Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope (1977 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition) |  | Director: George Lucas
Actors: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy Used: $4.73
as of 9/9/2010 02:34 CDT details
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Rating:  819 reviews
Sales Rank: 720
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), English (Original Language), English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Discs: 2
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Running Time: 121 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 024543263739
UPC: 024543263739
EAN: 0024543263739
ASIN: B000FQJAIW
Theatrical Release Date: May 25, 1977
Release Date: September 12, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Luke Skywalker tries to save his sister Princess Leia from the evil Darth Vader.
Amazon.com
The 2006 limited-edition two-disc release of George Lucas's epic space fantasy Star Wars is not only the first time the movie has been officially available by itself on DVD. It marks the first-ever DVD release of Star Wars as it originally played in theaters in 1977. What does that mean exactly? Well, for starters, the initial title crawl proclaims that this is just Star Wars, not Episode IV, A New Hope. Second, the film is without the various "improvements" and enhancements Lucas added for the theatrical rerelease in 1997 as well as the DVD premiere in 2004. So no more critters and droids scurrying around the port of Mos Eisley when Luke and Obi-Wan Kenobi first arrive, no meetings between Han Solo and Jabba the Hut and between Luke and Biggs (extraneous scenes that were cut in 1977), no enhanced explosions during the final reel, and--most importantly to some fans--no more of Greedo shooting first in the bar. Instead Han is free to be the scoundrel and not even let Greedo squeeze off a shot. What do you lose by watching the 1977 version? Dolby Digital 5.1 EX sound, for one thing (only 2.0 Surround here). Digital cleanup for another--Tatooine looks like it's been coated with an additional layer of sand cloud. 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 Star Wars, however, is not anamorphically enhanced (sometimes referred to as "4:3 letterbox"), so on a widescreen TV it 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 Star Wars: Episode IV, A New Hope, and the 1977 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
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 819
 I'm a kid again October 3, 2006
T. Truesdell (Lost Angeles, United States)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
All I can say is I felt like I was watching the film for the first time. I felt like that kid so many years ago, walking into the theater, not expecting much, but seeing something amazing. No, the sound isnt perfect (and I have a very dope sound system). No, the colors aren't enhanced, there's no special features, nothing. Its pure. Its like seeing an old car that you loved - not fixed up, just like you remembered. And for the record, I also have every release - but unlike most of the reviewers - dont feel "duped". Hell, if you dont want it, dont buy it. I bought it, watched it, Han shot Greedo first, and I wept.
Bad quality? Not on my TV! November 9, 2006
wingthing
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I was very reluctant to buy the "limited edition" versions because of the negative reviews. While I wanted the original non-doctored-and-rewritten-within-an-inch-of-their-lives versions, I was worried about the supposed inferior quality everyone was complaining about. Well, maybe my TV and sound system is just too primitive, but I certainly didn't notice poor quality. In fact I thought the quality was amazing! That flat cartoony look of hi-def Lucas loves so much was blessedly absent. And Star Wars looked like Star Wars - not a CG parody of itself! It was like watching the trilogy for the first time all over again.
To anyone in the market for the original edition, feeling nervous after reading these reviews - take the gamble and judge for yourself. I for one now consider my Star Wars collection finally complete.
In Perspective December 20, 2006
Jim (Canandaigua, NY)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
I certainly understand everyone's anger over the "double dipping" going on throughout the DVD industry. I also understand that George Lucas is one of the biggest culprits in this area (dating back to the video tape releases of his properties.) I predicted this release because, if nothing else, Lucas is a shrewd businessman. After guaranteeing sales of the Special Editions (by declaring that they would be the only versions of the saga ever released), he then released the original version so that the purists would wind up owning both incarnations. The move may have been artistic: the Special Editions do flow better with the prequels. It may have been about the money- there was a lot to be made there. It may be that he really never wanted to release the originals but felt pressure from the fan base. I'm not here to attack him or defend him regarding this issue. The point, metaphorically, is: if I want to play, I have to face the fact that George Lucas owns the playground.
I was eight-years-old when Star Wars was released in 1977. I couldn't wait to see that film. Unfortunately, I had to...my parents refused to take me because they were not interested. I finally wore them down by the summer of 1978 when they begrudgingly took me to a Drive-In to see it. By then it had the "Episode IV: A New Hope" tacked on and, even though I loved it, I felt I missed out. In viewing the film for the first time in it's pure form, I realized how good it really was. I'm not going to go in to all the fan boy rhetoric that permeates most reviews. I'm simply going to state that the original Star Wars, like it or hate it, is a piece of cinema history. It changed the way Science Fiction movies and, for that matter, movies in general, were perceived. It's raw and rough around the edges and that is part of its charm. I am constantly amazed by CGI and what can be portrayed on film. I am amazed but not engrossed or moved. I prefer the film in this raw form with none of the upgrades that are available to DVD releases- after all I wanted to see the movie that I missed in the theater! This film and its two sequels (in their original form) are what escapism and imagination are all about. It's hard to believe but there was a time (not too long ago) when heroes weren't "anti-heroes" and hope wasn't considered naïve. Good films have something to say about the human condition and this film is no exception. Unfortunately, since its original release people have forgotten that it is a film about life and not a way of life. If you understand what I'm trying to say, you've probably already purchased this DVD. If not, I suggest you give it a try- but do so with the mind-set of a wide-eyed eight-year-old.
Mmm..good movie this is January 25, 2000
Alison
14 out of 16 found this review helpful
I have loved this movie since I was a small child, and even though I have grown older and times have changed, I still love this movie. It is the ultimate fairy tale retelling, with bad vs. good-- and characters you can really care about (unlike most of today's action movies--has anyone seen Godzilla? ). I also have to give major credit to this movie for being one of the first to include a really strong, positive role model for girls in an action movie. Princess Leia was one of the first female characters who didn't just sit there and let everyone else rescue her. You go girl! I enjoyed the extra scenes in the special edition, especially the one between Luke and Biggs at the end. It really made me realize those weren't just pilots they lost in the final battle, they were friends. Awww...Anyway, I liked that. This is an amazing movie, and if your kids haven't seen it, then you're not raising them right! No, I'm just kidding! :-) May the force be with you!
Do You Want to Own the Original Trilogy? November 9, 2006
Philosofool
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
This release of Star Wars delivers exactly what is promised: the full, unedited 1977 release of the movie. If this were any other movie made in 1977, no one would complain about the video or audio quality of the DVD. It looks a devil of a lot better than my old VHS copies. You will occasionally notice visual artifacts--little blemishes on the film--from the source material. Artifacts are to be expected and they're very minor--no more than you would see sitting in a movie theater today. The video is not anamorphic 16:9, which means that if you have a widescreen TV, you won't gain any fidelity over watching it letterboxed on a regular dimension TV of the same width.
If you don't presently own and would like to own the original Star Wars trilogy on DVD, and you won't be bothered if your Star Wars Trilogy DVDs aren't beastiful remasters of the original movie, then this is disc one of the set you should buy.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 819
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