World Famous Comics: Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams Directed By: Richard Marquand Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Binding: DVD Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC Label: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Number of Items: 2 Region Code: 1 Release Date: September 12, 2006 Running Time: 134 minutes Theatrical Release Date: May 25, 1983
Description: For the first time ever and for a limited time only, the enhanced versions of the Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi will be available individually on DVD. Plus, these 2-Disc DVD's will feature a bonus disc that includes, for the first time ever on DVD, the original films as seen in theaters in 1977, 1980 and 1983.
Amazon.com: The 2006 limited-edition two-disc release of Return of the Jedi is not only the first time the movie has been officially available by itself on DVD. It marks the first-ever DVD release of Jedi as it originally played in theaters in 1983. What does that mean exactly? The film is without the various "improvements" and enhancements George Lucas added for the theatrical rerelease in 1997 as well as the DVD premiere in 2004. So Sebastian Shaw reclaims his spot as the man behind Darth Vader's mask, and we don't see the otherworldly celebration (including the Gungans) at the end of the movie.
What do you lose by watching the 1983 version? Dolby Digital 5.1 EX sound, for one thing (only 2.0 Surround here), and digital cleanup. But for home-theater owners, the biggest frustration will be from the non-anamorphic picture. On a widescreen TV, an anamorphically enhanced (16x9) picture at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio will fill the screen with the exception of small black bars on the top and bottom. The original edition of Jedi, however, on a widescreen TV will have large black bars on the top, the bottom, and the sides unless you stretch the picture (and distort it in the process, especially considering the substandard picture quality). If you're watching on a standard square-shaped (4:3) TV, though, you won't notice a difference.
Yes, it's true that serious home-theater lovers who want spectacular sound and anamorphically enhanced picture can always watch the 2004 version of the movie also included in this set. But chances are good that they already picked up the trilogy edition of all three films, so their decision to buy the 2006 two-disc edition depends on how much they want the original film. The official LucasFilm stance is that this is an individual release of the 2004 version of Return of the Jedi, and the 1983 version of the film is merely a "bonus feature." Common speculation is that the only reason the original versions are seeing the official light of day at all is to undercut the booming black market for the laserdisc version. Star Wars fans will have to decide for themselves if that's worth the purchase. --David Horiuchi
Original Theatrical Version - Definitive The Original Theatrical versions are in their original 2.35:1 Widescreen aspect, letterboxed within a 3x4 screen format - not anamorphic - which is clearly indicated on the packaging. You can view this "full-size" on your 16x9 TV by setting your DVD player's HDMI output to 3x4/pillar-box if necessary, and then setting your TV to "zoom" so that the screen is filled side to side with the picture. There will be slim black bars on the top and bottom, just as there are on anamorphic DVD's with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio.
Even with the zoom in effect, the picture is crystal clear and the color great. I'm using an upconvert DVD player with HDMI output (1080p), and a 50-inch plasma HD television. Some have said in reviews that the picture quality is poor, even "VHS quality", but that's totally false. I've read that the originals here were taken from the laser-disc masters done in the early 90's; well, they look great however they were sourced. The sound is Dolby 2.0 Stereo (as indicated on the package) and sounds excellent. I get some center-channel and sub-woofer action as well as the stereo music and sound-effects on my system.
If a blu-ray/HD version is ever issued, that will be great and an improvement; but this is the only way to get the original films on DVD at this time, and they look great, so this set is essential for fans who saw these movies in theatres when they were released between 1977 and 1983 and want to see them once again in their original glory.
back to rockville,md back in the 70's i had to kill a couple of hours before work.i wandered into white flint mall in rockville md,and walked into the original star wars the day it opened.i was one of three in the theater. this was a gift for a young man.it is what a movie should be.we care about the good guys.many years later.
One Of The Best In The Series Up until the sixth and last episode of the Star Wars saga, which finally ended in 2005, I had always looked at this 1983 entry as my favorite film of the long-running series. The varied action scenes and really different characters (Jabba The Hut, furry woodland creatures, etc.) made this a particularly appealing movie.
None of the action ever focused too long in one spot, either. The last half hour exemplifies this the most as the scene switches every few minutes from the woods to the battle among space ships to the individual laser-duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.
Another nice characteristic this film had that the two previous did not was the absence of in-fighting between two of the stars. Gone was the incessant bickering between Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford. Finally, everyone was on the same page! It was nice to see.
In the end, this was simply a wonderful adventure tale, more than anything else.
This is a totally crappy release... I bought this series (episodes IV-VI) because I wanted the original Star Wars (not the remake) on DVD. George Lucas and his cohorts at 20th Century have delivered a completely bogus and mediocre (at best) release of the original. It reflects Lucas's contention that he didn't really make the movies the way he wanted to (then, why DID he make them?). Any other DVD of similar chronological date has at the very least had a 5.1 soundtrack - not these (despite the totally bogus and misleading representations on the DVD case).
All this does is showcase the wanton money-making greed of George Lucas and 20th Century Fox.
DO NOT BUY THIS!!!! It's CRAP and only feeds the Lucas money machine.
Weak acting There is zero chemistry between Carrie Fischer and Harrison Ford, so their silly 'romance' strikes an off chord here. I hadn't seen this since its theatrical premiere, so I was struck by the relative lack of special effects and how primitive were the existing ones, especially the Jaba the Hut scenes where all the characters are obviously fake. Again, as in the previous episode, the human dialogue is the weakest part of the film. The 'plot' is a feel-good theme, and the grand finale is a bit of a tear-jerker. In 25 years, this has held up relatively well, but seems a bit shallow by today's standards.
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