The best way to fix the Special Editions

They can say that the SEs are the "true" versions all day long...that doesn't make it true.


They can say the same about the original theater released films. Some fans can say that they are "true" versions . . . but that doesn't make it so. Like some have already said . . . anyone can make his or her choice.

 

Boba having a different sounding voice in Empire Strikes Back doesn't immediately make that film non-cannon. I think you are forgetting that in 2002 when Attack of The Clones originally came out - the original Boba Fett voice had still not been redubbed yet at that point. So by your logic there, Attack Of The Clones was not cannon when it originally came out in theaters because Jango's Voice didn't match Boba's. It was only two years later in 2004 that Boba's voice was redubbed back over again to match Jango's.

 

I agree as the biggest problem with the Special Editions is the fact that they acted as replacements. If we don't like it, we have to deal with it. And considering the fact that other film series have done a much better job of this (I will point to the Alien series as their DVDs and Blu-Rays typically have both versions of the film), there is no reason other than the revisionist tendencies of George Lucas (i.e., saying that his current ideas are the same ones he had back in 1977).
We should be able to choose which version we want to watch and in equal quality.

 

I wonder how the many mistakes of the Original Trilogy can be fixed.

 

The only solution that will fly with Disney/Lucasfilm will be an original cut restoration released with George's final special edition version.
They would never consent to having fans pick and choose what to include and what no to. That would be a massive insult to Lucas, who already seems upset with them over throwing out his Ep. 7 ideas. I don't think any other filmmaker would take it upon him/herself to muck around with another director's movie, either. And getting that original version may be tricky, too. Fox will own the rights to Star Wars (1977) forever, plus it's been speculated that Lucas may have made a condition of the sale to Disney that they never put out the original theatrical versions. I can see Lucas demanding that, since he always goes on about the importance of having total artistic control of his movies.

Fan edits would be the only way to get an a-la-carte Special Edition.

 

I do like some of the special edition effects, where CGI was used to make a good shot even greater. My least favorite is the Jabba palace Jedi rocks song, wish they'd put the original song back in. The ANH scene with Han and Jabba just sucks. To fix it, I wish they'd make Jabba a hologram, since he never leaves the palace anymore anyway. That way Han can be talking to the life size holo-Jabba and they could make it look better.

 

I am partial to the Special Editions. I really enjoyed the re-release back in 1997 as those were incredible times as a fan. I do like some of the changes in ESB and the cleaned up FX shots
However, I long for an official theatrical version of all three OT films.

 

Though there are some things I don't really like from the Special Editions, I liked some changes. For example, the Victory Celebration song in ROTJ, way better in my opinion than the Yub-Nub song.

When I read the "committee" word anywhere, I cannot help but think of ESB and the "I AM NOT A COMMITTEE!" scene. Every. Single. Time. LOL.

My hat to you, you are a really cool teacher

 

What I REALLY hated was how they added things like Jabba, storm trooper riding that THING on Tatooine, also when Obi-Wan and Luke are going to the Mos Eisley cantina and you see those rat things on the ground. I hate all the things added, especially the effects. It's like a taste of the prequels in the OT.

 

I don't find "fan version" a realistic choice for Disney. But theatrical release verions seems quite plausible. I wouldn't be surprised if with the right motivation ($$$) they'd release it.

 

Well those effects were created in the early 90s before TPM's effects (which are much better than the Special Editions) so that's why they are the way they are, but it would be cool that IF there is another re-release they would update the effects because seeing Han walking over Jabba the Hutt looks like something I could have made back in middle school using Powerpoint or somthing like that lol .

 

Lol true I HATE that part when Han walks over Jabba, it looks so weird.

 

It looks faker than Jar Jar.

 

Haha it sure does.

 

I agree that this is a big reason the additions are noticeable. But I think another reason is just because part of the reality of Tatooine was a barren place, and the additions didn't add to that reality. The movement itself was distracting, not just how the additions looked even when still.

As for the Jabba the Hutt part, well, it was more than just the added movement lol.

 

Yeah they pretty uch had to superimpose CGI Jabba onto the actor who was the stand-in for the original scene in "A New Hope" but with the technology that's available now they could have literally anyone at ILM stand in using mo-cap and photorealistically recreate both Jabba & Han Solo and it could look flawless for a potential re-release next year in time for its 40th anniversary.

 

But to be fair, Jurassic Park's CG from four years before still holds up today. Especially the T. rex. It's difficult to tell what's CG and what's animatronic during the main rex attack and the other scenes (the Jeep chase and the end scene) is pure CG, and it STILL looks fantastic. And both were done by ILM.
And the CG Jabba done in 1997 isn't what's on the DVD and Blu-Ray. That was done in 2004, five years after a near-perfect CG Jabba was done for The Phantom Menace.


(Top row, left to right: 1977 Deleted Scene, 1997 Special Edition, 2004 Special Edition. Bottom row: The Phantom Menace)
And while it is a massive improvement over the terrible 1997 version, it still looks rather fake, especially when compared to Menace's Jabba. Again, all done by ILM.

 

I think that it has to do with budget issues at the same time, which is why Disney should give it a much higher budget to restore and make it much better to fix these so people won't be making their own "better" original versions.

 

You really think that Disney is going to spend the money to further alter the original films, if it is to improve the quality of an SE change? Especially since it won't make them any more money than if they don't do that.
Let's face it, the only possibilities are that we will never see the unaltered OT or that we will alongside the SE.

 

Well if they were to spend the extra money to NOT edit but just fix things such as quality issues while respecting George's changes and then re-release them in formats such as "Bluray-4K" and all and trust me they will find a way to successfully promote them, then they'd gladly spend money to make money if it positively affects their bottom line.