Confirmed: Christiansen inserted in <i>Jedi</i>
Internet rumors from several months ago were confirmed in an early review found on USA Today’s website. Several (*cough*) minor changes were made to the movies yet again demonstrating Lucas’ contempt for fans of his movies.
At what point do you draw the line between improvement and destruction?
Most specifically, the spirit of Anakin Skywalker will appear alongside those of Yoda and Obi Wan Kenobi, but not played by the original actor, Sebastian Shaw, but by Hayden Christensen, the actor currently portraying Anakin/Vader in Episodes 2 and 3 of the Star Wars prequels. Official Lucasfilm response is continuity and cohesion but die-hards disagree.
“Imagine you’re Luke for a minute, looking at this spirit of a teenager next to Yoda and an old Ben Kenobi. Wouldn’t you be wondering who the heck this kid was? And why stop there? Why not toss Alec Guinness for a younger, more appealing Ewan McGregor?”
In addition, seemingly in response to fan uproar has been the scene in which “Han shoots first” of Episode 4: A New Hope. The original 1977 footage has smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) squaring off heatedly with bounty hunter Greedo in the now famous cantina scene. That scene 25 years ago revealed Han firing on Greedo killing him instantly before the alien could claim his bounty. For the special edition re-release 20 years later, Lucas changed the scene to make Greedo fire first and miss at nearly point blank range, forcing Han to retaliate. The resulting scene looks forced, rushed, and does much to pull you out of the story, especially if you’re a fan. According to USA Today:
“The cantina shootout between Han Solo and the green-snouted bounty hunter Greedo is virtually identical, but now it seems their guns fire almost simultaneously.”
The full article lists additional tweaks and some of the cleaning process. Expect a full review on September 21st, the day of the 4 disc release.
