Star Wars: DVD Of the New Millennium (thus far)

In case you’ve been shielding yourself from the world; Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (aka Episode One) has (finally!) been released on DVD. George Lucas wanted to go all out for the DVD’s release; including enough special features to continue on the good name of his slew of companies (ILM, Skywalker Sound, Lucasarts, etc) as continuing to break the boundaries of expectations. He’s not satisfied unless most eyeballs open wide, and emotions get giddy, whenever he releases something. Plus, this is the Star War’s saga. How easy it would have been for him to just simply release sequels and prequels left and right. They probably would of made tons of money, but still he waited. He waited until not only technology caught up with his vision, but also until he downright ready. He’s a master craftsman. He may need to take a few classes on storytelling and hold a few focus groups (my belief that the focus groups would of blasted the Jar Jar Binks character), but you have to give him credit.

Star Wars is perhaps one of the most recognized and well-known icons in the movie industry. That being said, it’s almost futile for me to actually spend a large amount of time discussing what the plot was. Unless you’ve been in a cave (or you happen to be my parents), you probably already know what the movie is about; and in a few cases some of you may of already downloaded it off the Internet. So, I’ll give just the basic summary of the movie. Then you’ll find a brief opinion of what I felt about the movie, followed by what you can expect from the DVD and why you should not hesitate to buy it. (Side note, at this point in time, the DVD has become the number one seller in the DVD category of all time. I doubt I even need to express the what or the why in relation to the DVD…unless of course you’ve been under a rock.) (Side side note: if you have indeed been under a rock then it’s highly unlikely that you have Internet access or even know how to operate a computer…unless of course for some freaky reason you just have never heard of Star Wars, and the DVD release of Episode One.) (Side side side note: I could probably write a whole review using just side side and side notes—but I wont!)

Episode One begins like most of the Star Wars movies out in space with the traditional scroll that sets up the movie. A Trade Federation has set up an illegal blockade on the planet Naboo, and is trying to force Naboo’s leader, Queen Amidala into signing a treaty with the Trade Federation. To be completely honest, exactly why the Trade Federation is doing this is a mystery, but it ultimately sets up the context of the story that continues throughout the film. All that we do know, is that behind the Trade Federation’s decision is a sinister individual, one who is destined to bring evil to the galaxy. Speaking of evil, Episode One also introduces the short-lived character of Darth Maul, who is not only evil in appearance, but also one hell of an excellent swordsman. His scenes are especially enjoyable since the fight sequences take on more action—instead of the slow pace action scenes that were a part of Episodes Four, Five, and Six. However, at the time those scenes were just as breath-taking as the fight scenes in Episode One. To help settle the dispute between the Trade Federation and Queen Amidala, the Supreme Chancellor dispatches two Jedi knights to negotiate a treaty. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi attempt to settle the dispute but are soon led into the war. Their path takes them to several different worlds; and to several different people one of which is soon introduced as Anakin Skywalker (who, as most people know, turns into Darth Vader).

I could continue with my summary but I’m sure most people already know what the movie is about. As for my personal opinion on the movie’s plot; I have to admit that I was a tad confused as to what it was all about. The presentation wasn’t confusing, since George Lucas normally spells out his story clearly; but the overall reasons are very blurry. Part of that is how Star Wars operates; since it’s a movie that gets explained yet leaves questions unanswered as it progresses. What I was most confused about is why was the Trade Federation so interested in the planet Naboo. I don’t remember a clear answer being given as to why Naboo was the centerpiece of the story. In a way, I figured that George Lucas had to begin somewhere so he just conjured up a planet and people to start off his movie, since one of the biggest pieces of Episode One was to explain how Darth Vader came to be Darth Vader.

Simply put, that’s all Episode One really is. A drawn out explanation of where Darth Vader came from. Along the way, we learn more about Obi Wan Knobi and his original master; and we learn more about Senator Palpatine and the “Senate” that is discussed in the original Episodes. In most cases a movie that relies so heavily on just telling a simple tale of where a character came from would have been a disaster at the box office. But since we haven’t seen an entry in the Star Wars saga for such a long time our expectations were so high that we would accept and enjoy just about anything that is Star Wars related. I know that sounds cheap, but that’s what I’ve determined a portion of what has made Episode One so successful. That, and the fact that the special effects are breath-taking, the action scenes are amazing, and the fight scenes are elaborate.

Speaking of the special effects; their creation is why ILM only hires the most experienced, creative, and educated individuals. I should know, I applied three times to work there and only once did I receive a postcard in return. They say, a postcard is step one into a company. Then comes the phone interview, the first round of the in-house interview, then the second, then the references round, then potentially finally the job offer. I guess step one is better than no step at all.

The special effects took many months of hard work, not only to create them but also extensive storyboarding before a single mouse was clicked. Then each frame was carefully crafted, each shadow was put in its place, each shine was polished before the final release. In the end, the outcome is clearly obvious. George Lucas also wanted to break boundaries in his film; and in a twist—wanted to be able to explain how they accomplished them. According to one of the DVD included bonus features, Lucas said, “we will need to remember how we accomplished these effects since after this movie everybody will want them.” He’s probably right; how many movies since The Matrix have utilized some of that movies special effects.

Turning my attention solely to the DVD in front of me; George Lucas has collected together one of the most insightful DVD’s available on the market today. Where else can you find (in no apparent order): Feature length commentary by George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, John Knoll, Dennis Muren, and Scott Squires; Digital sound available in English 5.1 Dolby Surround EX, English Dolby 2.0 Surround, and Spanish Dolby 2.0 Surround; Deleted scenes featuring seven new sequences completed just for the DVD release; an hour long documentary film culled from over 600 hours of footage; Multi-Angle storyboard-to-animatic-to-film sequences; Five featurettes; a twelve part web documentary on the production of Episode One; “Duel of the Fates” music video featuring John Williams; Photo Gallery; Theatrical posters and print campaign from around the world; Movie trailers and TV spots; the making of Star Wars: Starfighter video games from Lucasarts; and finally an exclusive DVD-ROM weblink to exclusive Star Wars content.

Feature Length Commentary
Overall George Lucas does most of the talking throughout the commentary. Most of it surrounds the theological aspect of the Star Wars universe and the creation of many of the special effects. The commentary also goes into detail about how certain sounds were created; how some were recycled from previous Star Wars films, and how some were created utilizing sounds we hear everyday. One particular interesting aspect of the Commentary is that depending on who is speaking you will hear their voice out of a particular speaker. For example, whenever George Lucas was speaking I heard his voice from my center speaker. Other contributors came from either the left or the right speaker.

Digital Sound Dolby 5.1 EX
Depending on your sound system, you will either experience the true sound of Dolby 5.1 EX or you will have to settle (like me) for the old-fashioned Dolby 2.0 Surround. All of this is THX enhanced too. Overall the sound is incredible. However, again this is all dependent on the type of system you have. Also, I wanted to praise George Lucas for including a Spanish track. In most DVD’s you can only hear English and French—and sometimes you can see Spanish subtitles. Frankly, Spanish is the second most spoken language here in the US and it’s nice to see that now Spanish speaking consumers can hear in clear Dolby/THX sound the power of Star Wars.

Deleted Scenes
From all accounts, this is the one special feature that is getting the most attention—in terms of marketing. It is well deserved. I don’t know a single director who has included deleted scenes that were re-designed especially for a DVD. You won’t see any numbers quickly flashing by at the bottom of the screen. The sound won’t sound like it was recorded in a closet. The picture won’t look like someone developed it in their own personal darkroom. Great care was taken to restore and finish these deleted scenes for the DVD’s release. This required time and money to create some of the special effects that were never created before. What probably happened is that the scenes were scrapped after filming and special effects were never added. For the DVD, the scenes were taken out of the vault and treated like they were destined for the screen. A very, very, very rare treat.

An Hour Long Documentary
I really enjoyed this documentary. My only wish was that it wasn’t just an hour long. Footage was collected from over 600 hours of recordings, and I wish they had perhaps made the documentary longer and included even more behind the scenes. The documentary was very interesting, except for the fact that (due to time) it moved too quickly between time and ideas. It explained a lot of the production, but it also left as many questions as it answered. However, don’t get me wrong, the documentary is extremely interesting and you get a chance to take a peek inside the life of the movie and inside ILM.

Multi-Angle Storyboard Sequence
This feature is nice since it allows you to view the rough cut of two scenes, the Submarine and the Podrace. Depending on which selection you choose (using your Angle button) you can view the sequence in the rough visual form, in the rough computer effects form, and in the final form. You can also view the sequence with your TV screen separated into three sections and watch all three forms all at once. For example the Podrace scene includes the rough visual form of a boy in a very makeshift device hitting buttons and pulling levers. The rough visual form lets you see the scene in computer form, but with no detail. The final form is just that, what you saw during the movie. I especially liked the fact that you can watch all three of these forms all at once, and they all remain in perfect sync.

Featurettes
Contains small documentaries that explain the creation of the storyline, design, action sequences, costumes, and visual effects. Although the commentary already covers a lot of this territory, the featurettes visually explain many of the choices and designs that went into creating the film.

Twelve Part Web Documentary
To be completely honest, I have yet to explore any of the Web features that are available with this DVD. Part of that stems from the fact that I have a dial up connection; and a very slow one at that. However, I don’t fear that these documentaries will be going away anytime soon, based on my belief that Star Wars will have a very huge shelf life.

Duel of the Fates Music Video
Simply a song composed by John Williams set to scenes from the movie, accompanied by scenes of those who took part in composing and playing the music. I think it was shown on MTV previously.

Photo Gallery
An extensive photo gallery taken throughout the films production. Again, there were probably far more pictures taken, so although the gallery is extensive, it leaves the imagination open to how many more pictures could have been included on the DVD. I can’t really explain each picture, but it’s a good showcase of the film’s production.

Posters and Print Campaign
I like looking at how they marketed the film, because it varies depending on the market. For the most part, I may see two to three different film posters, but that’s about it. But how were these posters altered for oversea audience members? What else was created that I never saw?

Trailers and TV Spots
Basically what you can expect from any movie. The teaser trailer; which I thought was rather long for being a teaser; the full-length trailer that many of us flocked to the theater to see; and several TV spots that advertise different aspects of the film; action, family values, etc.

Making of the Game
A behind the scenes look into the new Lucasarts video game, Star Wars: Starfighter. Interesting, but also acts as an extended advertisement for the games release. The power of marketing!

DVD-ROM web link
Again, I haven’t explored this aspect. However, what I have heard is that in order to access these features you will need to have the Star Wars DVD in your computer (using a DVD-ROM player). Hopefully soon I’ll explore these features.

Overall, you really cannot go wrong with purchasing this DVD. Besides the movie, the Special Features are extensive and entertaining. The transfer of the movie is beautiful, and the sound is amazing. It true, films that use THX technology in their transfer do indeed sound better--sometimes no matter how old or out of date your sound system is. George Lucas took the time to release one of the best examples of the power of DVD. Don’t miss out, pick it up today!