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Star Wars: Revisited or Despecialized?

Masirimso17

Masirimso17

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I'm curious about this. Which one do you prefer watching? Do you prefer watching the original, unaltered version? Or do you prefer watching what the Special Editions should have been?

Personally, I prefer Revisited. While I love that we can see the original Star Wars released in 1977 in its original theatrical triumph, I absolutely adore every improvement made to Revisited. Minor changes in the SE I personally like are all preserved and massive improvements have been made throughout the film. It's amazing. That's why I just can't not watch Revisited when I'm in the mood for the original Star Wars. Can't wait for ESB: Revisited.

Also, though they aren't Revisited, I also prefer ADigitalMan's Empire and Q2's Jedi (though I'm planning on editing Jedi myself). Empire and Jedi Despecialized are both just as fantastic as SW Despecialized, but I like most of the changes in Empire (which those that I don't were fixed by ADigitalMan's version) and Q2's hybrid fixes the changes I don't like and preserves changes I do like.

What do you guys prefer watching when in the mood for Star Wars?
 
unaltered. 

Revisited is a fun special edition, but I prefer the theatrical.
 
I prefer Despecialized. Revisited is awesome too, though. I guess it kind of depends on the mood, but if I'm marathoning the original trilogy, it's the original original. If I'm watching ANH on its own I go back and forth between Revisited and The War of the Stars. I wouldn't be able to pick just one.
 
To clarify, I prefer the Silver Screen edition for SW, and Despecialized for ESB and ROTJ. 

But yeah, Revisited is awesome fun, and I'm very much looking forward to ESB. I'm excited to finally see it when I retire.
 
What's funny is that I previewed iJedi's remix of the Original Trilogy (essentially, what if George Lucas got a guaranteed three picture deal), I noticed they used Adywan's interpretation of Vader and Obi-Wan's fight. It's a welcome rejuvination to the original scene, but when I think about how the first Star Wars movie wasn't nearly as big on Jedi mysticism as it would later on, it almost feels somewhat out of place with the rest of the movie. Plus, I just missed how Vader already had his lightsaber out before Obi-Wan because Vader just seems like he's ready to kill him.

If there's one thing I unequivocally find superior about Adywan's work to the original cut, it's how Luke and Obi-Wan watch Leia's message. It flows so much more organically than how it was originally scripted.
 
This will constitute my first post and it's fitting as watching through both of these edits after having viewed Rogue One recently kind of prompted me to finally create an account here in the first place, haha.

Personally I prefer Harmy's Despecialized edition of Star Wars. I understand what Adywan was doing with Revisited and I appreciate having a special edition of Star Wars  that felt much more subtle than what George Lucas actually gave us but for me, ultimately, it just didn't have much replay value, and I felt like there were still some changes that were made just kind of for the sake of making changes. Ultimately at the end of the day when it comes to Star Wars I just prefer the movie to be the way I remember it growing up and Harmy's work was the first to really give me that in a wholly successful, high quality way. I'll still watch Revisited once and a while if I'm in the right mood but ultimately the  Despecialized edition has kind of become my Go To default version of the movie.

Well...I should be fair. The Go To default for A New Hope used to be the Despecialized Edition. The Silver Screen Edition has since usurped it for obvious reasons.
 
TawniesTallMyth said:
Well...I should be fair. The Go To default for A New Hope used to be the Despecialized Edition. The Silver Screen Edition has since usurped it for obvious reasons.
Click to expand...

Which are?
 
Harmy allegedly said the Silver Screen edition is better than his 2.6 Despecialized (I can't find where this was, but can find a lot of people quoting him, hence 'allegedly'), but the version numbering is on 2.7 now. So I disagree with the above assessment, in that the choice is not so obvious. I find there's too much grain on the Silver Screen edition for me, I prefer Despecialized.
 
TVs Frink said:
Which are?
Click to expand...

Mostly just the fact that, to the best of my knowledge, it's the film exactly as it would have been seen in a theater in 1977 in the  highest available quality. That may change in the future, but I think it's at the very least currently true.
 
Well that's, just, like, your opinion, man.

Which means there are no obvious reasons to choose one over the other and each person should look at both and choose for themselves?
 
addiesin said:
Well that's, just, like, your opinion, man.

Which means there are no obvious reasons to choose one over the other and each person should look at both and choose for themselves?
Click to expand...

To be clear...I didn't mean to offend with the "for obvious reasons" comment in my post. I wasn't arguing that the choice is obvious for everyone. I merely meant that I thought my  reasons for preferring The Silver Screen edition would be obvious given the context of what I wrote (i.e. I prefer the theatrical edition over special editions and I think the Silver Screen edition is thus far the best presentation of said theatrical edition). If that wasn't as clear as I thought it was I apologize, should have provided a little bit more clarification on that point.
 
No apology is necessary, but I appreciate the clarification.

Edit - also no offense taken or intended!
 
I prefer the Silver Screen to Harmy primarily for the consistency of the picture. The grain and noise don't bother me, and I much prefer that to a DNR'd picture or obvious composites. Harmy's work is fantastic, but at times it's quite noticeable. I'd love to have transfers similar to the Silver Screen for ESB and ROTJ.
 
Star  Wars Revisited.... especially knowing what Ady will fix on v2 of ANH when he does the 720 version.
 
It is great that there are so many alternatives to the Special Editions, and at least nobody has suggested just watching those instead. While they're watchable, any of the other discussed options are preferable and less distracting.
 
Wow, hot topic to start the new year.  
Well, I grew up watching the 2004 “Definitive” specialeditions, and only now truly understand what _some_ of those changes meant… negatively.  I like a few of the changes, though.  All in all, I have fallen in love with the theatrical versions, despitesome continuity issues,such as the engliswritingin the Death Star internals of Anakin’s eyebrows.  As I said, though, all in all the theatrical versions by Harmyare Spectacular with a capitalS!  I have seen Adywan’s “Episode IV - A New Hope - Revisited” and would absolutely love to get to see the Purist Edition, as some of the changes on the original went slightlytoo far for my tastes, although I still love it if only for the work that went and is still going in it all these years.  In conclusion, a truly perfect version of the Original Trilogy of Star Wars I have yet to find, but would go with the Despecialized Editions as they are beauty.
 
Why not both?

If I want to watch "Star Wars", I'll go for the original theatrical, and Harmy's "despecialized" is a nice presentation of that.

If I want to watch "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope", then Adywan's "revisited" is among the best presentations of the "saga" version of the story.
 
For me it depends on what I'm doing..

Just want to watch Star Wars, or watch the OT in a marathon, then despecialized is typically my go-to.

If I'm doing a mega-marathon of my PT edits plus the OT, then I go with Adywan's Revisited for ANH, and then despecialized for 5 and 6. 

They are both fantastic and have value.. but if I were only allowed to watch ONE version ever again, well despecialized is the way to go for me (in all fairness, I haven't acquired SilverScreen yet for comparison)
 
I perfectly agree, @"L8wrtr". It does also depend on what I am doing.  In an OT marathon, the Despecialized/GOUT editions give you just SO MUCH MORE.  On the other hand, while I am attached to the 2004 Special Editions, Adywan’s version is very special.
 
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