Already people have made some noise about this new 5.1 Surround EX mix and their complaints are, for the most part, valid. Numerous action scenes drown out the memorable John Williams score, but on the plus side, these actions scenes have never sounded better. Dialogue problems begin early, especially when Han Solo first makes an appearance. His words sound scratchy and slightly washed out, while Luke and Obi-Wan sound just fine. A few of these moments are annoying, but it is likely the original masters are to blame and not the mix. Other scenes include wonderful ambience (the cantina is just awesome) and the LFE channel gets a workout during the multiple explosions. Besides the minor issues, this movie now sounds better than it did back during the theatrical re-release in 1997. (****)
Each disc in this set includes an individual commentary track. "A New Hope" gets George Lucas, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher. Lucas carries the track for the most part and it's odd that Mark Hamill doesn't make an appearance. The rest of the features are over on the fourth disc. (**)
Whether or not you purchase this DVD set or hold out and continue signing online petitions to get the original versions released on the format is obviously a personal choice. But, be aware that this is a startlingly good set (and disc), one that will likely only be matched by the HD-DVD format whenever it finally emerges. There is hardly any reason to wait. The finished product is remarkable.
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