Friday, September 17

Revision of the Jedi


The revised ending in the just-released Star Wars DVDs has Hayden Christensen's younger Anakin replacing the older version played by actor Sebastian Shaw. HOLY revisionist, Batman!

I'm no stranger to revisions. I've personally revised my own comics project, Angel Ace at LEAST four or five times. And of course, the more recent Angel Ace Again comics are a remake of the original Angel Ace story. But I operated under the anime/manga principle of having a different take on the same characters for different medium- If Angel Ace the original issues were the OAVs, the Again books are the TV series adventures of Angela Gale and friends.
Well, it seems that George Lucas himself is quite the re-writer of cinema. But for him, it's not a remake as much as it is a correction. With the magic of digital retouching and CG, Lucas has gone out of his way to change the the original Star Wars Trilogies to fit with the more recent SW prequels. Purists and fans of the original films will scream bloody murder and FOUL, but the deed is done. Fortunately, aside from restoring much of the glory of the old films, the actual changes aren't as pervasive and numerous as once feared.

1. There are Gungans cheering on Coruscant once the Empire is defeated. "Weesa Free! Weesa Free!"

2. Temeura Morrison's voice is now given to Boba Fett, although we never see his face in the original trilogy, as should be.

3. Ian McDiarmid now replaces the old Emperor (said to be the biggest change).

4. A new Jabba the Hut replaces the awkward 1997 version

5. Luke Skywalker's girly scream is removed from the scene where he jumps off from Darth Vader in Empire Strikes Back.

6. And, of course, actor Sebastian Shaw (The Black King?) is replaced in the ending by Hayden Christensen, though gladly he still retains his scene as the aging Darth Vader (sans eyebrows).

There are lots more changes and little details throughout. Why the young Anakin in the ending? Is it because the Jedi keep their forms once they die AS Jedi? So Darth Vader gets to be young and virile in the afterlife while Obi Wan stays Alec Guinness old. Is that fair? Hmmm.
I really can't say what I feel about the changes. On the one hand, it's pretty creepy how Lucas can just do that, changing stuff for his whims- Well, it's HIS anyway and he has the frickin' millions to spend on it. On the other hand though, it's making the saga new and updated to the next generation. All I can say is, hold on to those old Star Wars VHS and DVDs of the original films if you want your version true to the original.

Well, at least Lucas didn't update the Obi-Wan and Darth Vader fight in New Hope new acrobatic moves, as we feared he would. Heheh.

Info and News from Ain't It Cool

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