Kevin

In the decades since the release of the original Star Wars trilogy, George Lucas has tinkered with the movies again and again, adding new effects, altering old scenes, and making changes that range from innocuous to absolutely baffling. We’ve already looked at a few of the Special Edition changes Lucas actually got right, but it’s safe to say many fans have been far less forgiving of the rest.

So, let’s head back to a galaxy far, far away and break down the five worst changes Lucas made to the Star Wars trilogy: alterations that have distracted from the original magic, damaged key moments, and left fans wishing that the unaltered theatrical versions would finally be made widely available.

Jabba the Hutt (A New Hope)

The original version of Star Wars worked just fine without Jabba the Hutt physically appearing in Mos Eisley, but the Special Edition restored a deleted scene between Han Solo and the gangster. The scene had originally been shot with a human actor standing in for Jabba, but Lucas replaced him with a CG version. Unfortunately, it’s never looked good. The 1997 version was especially rough, but even the later tweaks couldn’t make the scene feel natural.

The bigger problem is that the scene mostly repeats information we just heard in the Greedo sequence. We already know Han is in debt to Jabba, and keeping the character off-screen made him more intimidating, building up his reputation until we finally meet him in Return of the Jedi.

Worse still, there’s the awkward moment where Han walks over Jabba’s tail, a workaround for the original blocking, that turns one of the galaxy’s most feared crime lords into a cartoon gag.

Greedo Shoots First (A New Hope)

Of all the changes made to the Star Wars trilogy, this is probably the most infamous. In the original version, Han Solo shoots Greedo under the table, establishing him as a dangerous, self-serving smuggler. It’s a perfect character introduction.

Then the Special Edition changed the scene so that Greedo fires first, apparently in an attempt to soften Han’s actions. The problem is that it also softens Han. The whole point is that he begins the story as someone who looks out for himself, which makes his decision to return during the Battle of Yavin all the more satisfying. By trying to make Han more heroic at the beginning, the change actually weakens his arc.

Lucas continued tinkering with the moment in later releases, with Han firing only slightly after Greedo in the 2004 DVD release and both characters firing almost simultaneously in the 2011 Blu-ray release, but the damage had already been done.

Boba Fett’s New Voice (The Empire Strikes Back)

Unlike some of the other changes, I do understand this one. But that doesn’t mean I like it. After the prequels revealed that Boba Fett was an unaltered clone of Jango Fett, Lucas went back to The Empire Strikes Back and replaced Jason Wingreen’s original Boba Fett dialogue with new lines recorded by Temuera Morrison.

From a continuity standpoint, it makes sense. Boba is Jango’s clone, so of course, he would sound like him. But the original voice had a cold, gravelly menace that made Boba feel mysterious and dangerous, even though he only had a handful of lines.

The Morrison dub isn’t terrible, but it feels much flatter by comparison. Made purely to maintain continuity, the change strips away some of the mystique that made Boba Fett so cool in the first place.

Jedi Rocks (Return of the Jedi)

The original Max Rebo Band sequence in Return of the Jedi fit the grimy puppet-filled weirdness of Jabba’s palace. Lapti Nek was odd and just sleazy enough to belong in that corner of the Star Wars universe.

Then came Jedi Rocks.

For the Special Edition, Lucas replaced the original musical number with a much louder, much goofier CG-heavy sequence, complete with Joh Yowza leering into the camera like he’s auditioning for The Muppet Show. It’s one of the most aggressively annoying additions in the entire trilogy, and it completely disrupts the atmosphere of Jabba’s palace. What should feel dangerous and decadent suddenly feels like a Saturday morning cartoon.

Instead of adding texture to the world, the new creatures and exaggerated camera moves call attention to themselves in the worst possible way.

Darth Vader’s Scream (Return of the Jedi)

The climax of Return of the Jedi is one of the most powerful moments in the entire Star Wars saga. As Luke is being tortured by the Emperor, Vader silently watches, and in that silence, we can feel the conflict inside him. He doesn’t need to say anything. The performance, the editing, and John Williams’ score tell us everything we need to know.

But you know what, f*** that, let’s have Vader screaming “Nooooo!” like some idiot.

The change was introduced for the 2011 Blu-ray release, seemingly to create a stronger connection to Vader’s infamous cry at the end of Revenge of the Sith. (It’s like poetry; they rhyme). But it completely undercuts the moment. Vader’s wordless decision to save his son was already crystal clear, and adding dialogue makes the scene feel clumsier and more obvious.

This one may be a small addition in terms of screen time, but it lands right in the middle of one of the trilogy’s emotional peaks.

Bonus: R2D2 Hides (A New Hope)

This one might be my personal vote for the worst change made to the Star Wars trilogy, but I know it’s not one of the more popular choices, so I’m including it as a bonus. It may not be as obtrusive as the CG Jabba or Joh Yowza screaming directly into the camera, but I hate it every single time I see it.

The scene finds R2-D2 hiding from the Tusken Raiders after Luke Skywalker has been knocked unconscious. It remained unchanged throughout the Special Edition and DVD releases of the film, but for some reason, large CG rocks were added to the shot for the 2011 Blu-ray release, partially obscuring R2. Not only do they look fake and two-dimensional compared to the real rocks, but they also completely ruin the shot’s composition. Worse still, they leave you wondering how the little droid even managed to squeeze in there in the first place.

And the most ridiculous part? When R2 finally leaves his little hidey-hole behind, the extra rocks are nowhere to be seen. They just vanish. It’s a small change, but it’s exactly the kind of pointless tinkering that drives me crazy.

Wrapping It Up

Of course, this only scratches the surface of the many questionable changes made to the original Star Wars trilogy over the years. More than anything, it’s why fans still want the choice to watch the original theatrical versions again. Sure, the Special Editions will always be part of Star Wars history, but we want the choice to watch the movies we first fell in love with.

What do you think are the worst changes George Lucas made to the Star Wars trilogy? Let us know in the comments.

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