Star Wars - Episode IV: 2004 Special Edition Revisited

The only way to watch ANH is via Adywan. I dont think i can add too much more to what people have said already; suffice it to say this is a true labor of love and a testament to what the entire concept of fanediting is really suppoosed to be about. Too many fanedits suffer from fenzied, wild-eyed cutting for its own sake, due to millenial attention spans requiring 2 seconds a shot, or an otherwise "lets get on with it" mentality. The best fanedits out there seek story above all.

What is really fascinating about this edit is Adywan's clear and utter love for the source material; this really is an enhancement, not an edit. As someone who grew up in the 1980s knowing every frame, visual and audio tic, and flaw in lucas's original vision it can be jarring to see what he's getting up to conceptually here, but having seen this a number of times its starting to all blend together.

I understand the furor by purists, but have zero problem with the musical cues. All of the additions from the SE are tastefully realized, and the things we loved so dearly about the original cut (han shot first, et al) are absolutely and totally right there. The best move was finally doing something about Ben's disappearing lightsaber in the duel (something that's always bothered me) and sorting out some of Lucas's original editing oversights, audio discrepencies, etc.

Adywan uses his editing skills in the best way - to draw attention away from the very concept of editing. Its invisible. Compared to lots of films (fanedits and not) that insist on self-consciously making editing a "character" instead of a means to an end, Adywan keeps the editing ego under control. Unless youre Scorsese/Schoonmaker, or Tarantino/Menke, or any of the great editing teams who have mastered the art of self-consciousness in editing, and need it as a story tool, keep it invisible.

9 for visual. Waiting for Adywan's HD release! In the meantime, from here til the end of all things to conceive of watching ANH sans Adywan's edit is inconceivable. Lucasfilm, give this man a position! You couldnt have a better source of evidence of competency than this film (except maybe Adywan's ESB!)

Adywan is THE MAN. No seriously, he took all the good in this movie's original and Special Edition versions and kept them, tossed out all the bad, and spent YEARS creating better special efforts-- REAL AND PRACTICAL-- to result in the best goddamn version of this movie I could imagine. He's even spent YEARS on Empire and eventually will Jedi, all for us Star Wars fans to have the truly best damn movies possible. I would hug him if I could.

There isn't much to say that hasn't already been said. The story is better with a few small edits to Obi-Wan's story to Luke about his father, the special effects look naturally better, and jeez the duel between Obi-Wan and Vader is now EPIC with a musical score behind it! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. The only complaint I'd have is I'm still waiting to see what Adywan's Empire and Jedi Revisited versions will be like!! 1,000,000 out of 10.

"Finally, the motion picture event the way it was MEANT to be experienced!" To Adywan (Adrian Sayce), "the Force will be with you, always."

What can be said about Star Wars Revisited that hasn't already been said? This is a near perfect revamp of the special edition of Star Wars, aside from a couple small changes that feel like change for the sake of change (Electric torture needle, ultra-desaturation of death star corridors, music during Obi/Vader duel), and a few effects that look a little fanmade. Of course, this edit was originally released before the Blu-Rays, so it is only available in SD. That said, I'm anxiously awaiting Empire Revisited and the eventual HD version!

Absolutely marvelous =)

I would change a few things though:
- The Death Star reveal scene could be revisited and that blue planet removed...
- The light on the syringe could be removed...
- TIE/LN attacking in swarms could be a little accelerated much like at the battle of Endor...

Great work Ady =)