Star Wars Begins

Final documentary from Jamie Benning’s Star Wars trilogy is arguably the best.
Jam packed with extras, boasting an unbeatable menu design.
If you can only get one - this is the one.

Video - 720p X 480p. My version is NTSC. Quality wobbles a bit, though nothing unexpected. As far as layering of visual “extras” this seems to have had more than the other pair.

Audio - 2 Channel AC3. Movie dialogue clear, voiceovers clear - even from Harrison Ford, with whom I have problems occasionally.

Narrative - As with the other pair, memories, anecdotes, popups and background details are interwoven with the narrative proper. Perhaps because the film had been such an unexpected smash, and enthusiasm was so high, the voiceovers are optimistic and fresh. The “good cheer” factor is off the dial in this one.

Enjoyment - This is the doc I have watched over and over. Seems like I am always picking up on fresh details, or spying something in the frame corner. As far as extras, not much, which is mildly surprising. There was a plethora of material listed on the “cuts n additions.” Perhaps Benning desired a strict DVD-5 and goodies would have bumped this into a DVD-9.

The menu deserves singular praise. This is one of the finest menus I have even seen, and extraordinarily conceived. The entire show is encapsulized in Ralph McQuarrie’s conceptual art and John Williams’ music. Often viewers click past the menu as swiftly as possible. Not so here. This shines a graceful innocence and can be rewatched multiple times. Well done - really - well done.

This is essential.

Wow! Jambe's star wars documentaries are simply amazing! Imagine every single interesting bonus feature or commentary track brought together and edited in with the movie itself and you have this. It's not only a documentary, it's the ultimate commentary track for star wars and it contains footage that I have never seen before including alternate takes and alternate camera angles for nearly every scene. Another great thing about this is that Jambe used the theatrical version of this movie rather than the special edition.

This is a real treat for any Star Wars fan! 10/10

I finally sat down to watch this, and my Jambe Star Wars Documentary Experience (TM) is finally complete. If you've seen Building Empire and/or Returning to Jedi, there's nothing new here. By which I mean it's the same fantastic, exhaustive mix of audio commentary, text commentary, deleted scenes, alternate takes, storyboards, comics, behind-the-scenes clips, and pretty-much-anything-else-you-can-think-of that we've come to expect from Jambe. Brilliant work!

Ten thumbs up out of ten.

This has got to be the most exhaustive documentary on Star Wars I've ever seen. I don't know where or how Jambe got most of his behind-the-scenes footage, but this is a definite watch for any Star Wars fan, film student, or anyone just interested in the film making process.

Most interesting for me was seeing some of the candid behind-the-scenes footage with the actors goofing off, as well as learning more about how the story was revised throughout production. There are also little hidden gems pointing out things you've probably missed when watching Star Wars such as "94" actually on the hanger bays wall.

Give this documentary a watch. You won't regret it.

Review by CK1 — March 2, 2011 @ 8:06 pm

“Star Wars Begins” is a must watch documentary for any Star Wars fan. Jambe Davdar packs in tons of behind the scenes footage, audio interviews, little known facts, and other fun stuff seamlessly into the A New Hope. The documentary style plays through the entirety of the movie while interjecting commentary information throughout, which allows for a very smooth and enjoyable experience.

I would highly recommend this to all FE/Star Wars fans and this would make a wonderful second disc for anyone wanting to create the ultimate Star Wars 2-disc set along with Adywan’s Star Wars Revisited!

As this was an ‘unofficial commentary’ rather than a re-edit, I can’t rate this in the usual categories. That being said, I would give this a 10/10! Great job!