There’s a small controversy brewing in Star Wars and pop-culture fandom about the newly remixed Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi on Blu Ray. There some some, OK many, who don’t like that Star Wars Creator George Lucas added a “no” Darth Vader’s lines toward the end of the movie.
I first saw this over at YouTube, then at the website of The San Francisco Chronicle. But for some reason, the blogger over there didn’t add the video so you could see the scene. And the link to another post with the video is so small that you’d miss it.
But you really should see the clip first, then decide for yourself. Here it is:
I like it. It works, for me. The words add to what was a silent part of the film’s action. It seems to fill a void that was there for years. But you don’t know it’s a void until it’s filled. Then, if you think about it, you’d say “Oh, yeah.”
Look, the idea that “George Lucas is messing..” with the Star Wars universe is a bit silly, with all due respect. This is the latest in a steady series of changes to the Star Wars trilogy that have reflected advances in digital film technology. That’s what George Lucas has said he enjoys about digital film: the ability to go back and make changes in a work, and then re-release the creation.
In all, George Lucas and his staff have added 140 changes to the movies of the Star Wars series, from lines, to added CGI special effects. And there’s no word of Lucas’ intention to stop tinkering with Star Wars at any time in the future.
Why? It’s a multi-generational phenomenon. A classic that’s evolved while its creator was and still is alive. He has the right to do what he wants, and even though some may gripe about it, we all come back to enjoy it, yet again.
Stay tuned.
Bill Carroll