The Blu-Ray Release: The Original Trilogy Disney Can Fix+Update

Hey there folks, just wanted to say that I was re-watching Episode III (strong fan of the trilogies, reinforced by The Clone Wars series), then went straight to IV. Now, I know IV was made in the 1970's, and defects will continue to exist in the movie, and most of the original trilogy. But most flaws, with modern technology, can be fixed or altered. Now, we all heard and may have copies of the Blu-Ray release, but nearly four years later, the errors and mistakes in the original trilogy restoration that were made still stand out. I don't mean for this to be a gripe post - rather, I hope people can find the continuity errors, film-work, and all the small details that we know can be fixed. And to please both old-school (model, practical effects, original scene-work) and new-school(CGI and other new techniques) fans, my list reflects on the changes and removals that need to be made, as well as my personal desires, and I hope more post their own constructive versions. I know mine may get others a wee bit angry, but I only want to show others what I believe Disney can do to keep these films lasting forever.

Episode IV: A New Hope

The low budget, but revolutionary effects that came from it, forever changed movies, characters, etc. but some due to restorations are misplaced, misused, and unusable. As the cheapest movie of the whole saga, it surprisingly requires only several changes.

(Needed Changes)
-The lightsaber look continuity. I like how the old lightsabers buzz and flicker, and its a very nice aesthetic touch that should remain, and will remain, thanks to Star Wars: Rebels adapting it. What shouldn't are some of the coloring issues. Lucasfilm claimed they had done their best on matching with the prequel trilogy, but I don't see that. The only scenes that have those fixed are those with Obi-Wan and his lightsaber, never Luke with Anakin's. This is most glaring in the Millenium Falcon flight to Alderaan, where the physical stock is nearly white.
- The "Echo-Audio". Now this issue is not present in any of the Death Star run, but everywhere else. Often, while one character speaks very clearly, the characters next to them sound like they're in a normal room. While this makes sense in the set location, it is a glaring mistake that comes from Star Wars and its very low budget. Audio is often the biggest thing that can draw people in, and if its concentrated , and not sparse, it keeps them interested
-The Death Star Oval. This to me is a no-brainer. One of the more simpler fixes, a spherical battle machine of death and fear should be exactly that, spherical. This only happens once or twice, but it is noticeable for more experienced veteran watchers.
-The Death Star surface. Now, in the 70's, this was amazing, and even today looks admirable. But after what the prequels showed us in their practical sets (there are so many, please look them up), set building clearly has progressed and can be used here. Either CGI or models can be used here, but either would be able to show the detail and specificity of structures on the Death Star.
- The Tractor Beam room. As the film has been update to look better, this scene becomes more glaring. The matte job does not provide the same level as it once did due to a wrong color pallet and new movie techniques, and a superimposed model would do best here. CGI is not needed at all, but can be used if the matte painitng just is refreshed to match the actual set.
-Luke gets hit. Ever notice that weird wobble in the battle when Luke gets hit? Now, most of these battles are actually impossible, but at-least the CGI and old models that are interconnected work well. Here is the weirdest use of stop-motion, and it should be removed.
-Updates to only a few sets. A bigger monitor that is correctly aligned in the Yavin Temple is a quick fix, with possibly and update Death Star schematic, which is not be needed at all, but could change. All other CGI elements, while unnecessary, can be updated, and should be to not look unnatural and totally out of place.
-Shaky effects during space battles. The X-Wing trench runs had a little bit of wobble ,and makes sense as they are trying to not get locked on, but for it to appear as moving during maneuvers around the Death Star could be made a little less noticeable. Out of all the changes I propose, this is really the biggest stretch, but it could possibly happen
-The doors man. What battle-station, especially the prisoner section, have doors that fall or clunk sideways? It's a bit harsh of me to say it, but the great door effects in the other movies makes this my final needed fix.

(Removals)
-Remove the double shots in the Cantina scene, Han has always shot first, and he isn't afraid of doing so the entire trilogy, it doesn't scare kids either, it just makes him cooler. And please, do us a favor, remove the Jabba scene, that CGI can't be saved, and it barely was before.
-Obi-Wan does not sound like an auto-tuned freak. He can make his voice boom and all, but he's trying to scare the Tusken Raiders off, not perk their ears to an inter-galactic tune. These two fixes are the biggest mistakes in previous changes, and a rollback is in due order.


Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

This movie is possibly the best looking in the whole trilogy, and as a result requires almost no removals and very few updates. But there are some that can be made.

(Changes)
- Cloud City needs better clouds. This doesn't need any CGI, at all! All it needs are updates to the matte, as it is more noticeable than the Death Star mattes because it is orange-ish. Make some clouds movie a bit with CGI if wanted, but make the stop-motion of the Falcon and the fighters a bit less forced.
- Return to the gray side! The TIE fighters are all slightly more blue in the second and third movies, and were intended to be blue by Lucas, but gray fits the ships better and doesn't force unneeded contrast.

(Removals)
- This can fall under updates, but I will call it a removal/update as a compromise. Luke's falling figure, even to my older friends, is something that felt strange when they first saw it, and most unnoticed, but as the years went by, it was bizarre. CGI is needed here to create a Luke that moves and bends with the huge fall he takes, as it is not like Maul's scene in Naboo, where it is a simple downward fall, the audience is instead following Luke to his complete fall and then slide.

Episode VII: Return of the Jedi

As the years go by, one would expect the final film of the original trilogy to look the best. And in many ways, it is true. But some dated and poor effects that came out of a fast paced and hectic post-production need to be changed.

(Changes)
-The escape of the crew from Jabba. This is a practical effects and stop motion issue. It looks decent on black space, but on the sands its an effect that CGI can make more visualized and less strained. A very minor fix that can be changed.
- The Death Star II projection. This I finally noticed after several years, so it could possibly just be ignored, but it does need some fixing. The projection, when Ackbar is next to it, or some other Rebel, becomes a bit distorted. Simple fix that is appreciated by an animator.
-The matte painting of the Rebel Alliance dock. THIS FRUSTRATES ME. It looks amazing, but by putting so many people and practical sets on it, the effect doesn't work like the ones in other movies. If anything, this matte paining may need to be made again with CGI. And to does who don't agree, what about when Lando goes through it to enter the Falcon? He gets a weird shadow and it's a bit jarring, however short it is.
-Remove the blue from the Tie fighters. IN some scenes it is so noticeable, in others it's not even blue. Make the ships all gray.
-The shaft in which Palpatine falls through. This matte, and the weird blue clouds that came with it, need serious updating. Have a CGI made one here, or a practical set made, and the detail of the shaft will come out much better. Remove the fuzzy smoke, or make some good ones at least.
- Palpatine's lightning. This is simply a continuity look, as the lightning itself is fine. Make it like that in Episode III, more bluish and white than dark blue and a little purple, and it looks great. Even Luke being charred up looks better!

(Removals)
- Darth Vader's "No!" This isn't terrible, but it ruins the emotion of the scene. Anakin isn't a frustrated young and passionate man, he's a middle-aged Sith wielder, who has dealt with a dated suit of technology the Emperor forced on him, instead of the latest technology. His patience and anger is best suited to silent action. And for those that support it, like I used to, fine, but at least make the audio match up. It clearly sounds like something added, and doesn't mix well.
-The added celebrations. Now this is something I feel is going to happen for continuity reasons, or it may just be played into The Force Awakens story. If not, then remove it! as we have seen from the TFA teaser trailer, the Empire exists in some form and shape. In fact, most of the stuff show shows the updated designs. So the war may not be completely over. Remove the added prequel planet and original trilogy planet mass celebrations. It's not over yet!
- Sarlacc's mouth. Seriously, what is that thing? It's not needed and looks odd with the creature and the contrast. Make it at least like a real tongue or remove it!
-(PERSONAL) Now this is to validate the Force Ghost Anakin change. Sebastian Shaw was removed, head only, for Anakin, as to show his redemption to his pure body, and not the Sith and machine it became. Whoever posted their theory abour this to the forum, please tell me so I can add it. Sebastian Shaw needs to be brought back, but his face should merge into Hayden's. It appeases old and young fans, and it only improves the change.

Original Trilogy Overall Changes:
-THE AUDIO. Now, the best part of the prequels for me is the wonderful effect the audio delivers, which is due to the 5.1 sound basis. But we have technology to better every single scene in the original trilogy, and the great lines that were delivered only get better with more emphasis and effect.
-Visual quality:
+Empire
+A New Hope
+Return
Say what! A New Hope looks better than a movie made 6 years later?! Well, actually yes. Lucas decided instead of renting cameras, he would buy his own. While by no means shabby, the ones he used in the previous movies were industry highs, while the ones he bought were simple standards. We have the TECHNOLOGY to update every speck of every frame in the movies. All I see from the 2004 DVD to the 2011 Blu-Ray are less black dots from the original film versions, and better visuals, but nothing close to the prequels. Being older movies, it is impossible to reach digital standards, but it can come pretty darn close. If you look up the "Despecialized Editions" from a person named Harmy online, the biggest things old and new fans can agree on are the correct color pallets and the improved and true Blu-Ray quality images, If people working at home, mixing all versions of the films together can reach this level, I expect Lucasfilm to do even better, which they did not.
-SOUNDTRACK. John Williams = Star Wars. Another thing any Star Wars fan can;t deny, and what has been brought up almost everywhere, is the effect and genius of John Williams work in Star Wars. While some believe he only got better in the prequels, I like to say he just made grander sounds that fit the stories and various worlds. The Original Trilogy has amazing music! For it, like all of the other audio, to not even be fully updated from the DVD release to the Blu-Ray hurts the effect of the movies. The happiness from destroying the Death Star, the reaction of Luke, the pyre for Anakin, all of that does not connect. If the audio for the soundtracks is improved, it will work very fluidly with the prequels. Some may disagree, but Lucasfilm did a disservice to the finer details of Star Wars's original films, and Disney must make the changes and removals to ensure quality of the films for years to come.

Please, if you have your own suggestions, do respond

 

I have heard that as well, but I also heard A New Hope is perpetually locked, or locked for a very long time, so Disney will have to buy the rights off of them. I can see why fans like you like the unaltered looks, because frankly it's great as it is. I remember my first time watching a Star Wars film was Episode IV of the old VHS, not Special Edition, and I loved it. When I saw the special edition, the scenes with the Death Star became even more amazing for me. That's the only reason why I believe some sets and all just have to be replaced, but hey, to each his own @Darth Lexor Kai

 

I guess it's because you were just asking about which box set was the best, while I am giving fixes and all I feel are needed

 

Han shot first! Yes!

 

Bringing this thread back to life! After a few months of news, I think I need to add one change and one removal. Change: Luke and Han fighting off the TIE's that chase them when they escape the Death Star. It actually looks great, but frame manipulation would make it look more hectic, with the Falcon turning and twisting, instead of on a straight course away. It needs no CGI, just a tilted frame, here and there . Removal: Get rid of the lame practical effect used for pushing up the Death Star 2 projection. The thing is clearly tilted. Make it straight, or remove and replace with a superimposed model.

 

Ben's has been fixed, though it can be improved a bit more. It doesn't stand out anymore, that's for sure. Luke's is now sorta blue, but mostly white and a bit too thick.