Part of the Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition) box set.

THE EXTRAS

*"Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy"

This is the best of the best when it comes to any remote sense of a Star Wars documentary. It is roughly 2 hours long, going in-depth of the Star Wars production. If this was its own DVD itself, I still would buy into it.

* Featurettes: The Legendary Creatures of Star Wars, The Birth of the Lightsaber, The Legacy of Star Wars

Out of all the featurettes, “Legacy of Star Wars” is roughly, the best. We have from Peter Jackson to James Cameron, giving their hat’s off to Star Wars and the impact it made on the industry.

* Teasers, trailers, TV spots, still galleries

* Playable Xbox demo of the new Lucasarts game Star Wars Battlefront

* The making of the Episode III videogame

* Exclusive preview of Star Wars: Episode III

CRITIQUE

There is a reason why I am doing the critique after the extra section. Ideally, it is the same setup like the Indiana Jones set. We have all three films on three separate DVD cases, with just the movies as is. Now – unlike the Indiana Jones set, there is nifty commentary tracks included the Star Wars set. And while the cases and even the DVD menus are within continuity with the prequel DVDs, the sets themselves, isn’t. I was looking forward to a two-disc set on each film. Looking at the bonus stuff on the bonus disc, I actually think there is less bonus stuff that is suppose to sum up the entire “original” trilogy, that the bonus stuff on the Menace and Clones DVD sets have.

The Empire of Dreams doc could easily been sliced up into three parts. The trailers and such could easily been placed in its designated DVD. And the cliché marketing of the upcoming movie could’ve easily been placed into the last film, Jedi.

I love the movie presentations. I love the little extras this set offers. I don’t love the setup at all.

While Lucasfilm gathered quite a bit of stuff, I don’t think it gathered as much as it should have. In fact, there is so much more out there – I am shocked the extras are as vague as it is.

But not giving too much critical hatred, it is still a nice bonus set of stuff.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I love and dislike this set all at once. I was actually going to waste my money years ago on a VCD set of Star Wars on eBay. Luckily, my mother talked me out of it. The film presentations are iffy. I don’t mind the special editions, but I also wished the original-original set of films were also offered on DVD.

I, unlike most people, understand what Lucas is coming at. And with Episode Three within a week away, the whole idea is to look at the saga as a whole – six-part whole. Looking at these films with that thinking, it is a new perceptive. Lucas wrote Star Wars much like how Tolkien wrote the Lord of the Rings. This entire epic story rest in the hands of references from the pre-stuff. The prequel trilogy, as under-appreciative as it is, is basically "The Hobbit." It tells the causes, which made the effect possible. So in those regards, I can appreciate for the most part, the special editions.

But nonetheless, options have always been a great thing with movies. We have an option between the special edition of ET or the original version. We have an option between Lord of the Rings extended editions or the theatrical cuts. Unrated or rated. It goes on and on.

With that in mind, movies don’t just tell a time/and/space story – but it rests and captures time/and/space as well. I have lots of memories with the original trilogy that I fell in love with as a kid. I don’t even remember the original trilogy anymore, as I basically accepted the special editions. What is sad, however, is Lucas’ dismissal on them. Kids of today don’t have the same options I did as a kid ten year ago, with the original trilogy. On the good side, we have this six-part saga. On the bad side, we don’t have the original saga that started it all.

While I do love this set, I do love these films. I watch them constantly (and now, more than ever with Episode Three on the horizon.) But with my love/dislike for this set, it’s hard for me to say “it’s worth it” and mean it. It is worth it just on the fact alone that the movies that actually define home theater systems – is finally on the market it belongs on, DVDs. But what I am already dreading – re-re-re-re-re-lease hell!

It’s reasonable enough there will be a six-set DVD box set. But I am dreading the fact that there will never be a definitive version of these great films. The rumor now, 3-D cuts. Lucasfilm, as much of a respected co. it is – does like to milk money, constantly.