because it removes some of the empathy we might feel before and the surprise of his reversal.
I kinda see why Anakin’s young force ghost appears - it strengthens Kenobi’s claim that Anakin died and was replaced by Vader. It also gives some more continuity to the series. But Luke doesn’t know what Anakin looked like then, and the ending of Episode 3 makes it seem like Qui-gon was the first one to do the whole force ghost thing. So it logically follows that Yoda/Kenobi needed training to learn how to do it, so how did Anakin figure it out in the 5 minutes between throwing the emperor over the railing and dying in Luke’s arms?
General mistakes in color timing for lightsabers, blasters, engines, and explosions all detract from the movie, so correcting them in future versions is good.
I just really wish there was a website that would let me assemble the trilogy the way I like it and make a nice Blu-Ray for it.
