Barnes & Noble

With this two-disc Limited Edition, producer George Lucas finally gives fans of this beloved series what they've been clamoring for: a digitally mastered version of the original 1977 theatrical release along with the more recently "enhanced" version that Lucas prefers. Frankly, we've never thought that the producer's tinkering -- confined mostly but not entirely to the film's special effects -- significantly improved the original Star Wars, and having the original on a bonus disc in this handsomely packaged set is reason enough to add this latest DVD edition to your collection. Chapter Four, recently enhanced with context in the wake of 2005’s concluding Chapter Three - Revenge of the Sith, remains a uniquely satisfying sci-fi romp. Lucas had no way of knowing whether it would succeed at the nation's box offices, so he loaded it with all the elements fans have come to love about the series, and no subsequent entry quite equaled it in exuberant space opera derring-do. More than any other Star Wars film, Chapter Four reflects the influence of those old-school Saturday-matinee serials such as Flash Gordon, and the spirit of fun it conveyed was responsible for kicking off the worldwide marketing phenomenon that has made the series part of our pop-culture heritage. Revisiting the ’77 original, you'll be struck by how much remains familiar and how much continues to stir the emotions. And, best of all, this Limited Edition allows you the option of reliving the experience with either the original or the digitally enhanced version, according to your preference or mood. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

George Lucas' mythological popcorn movie is a two-hour roller-coaster ride that has passed into movie legend. The story, for the tiny number of people not familiar with it, concerns a farm boy named Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) who discovers that the used robot recently purchased by his family plays back a message from one Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), begging for help from Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luke asks his father's friend Ben Kenobi (Alec Guinness) about this, and he discovers that Ben and Obi-Wan are one and the same. Kenobi tells Luke of the battle of the rebels against the ruling Empire and the spiritual energy called "The Force." Soon Luke, Kenobi, and a mercenary named Han Solo (Harrison Ford) join forces to rescue Princess Leia from the Empire's mammoth warship, the Death Star, controlled by evil genius Darth Vader (David Prowse, with the voice of James Earl Jones). George Lucas has frequently cited the influence of several films on Star Wars, particularly Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress and Yojimbo and John Ford's The Searchers, as well as the original Flash Gordon serials. After Star Wars became a success, Lucas announced his intention to turn the film into a series, originally totalling nine films (later pared back to six). Consequently, most reissue prints now feature the title Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope, with The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983) serving as Episodes Five and Six in the serial, and Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace (1999) going back to the myth's beginnings. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 024543263739
• Source: 20TH CENTURY FOX
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Language: English
• Editions: Subtitled, Dubbed
• Time: 2:03:00
• Sales Rank: 6,673

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Star Wars Trilogy

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