The original Star Wars (albeit the Special Edition) has been running in high def on HBO this month. I watched it. I cringe at all the added CGI clutter, and I wince at Greedo shooting first. These are not new sentiments. I do, however, wonder why, if you're going to "fix" a movie, you don't fix these things that I first noticed as a kid:
- In Leia's ship at the beginning of the movie, we hear the ominous sound of metal clamps latching on to the ship. Immediately cut to outside, where the clamps are nowhere near the ship yet.
- When Luke and Leia are running from stormtroopers, you plainly see squibs on a door, right before they explode. I know it's not as cool as adding dinosaurs, but this would have taken two seconds to fix.
- When at the end of the movie Vader and two wingmen fly out of the Death Star, they bank with uncanny synchronization....almost as if they're mounted on the same stick.
- English characters on the gauges Obi-Wan tampers with? Really?
- When Luke heroically returns and Leia runs up to greet him, he excitedly yells "Carrie!"
- Speaking of whom, Lucas left the worst special-effect of all: Carrie Fisher trying to give R2-D2 a warmly glowing smile in the final scene. Scared me as a kid. Scared me more as an adult.
I went looking for a photo of Carrie Fisher's terrifying smile and instead found this page from a children's coloring book. I offer no further comment.