Star Wars Trilogy (2004, DVD) - Widescreen

One of the most exhilarating and influential trilogies in the history of motion pictures, George Lucas's sci-fi spectacular continues to capture the hearts and minds of individuals throughout the world. This release contains the STAR WARS trilogy (episodes IV-VI) in one glorious package. First up is STAR WARS; George Lucas's stunning sci-fi masterpiece, and arguably one of the most inventive and entertaining films ever made. As the adventure begins, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), an impulsive but goodhearted young man who lives on the dusty planet of Tatooine with his aunt and uncle, longs for the exciting life of a Rebel soldier. The Rebels, led by the headstrong Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), are fighting against the evil Empire, which has set about destroying planets inhabited by innocent citizens with the Death Star, a fearsome planetlike craft commanded by Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing) and the eternally frightful Darth Vader. When Luke's aunt and uncle are murdered by the Empire’s imperial stormtroopers and he mysteriously finds a distress message from Princess Leia in one of his androids, R2-D2 (Kenny Baker), he must set out to find Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), a mysterious old hermit with incredible powers. On his journey, Luke is aided by the roguish, sarcastic mercenary Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his towering furry sidekick Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) as they run into a host of perilous situations while trying to rescue the princess--and the entire galaxy. Considered the most morally and emotionally complex of the original Star Wars trilogy, THE EMPIRE STRIKE BACK continues creator George Lucas’s epic saga where STAR WARS left off. The Rebel Forces--which include young adventurer Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), rogue pilot Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and the beautiful but seemingly humorless Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher)--have been successful in destroying the Evil Empire’s Death Star. However, the Empire’s top commander, the terrifying Lord Darth Vader (played by David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones), is scanning the galaxy for the Rebels' secret location. After a visually stunning showdown on the ice planet Hoth, the Rebels are forced to flee, and Luke separates from Han and Leia. Masterful storytelling weaves multiple, archetypal plotlines that pit Vader against Han and Leia as he desperately attempts to capture Luke for political--and, secretly, personal--reasons. Luke, meanwhile, finds himself under the tutelage of the tiny but powerful old Jedi Master Yoda, who teaches him the ways of the Force and warns the impatient but talented student against the threat of the Dark Side. Greek tragedy meets a philosophical hero’s journey in EMPIRE, a remarkable sci-fi epic in which the performances are as powerful as the spectacular special effects. The third and final chapter in the wondrous STAR WARS saga is RETURN OF THE JEDI. Luke (Mark Hamill) must save Han Solo (Harrison Ford) from the clutches of the monstrous Jabba the Hut, and bring down the newly reconstructed--and even more powerful--Death Star. With Solo imprisoned, Luke accompanies his faithful droids R2D2 (Kenny Baker) and C3PO (Anthony Daniels) in a rescue bid, with Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) also lending a hand. After they valiantly disentangle their friends from Jabba's clutches, Luke returns to his Jedi Knight training with Yoda. Meanwhile, the Rebel Troops amass in an attempt to

Star Wars Still Revolutionary

The original Star Wars trilogy is an essential collection that every movie lover should own. The series established a new standard for movie making and story telling that can be seen in any epic blockbuster from the last thirty years. With it's clever humor, engaging adventure, and spaced-out shootouts, Star Wars is a film that reaches out to every generation. An all-star cast of a young Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher pave the way for the trilogy's greatness with such dynamic character relations that surely transpose even off camera. The additional fourth disc of Bonus Material only adds to the awe of the viewer by showing the incredible amounts of time and effort that ensured the completion of the films and their ultimate colossal impact. Did you know that as a result of Star Wars, director George Lucas established such popular movie trends as THX superior audio and visual aspects and the king of special effects company ILM (Industrial Light and Magic)? And to think, it all started out with a simple farm boy a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Required Inclusion

Not only is Star Wars a classic (It would have been a classic all by itself), they decided to make sequels that are as good as the original. Even if you don't like Sci-Fi, this is one of the best series of all time. The sequels are outstanding, and you grow to love the characters whether it's Han Solo, Yoda, Princess Leia, C3PO, Chewbacca, or Darth Vadar. Watching Luke Skywalker grow from just a young man into a Jedi is an excellent journey that you'll love to watch over and over again no matter your age. Actually, I recommend watching all 6 movies beginning with Episode 1, so you can watch the whole saga chronologically, especially the transformation of Darth Vadar. The Star Wars Trilogy is a required inclusion to any DVD collection. I own all 6 Star Wars movies, and so should you.

4 DVD set:orig Star Wars Trilology w/ extra footage DVD

I liked the idea of offering my 7 yr. old grandson the opportunity to see the original Star Wars trilology along with additional footage not released before. He's been interested in the toys saturating the marketplace, without knowing or understanding the story behind them. I took his mother/my daughter and my other children to see the Star Wars' movies when they first opened in the theatres and we all enjoyed them; so I purchased the boxed set as a Christmas gift for him and his parents hoping they'd enjoy it as a family. They have already spent a weekend together making popcorn and sitting in front of their flat screen enjoying a Star Wars marathon. This past weekend my grandson told me all about the parts he liked the most. Now he knows why he has legos named Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker; etc. AND best of all...he's internalized the idea that fear and hatred are the opposite of "the force"; and he shuns the notion of the "dark side". I think thats a great lesson for all kids. I even noticed a perceptible shift in how he now views other's bad behavior. All that from one gift...who could ask for more??

Star Wars Trilogy: Episodes 4, 5 & 6...

How can one review these movies? They are classics and anything I say probably won't do them justice. These are the re-releases of the original movies (from the late 70s and early 80s) and they are enhanced using modern digital effects. That being said, the special effects are improved and, as a result, so are many of the sequences throughout the trilogy. However, if you are a die-hard Star Wars fan and you are turned off by the new special effects and added scenes that were included in the re-release of these films, then be forewarned.

I had difficulty finding this set as a trilogy ending up as less than 30$ total (with the S&H included in the price), mostly they are in the mid-thirties, not including the S&H. Perhaps you could do better buying them individually, but then you have to deal with the hassle of three purchases and potentially three different S&H costs and you don't get the nice packaging and bonus DVD stuff. The set retails for more in stores, so either way 30$ is a pretty decent and convenient deal!