Star Wars Saga - Blu Ray Edition Review

Last Updated on Thursday, 22 September 2011 09:25 Written by Neil S. Thursday, 22 September 2011 07:28

OK all you fanboys (and girls) out there. Grab you favorite snack food, beverage (a stiff one if needed), and some spare Oxygen. We here at Meta Human Chronicles are about to dive into reviewing the most highly waited release since the Blu-Ray player first came out. The Complete Saga version of Star Wars on Blu-Ray. I'm not going to waste your time, and go into the plot of each film. After all if you have not seen Star Wars yet; where have you been for the last 30 years! What I will do is cover how the saga looks and sounds on Blu-Ray, and give a run down on the bonus features included with the set. So head on past the fold for our in depth review of this newest release of the Star Wars Saga.

Packaging:

5 out of 5

I liked the way this set was packaged overall. It comes in a nice slip cover binder; with all nine discs in their own sleeve. If you have the Alien Anthology Blu-Ray set; then you will know how this one is packaged. Each page of the binder also includes some unique artwork that matches each film in the saga, and reminds me of something Ralph McQuarie would do. The cardboard pages are thick and have embedded semi-circle slots for the discs, which are easy to slide out, but not so easy that you'd ever worry about them falling out on their own, and in the back you'll find a "Guide to the Galaxy" booklet that provides a break-down of what special features are included. I wish they could have come up with better art for the box cover, but this is definitely a handsome Blu-ray set, one that will look great sitting next to the Alien Anthology on your shelf.

Special Features and Extras:

4.5 out of 5

I'm sure for the majority of the die hard fans (and you know who you are); this section is the main selling point of this set. I'm not going to detail out every last item that was included (suffice it to say; this set is overflowing), but I will give a small run down of whats included. Along with the disc for each film, the set includes three bonus discs, where you'll find a substantial collection of material. The third disc contains an assortment of documentaries, most of which have been seen before, while the first two contain film-specific supplements, arranged by the locations within each film.

• Audio Commentaries: Each film includes two audio commentaries, and these are the only bonus features actually on the discs for the films themselves.
• Interviews: This set contains approximately two hours of interviews. These are broken down by the major settings of each film. They include an overview of the setting from productions designers; plus more detailed interviews with the cast and crew. These basically cover the difficulties of creating and shooting that part of the film.
• Deleted/Extended Scenes: This is the meat of this set. All told we are given almost a full hour and a half of brand new deleted scenes. Even the ones for the prequels were not included in those releases. most of these are very rough and unfinished, but they are nice to see. Most of them I had no idea were ever filmed to begin with.
• The Collection: This section contains scores of props, CGI models, prototype maquettes, costumes, matte paintings, and more. You can click on an item and then zoom, rotate, and for most even be able to watch a short video segment about the piece. If you watch the one for Vader's Star Destoyer you'll finally have the official pronunciation of the ship.
• Concept Art Gallery: Here you'll find hundreds of pieces of preliminary artwork, covering character design, locations, vehicles, props, and more.
• Archive Fly-Through: This is exactly what it sounds like, a visual tour through the LucasFilm archives, a warehouse where every conceivable prop, model, and costume is stored.

Video Quality:

Prequal Trilogy 4 out of 5 - Classic Trilogy 4.5 out of 5

For the most part the video quality is about what I expect for a Blu-Ray. However this set does have some problems. Chief among them is The Phantom Menace. Somehow it feels right to have the worst film in the saga to also have the worst overall picture quality. It seems like THX went a little overboard with the digital noise reduction. Attack of the Clones is better overall, but it too also suffers from the use of noise reduction. But since it was filmed digitally and not on 35mm film stock, the end result is not as harsh as Episode I is. Revenge of the Sith is far and away the best looking film of the whole saga.

The picture quality of Episode III is on a whole different level from any of the other films. It is so good in fact that I would put in on par with the way Avatar looks. Every little detail jumps out at you; from General Grievous' cape to Vader's nice new helmet, to the wrinkles on Yoda's weathered face, and Count Dooku's eyebrow hairs, individually visible no less. This is truly impressive stuff. All of the film's environments—from Kashyyyk to the lava world of Mustafar—look fantastic.

If you are like me, and you grew up watching the Classic Trilogy on VHS. Prepare to have your socks blown off with they way they look now. You are rewarded with R2 in all his well worn glory. You can almost make out the fibers in Obi-Wan's cloak. The detail's in the Falcon just jump out at you. Yoda in Empire looks better then ever before. You can still see the box outline around ships when they are flying through space; that I wish they would have cleaned up. But that is a small price to pay for the overall quality we are presented with. And of course the lightsabers finally get their glory. Outside of Episode III they do not look better then they do in the classic trilogy.

Audio Quality:

If I could give a score above 5 I would

Forget any audio you have heard for any Star Wars movie, or Sci-Fi movie for that matter. The DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 surround tracks we are given here blow anything and everything else completely out of the water (and maybe even the Universe). This audio is as close to spot on perfection as I think you can humanly get. Even listening to it on my home system which is only 5.1, I was still totally blown away. It felt like I was sitting front row center for an orchestra playing John Williams music. When the Imperial March first comes on, it feels like the bass section is right there next to me.

The sound effects sound just as good. The snap-hiss of a lightsaber ignition to the swish they make in a dual all sound like you are right there. The blasters (as uncivilized as they are) sound better then they ever have. Every little sound from the main score to little effects in the background are better then ever.

Overall:

Overall I would highly recommend any Star Wars fan get this set. Even if you are not a big fan of the prequels, it is still worth grabbing. Leaving the new changes Lucas has made out of the equation (we all know he is going to make them, so just accept it and move on); this set is truly a once in a technological-generation release. These films will not get any better probably for the next 20 years. The films have never looked or sounded better— Episodes III-VI are particularly impressive, and they come with a fantastic collection of special features. I will be enjoying this set for years to come, and I would recommend it to any Star Wars fan too.