For years now George Lucas’ original Star Wars trilogy has been undergoing changes, some subtle, others not so subtle. With the recent release of the trilogy on DVD I decided that now was a good time to try and catalogue the evolution of these films from the 1977, 1980, and 1983 releases, to their present day incarnations. We begin, of course, with the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. To illustrate the various alterations I have used screen shots from the original, Special Edition and DVD releases of the films, in that order. We will start by looking at alterations to existing scenes, followed by shots of scenes not included in the original theatrical release. There will also be a short section devoted to some of the audio changes at the end of the article. So, sit back, take a deep breath, and prepare for the first in a series of three articles devoted to these seminal films.








Here we see poor R2-D2 as he wanders down a lonely canyon on the desert planet of Tatooine. Little does the little astromech droid know, the rocks are hiding Jawas, who are in search of droids to salvage.


Here we see the same shot, Special Edition style. Notice that the shot starts on a typical Tatooine sunset, before panning down to our little astromech friend in the canyon below.


The shot is much the same for the 2004 DVD release. The only real difference is in the quality of the image, which is much improved thanks to the restoration work by Lowry Digital.




In this footage from the original release of the film, the Stormtroopers have just discovered C-3PO and R2-D2’s presence aboard the escape pod.  As you can see, the background contains a number of static dewbacks, but very little else.


In this footage from the Special Edition release, we can see that the scene has been expanded somewhat. The static rubber dewbacks have been replaced with CGI models, more Sormptroopers have been composited into the scene, and a shuttle can be seen leaving the area.


Nothing has changed for the 2004 DVD release of the film, aside from the obvious differences in clarity and colour purity courtesy of Lowry Digital. While this scene does show the Imperial presence to be significantly enhanced, the way in which the CGI Stormtroopers move as they ride the dewbacks is less than convincing. Having said this, I can live with the change.




Here we see the Jawa’s Sandcrawler as it approaches the Lars homestead, carrying with it the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO. Even back in 1977 the shot gives you a good idea of scale, but George Lucas thought he could do better and…


…in this case I’m inclined to agree with him! While the original shot was acceptable considering the technology available at the time, the special edition version of the Sandcrawler is far more impressive. The new footage really helps to sell the vehicle as a viable habitat for the strange little creatures, while retaining the integrity of the scene.


As you can see, nothing has changed for the 2004 DVD release, aside from some sterling restoration work by Lowry Digital. Notice how crisp the scene is, and how pure the sky over Tatooine looks. Wow, a change I’m in favour of—we’re back on track!




Here we have a typical sunset, Tatooine style. This scene appears near the beginning of the film, as Luke Skywalker gazes at the heavens and contemplates his future. Nothing wrong with this you might say, and I’d have to agree with you there.


As part of the restoration work for the Special Edition release, the film was colour corrected. This had a strange effect on some of the scenes, most notably those on Tatooine. As you can see, the sky is now a very odd colour, and the image is entirely too dark.


For the 2004 DVD release the image has been further enhanced and restored, presenting possibly the best looking version of the sunset to date. It’s another 2004 enhancement thumbs up from me.




The modest budget of the original Star Wars allowed only for modest locations, as exemplified by this exterior shot of Ben Kenobi’s home. Personally I think this shot sufficed for the brief period of time it was on screen, but once again Lucas disagrees.


The Special Edition release of the film added an alternate view of Obi-Wan’s home; one that offers a grandiose view of the rocky terrain of Tatooine. While this shot stands out like a sore thumb when compared to the original footage, it stands as one of the SE changes that I can live with.


The 2004 DVD release keeps the new footage, but as you can see everything is a lot clearer thanks to the additional restoration work by Lowry Digital. I’m still not 100% sure about the shot, but at least it looks very nice!




Here we see Luke and Ben looking at Mos Eisley from a distance before venturing into the dangerous spaceport. As you can see, it’s little more than a static matte painting with very little detail.


The Special Edition release of the film revamps the spaceport considerably. It’s now spread over a larger area, and you can just make out traffic flying above the skyline (but only if your eyes are good).


The DVD release keeps the Mos Eisley from the SEs, but as you can see the image is far more detailed than any previous home release format. The colour correction also makes the scene look more consistent with earlier Tatooine footage.
 



Here we have perhaps one of the most obvious special effects in the original release of the film. This landspeeder shot has several problems, most notably the rather fake looking way in which it has been composited into the image. You may also notice that C-3PO’s arm is almost straight in this shot, which is something made impossible by his design. R2 also looks as if he could fall off of the speeder at any moment!


For the Special Edition release Lucas decided to have his team alter and expand the approach to Mos Eisley. You’ll notice that not only has the speeder been radically improved, but the surrounding environment has been given an overhaul as well. Whereas the original release showed only a few outbuildings, this version hints at a much busier spaceport complete with scurrying rodents. Unfortunately the CGI C-3PO still has the ‘straight arm’ problem, and also looks entirely too gold for my liking. You may also notice how pink the image looks here.


The 2004 DVD release goes one step further by completely remodelling both the speeder and the droids. C-3PO’s right arm is now noticeably bent (although his left still looks suspiciously straight), and his colour is much improved over the Special Edition. Of course the restoration work also dramatically improves the level of detail in the shot, while the colour correction eradicates that nasty pink tint. Overall I’m in favour of this enhancement.




Here we have a shot of the landspeeder as it makes its way through the ‘bustling’ port of Mos Eisley. As you can see, budgetary constraints had a severe effect on the amount of activity that was seen. In this shot you may also notice the strange orange ‘force field’ below the landspeeder. This is actually Vaseline, which was put on the camera lens to obscure the wheels on the bottom of the speeder!


The Special Edition shot looks livelier, and a CGI beast of burden known as a ronto has been added to the scene. You can also see that the force field has been removed, which looks a lot better than the original shot. Unfortunately the scene still has that strange pink tint to it.


The DVD release has the best of both worlds. Not only do we get the additional creatures and corrected landspeeder, but also a properly colour corrected Mos Eisley. The sky is now blue again, and everything looks more detailed (although still a little blurry).




With the limited budget available to him at the time, George Lucas had to cut a few corners when creating the aliens that inhabited his world. This is most obvious during the scene in the Mos Eisley cantina, where one of the locals bares a striking resemblance to the Wolfman!


For the Special Edition a new computer-generated character has been inserted into the scene, replacing the old Wolfman mask. This particular alien looks to be some sort of pipe-smoking hippy!


Surprise, surprise, the scene is exactly the same for the 2004 DVD release. As with most other scenes, the only difference is the quality of the image.


Here’s the same character again, this time engaged in a discussion with another patron. While I never really paid much attention to this character until someone pointed him out, I cansee why George Lucas wanted to go back and alter him for the Special Edition.


For the Special Edition yet another new computer-generated alien was created and inserted into the scene with the strange appendage-type creature. Will the wonders of ILM ever cease?


When it comes to this scene on the 2004 DVD, it’s business as usual. Some of the more observant among you may have spotted a particularly ‘devilish’ alien in the background. This was yet another improvised mask, but unlike the Wolfman it was left in the film. The species even has a name: Devaronian.




Now we come to perhaps the most contentious change in the history of the trilogy. In the scene above Han Solo, cornered by the bounty hunter Greedo, has little choice other than to shoot first and ask questions later. This scene established Han as an ice-cool space pirate; as someone who walked a fine line between good and evil (thereby making the evolution of his character all the more interesting).


For the Special Edition release of Star Wars George Lucas did the unthinkable—he made Greedo shoot first! Lamented by fans and filmmakers such as Kevin Smith alike, this is perhaps the single most objectionable change in the entire trilogy. Putting aside the fact that it transforms Han Solo from the aforementioned ice-cold space pirate to a lucky son of a bitch, the effects used to bring the new scene to life are simply atrocious. Greedo’s blaster bolt seems to fly off at an angle (even though his gun is pointed directly at Han) and Solo himself jerks his head to one side courtesy of some ropy CGI. The whole thing is absolutely hideous!


Of course it was probably too much to expect Lucas to reverse his decision to turn Han into a bitch, but we lived in hope. Unfortunately the 2004 DVD release shattered any illusions people might have had about Lucas coming to his senses, and the dreaded scene appears as in the Special Editions. Well, that’s not quite true, as there have been minor alterations. The CGI has been improved so that the whole of Han’s upper body now moves, albeit in as unnatural a way as the previous ‘head dodge’, and the pair now fire almost simultaneously (I say almost, as Greedo still fires a fraction of a second before Solo).




Here we see the Millennium Falcon as it blasts away from docking bay ninety four, watched by several Stormtroopers. Owing to the limitations of technology at the time, the Falcon flies in a diagonal line with little or no deviation.


Here we have the Special Edition equivalent. Notice how the angle of the Falcon has changed? A new CGI ship now twists and turns as it flies away from Mos Eisley, which makes for a more exciting spectacle.


Things are much the same as the SE release on the DVDs, aside from the obvious restoration work. As with the SEs, you may also notice how the shot has been reframed slightly from the original (both the Jawa’s body and the Stormtrooper’s legs are now missing).




In the image above you can see the aftermath of the Death Star’s attack on the planet of Alderaan. The battlestation’s primary weapon has obliterated the planet, leaving only rocky debris. Although adequate, the resulting explosion isn’t as impressive as one might expect.


The Special Edition added a couple of new effects to the scene, most notably the huge shockwave that emanates from the centre of the explosion. Putting aside the improbability of such a shockwave, the explosion itself now looks more ‘convincing’.


As you can see, not much has changed for the DVD release. The intensity of the image looks to have been bumped up a notch by the colour correction, which makes the explosion and the shockwave look more consistent with one another (although it’s a little too orange for my liking).




Here we see Luke Skywalker taking his first step into a larger world aboard the Millennium Falcon. You can see how the colour and density of the lightsaber varies slightly between the original theatrical release and the special editions.


Notice how Luke’s ‘blue’ lightsaber is actually closer to white in both of these shots? There is actually considerable variation in the lightsaber while Luke is training on the Falcon, and closer examination reveals a ‘greenish’ tint to the blade.


For the 2004 DVD releases that ‘greenish’ tint has unfortunately been replaced by, well, green! Whether the result of the restoration work carried out by Lowry Digital, or a genuine effects gaffe, this should have been caught at the quality control stage.




In this scene from the original release of the film, you can see a clear flash as the blaster bolt hits the Imperial officer. However, if we look at the same scene from the Special Edition we can see that…


…the flash has gone! One of the little-known edits to the film included the trimming of a few frames to remove the flashes when the bolts hit the human officers.


Here’s the same scene from the 2004 DVDs. As with the Special Edition, the only evidence of the blaster impact is the smoky residue left behind.




Here we see the original scene in the dentention area, as Luke and Han blast everything in sight—including a hapless Imperial! As you can see, the pink impact flash is clearly visible.


Well, now you see it, now you don’t! As before, a few frames have been trimmed to remove the impact flash. Notice the different body position of the guard in this shot?


One again, the DVD release follows the Special Edition very closely. The only difference between the two is the quality of the image, which is greatly improved.




Now tings get really weird. Here we have the familiar impact flash as Luke blasts another Imperial officer. Now let’s take a look at the censored Special Edition equivalent.


Wait! What’s this? That’s right—the impact flash is still there! Surely there must be some mistake? This is the ‘kiddie friendly’ version of Star Wars, where all violence towards humans is removed! I bet they fixed it for the DVD release…


Except they didn’t! Of all the changes to the trilogy over the years, this has to rank as one of the strangest and, quite frankly, most ridiculous. Lucas is quite happy to show people having limbs severed or being blown away in the prequels, so why the coyness here? What makes matters worse is that this censorship isn’t even consistent throughout one scene. I was really hoping that this PC nonsense would have disappeared by the time the DVD was released, but I guess it was not to be.




Here we have the scene in which Luke and Han ‘rescue’ Princess Leia from her cell. You may notice that the perspective of the corridor doesn’t look quite right in this shot.


Here’s the same scene from the Special Edition. Nothing has changed, and the perspective is still wrong. It’s worth noting that the corridor is actually nothing more than a matte painting!


Here’s the scene 2004 style. As you can see, the perspective of the matte painting has been corrected, and the corridor now stretches off into the distance in a more convincing manner.




Here we have the eye of the hideous Dianogah, the creature that pulls Luke under the filthy water in the trash compactor. I always thought this was perfectly functional.


Here we have the same creature Special Edition style. Nothing has changed, other than the image quality (which is slightly improved).


Here we have the creature from the 2004 DVD release. It’s difficult to tell from the image as everything is so dark, but the eye has been digitally enhanced to make it blink. Again, not a particularly important change, but a change nonetheless.




This is the scene in which Obi-Wan Kenobi deactivates the tractor beam to allow the Millennium Falcon to escape from the Death Star, as seen in the original release.


Here we have the same scene, taken from the Special Edition release of the film, and as you can see it all looks very similar to the shot above.


Now we come to the scene as it appears in the 2004 DVD release of the film. At first glance it looks very similar to the first two shots, but look again! As you can see, Aurabesh, which is the written form of the ‘basic’ language spoken in the films, has replaced the English language writing. Personally I don’t mind this change, although I feel there were other things more deserving of their attention.




In this shot from the original release we see Han Solo biting off more than he can chew as he rounds a corner only to be confronted by a group of Imperial Stormtroopers. This is one of those classic Star Wars moments that has stayed with me since childhood, and is a good example of how the original films managed to be humorous without resorting to slapstick and fart jokes.


For the Special Edition Lucas had his effects guys add a hanger full of Stormtroopers, all standing around just waiting for the hapless Han Solo to appear. Although I’m not particularly for or against this change, I do find it a little odd that the hanger simply ‘appears’ at the end of a corridor…


Here’s the same scene from the 2004 release. As far as I can tell nothing has changed, but you can certainly see the effect of Lowry’s restoration. The image is far more detailed, and both colour and contrast are greatly improved.




In this shot from the original film we can see that the lightsabers are extremely washed out. Obi-Wan’s saber fairs better than Vader’s, but it’s still not particularly impressive.


Here we are again with the Special Edition version. To my mind, this looks even more washed out than before. Vader’s saber is now almost completely devoid of colour!


Ah, this is more like it! For the DVD release the lightsabers have been enhanced to look a little more like the sabers we’re used to later in the series and in the prequels. Both Obi-Wan and Vader now have vibrant, well-defined blades.




These shots show just how much variation there has been in saber consitancy over the years. This is from the original release.


This shot from the Special Edition looks more pink than red. Here, the core of the saber is missing completely. I never had Darth Vader down as a pink sort of a guy…


Here’s a shot from the new 2004 DVD. As you can see it’s got more in common with the Special Edition than the original, but at least the white core is there. To be fair, this is such a brief shot you could blink and miss it.




You can see how washed out the lightsabers look in the original release of the film. It’s like two people fighting with white sticks!


Again, the Special Edition looks worse than the original release. Vader’s saber is almost completely white in this shot!


Thankfully the DVD release does a decent job of correcting this. Both sabers are coloured, and they both have their white cores.




Here we see Obi-Wan’s lightsaber head-on. Well actually, we see the reflective white stick that was used instead of a lightsaber! This was one of the things that always bothered me in the original release.


Here is the Special Edition version of the shot. The stick is slightly brighter, but no bluer than the first image. I always thought that this should have been corrected in 1997.


Here we are in 2004 and the saber has finally been given a makeover. Sure, it’s still not perfect, but at least some attempt has been made to make it look like a lightsaber, rather than a walking stick!




Here is yet another look at a dodgy saber effect. As Darth vader walks toward the blast doors we can clearly see that someone forgot to colour in his lightsaber!


This little gaffe went uncorrected for the Special Edition release of the film, and Vader’s saber is still without colour.


Thankfully the DVD release has fixed the effects blunder, and Vader’s lightsaber is now a vibrant hue of red (just as it always should have been).




Here we see the Millennium Falcon as it approaches the fourth moon of the gas giant Yavin. In this original scene the Falcon flies directly underneath the planet, slowly revealing the moon.


Here we see the same shot from the Special Edition release of the film. In this version, the planet Yavin is off to the left, and there is more movement as the Falcon slips past the planet to the fourth moon.


The shot is exactly the same on the 2004 DVD release, albeit with enhanced visual quality courtesy of the restoration work.


Here we see a Rebel lookout observing the Millennium Falcon as it comes in for a landing on the fourth moon of Yavin. Or do we? In this shot the Falcon is nowhere to be seen, even though the lookout is focussing intently on some distant object!


This time the lookout actually has something to look at! Those of you with keen eyes might be able to spot a small Millennium Falcon in the above image as it swoops down and comes to rest on a landing platform. It is hard to make out due to the size of the image, but it is there!


Once again the 2004 DVD release is the same, but the Flacon is much easier to make out in this image due to the enhanced visual quality.




The original release of Star Wars depicted the launch of the rebel fleet as a series of bright flashes that ascended rapidly into space. While this did the job at the time, it wasn’t particularly visually impressive.


The Special Edition shot is far more elaborate, with X-Wing and Y-Wing fighters now lifting off in front of the camera before blasting off into space. As you can see, the view of Yavin itself has also been altered. This is one of those SE changes that I’m in favour of.


The 2004 DVD release is almost identical to the Special Edition, although as you can see the overall detail and colour balance has been dramatically enhanced. This looks fantastic on a big screen!




Here we see the rag-tag group of Rebels flying towards the Death Star. This was an impressive shot for its time, and it still holds up well today.


The Special Edition radically enhanced the approach to the Death Star. As well as improving the ships by using CGI models, the number of vessels was increased and we actually get to look inside of the cockpits at the pilots as they fly by.


Again, there’s nothing different about this shot aside from the dramatically improved visuals. Contrast, colour balance and detail are all significantly better than the SE version of the shot.




For the Special Edition release of the film, much of the footage during the Battle of Yavin was given a computer-enhanced makeover. In this shot you can see three Rebel X-Wing fighters as they swoop down towards the surface of the Death Star.


Here’s the shot as it appears in the Special Edition. The X-Wings are now computer-generated and a great deal more manoeuvrable than before! They swist and turn as they head towards the Death Star’s equatorial trench.


Here’s the same scene from the 2004 DVD release of the film. As you can see, nothing has been altered, but the footage is obviously a great deal cleaner than any previous effort.


In yet another altered scene, Biggs is trying to evade the Imperial Tie Fighter that is closely following him. The original shot, as seen here, was quite effective, but ILM could do better!


Although not apparent from this static image, this new scene features a rear-angle view of the Tie Fighter tracking Biggs’ X-Wing. This is immediately followed by another new shot of Luke flying to the rescue. All-in-all this is quite a nice addition.


Here’s the same scene from the 2004 DVD release. Nothing has change, bar the visual quality of the shot. This is just one of many enhancements made to the Battle of Yavin, all of which look better in motion.


In this shot we see Wedge Antilles coming to Luke Skywalker’s rescue by eliminating a pesky Tie Fighter. Immediately after this shot an explosion can be seen, followed by a reverse angle of Wedge’s X-Wing streaking away.


In this shot the explosion is still visible, but now Wedge’s X-Wing flies directly through the fireball before flying away. It’s quite hard to make out from this shot, but you can just see the nose of his fighter emerging from the conflagration.


Here’s the scene again, 2004 DVD style. Wedge’s X-Wing is much easier to make out in this shot, but as you can see, the contrast is slightly off resulting in a less colourful fireball and X-Wing. This is yet another example of the image problems that detract from this otherwise superb transfer.




Here we see the destruction of the Death Star, as seen in the original release. To be honest I never really gave this much thought as a child, but when I look at the shot now I do have to admit it’s a bit weak considering a space station the size of a small moon has just exploded.


The Special Edition introduced the ‘Praxis’ effect shockwave, as seen earlier with the destruction of Alderaan. While this does give the explosion some much needed visual impact, I’m not particularly fond of the effect (which was stolen from Star Trek to begin with).


The 2004 DVD release is very similar to the SE shot, but as you can see the colour of both the explosion and the shockwave has changed. I’m assuming that this was an intentional shift, rather than an error as in the case of Luke’s lightsaber. The change in colour makes sense if you make the distinction between the organic world of Alderaan and the cold, metallic Death Star, but this theory is somewhat ruined when you see the explosion of the Death Star II in Return of the Jedi (more of that in another article).