SteelBook Alert: Bantha Fodder

As promotion for the upcoming sequel that you may have heard a thing or two about recently, all six of the earlier ‘Star Wars’ movies will be re-released on Blu-ray this fall. Big shock, right? The discs will get new SteelBook packaging, which is nice. To answer your very first question: No, do not get your hopes up for a restoration of the Original Trilogy. That is not happening.

These are the same Blu-rays released previously, just in new packaging. ‘Star Wars’, ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ and ‘Return of the Jedi’ are still the Special Edition versions with all the CGI crap and the stupid new Jabba scene and “Jedi Rocks” and the blinking Ewoks and “NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!” Sigh.

Each SteelBook contains just the movie disc for its respective title. That means you get the audio commentaries, but none of the other supplemental features that were contained on bonus discs in the ‘Complete Saga’ box set. If SteelBooks aren’t your thing, the ‘Complete Saga’ will also be reissued at the same time with new cover art (but just in a standard cardboard box).

For what they are, I think the SteelBooks look pretty nice. The artwork is very high-res and textured (at least in these promotional images). However, it seems a little odd that they all feature the faces of villain characters, except for Yoda on ‘Attack of the Clones’. Yoda’s not even a very significant part of that movie.

Regardless, I’m sticking to my guns. I do not own any of the ‘Star Wars’ movies on Blu-ray now and don’t plan to buy these, SteelBooks or no SteelBooks. Only when the first three movies are restored to their original theatrical versions will I ever purchase them again.

Will you also hold out?

‘Star Wars’

Available at: Amazon
Release date: November 10th, 2015
Price: $24.99

Star Wars A New Hope SteelBook

‘The Empire Strikes Back’

Available at: Amazon
Release date: November 10th, 2015
Price: $24.99

Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back SteelBook

‘Return of the Jedi’

Available at: Amazon
Release date: November 10th, 2015
Price: $24.99

Star Wars Return of the Jedi SteelBook

‘The Phantom Menace’

Available at: Amazon
Release date: November 10th, 2015
Price: $24.99

Star Wars Phantom Menace SteelBook

‘Attack of the Clones’

Available at: Amazon
Release date: November 10th, 2015
Price: $24.99

Star Wars Attack of the Clones SteelBook

‘Revenge of the Sith’

Available at: Amazon
Release date: November 10th, 2015
Price: $24.99

Star Wars Revenge of the Sith SteelBook

25 comments

  1. NJScorpio

    I currently own the “box” set of the IV, V, & VI. I have no interest in buying I, II, & III.

    If a singular box set was released, similar to what has been done with James Bond, that had slots available for the next three films…THEN I’d rebuy the films I have (and buy the ones I didn’t want). I’m picturing a Death Star that opens up to reveal the discs.

  2. Chris B

    I like Star Wars and I like steelbooks, but as I mentioned last week I refuse to re-buy stuff I already own just because the studio feels the need to trot out some new packaging in order to scare up some more dough.

    As for Yoda’s image being the one that wound up on the Attack of the Clones case? It’s most likely because that was the film in which we finally saw him fight…it was a big deal at the time.

  3. Bolo

    I saw each of the prequels only once during their initial release and I guess it shows how little impression they made on me that I don’t even remember who that guy who looks like a dog skull is.

      • EM

        Cyborg, not robot (or droid…I guess it has been a long time since you’ve watched a Star Wars movie 🙂 ).

        I’m not sure he was a Sith either, but that might be splitting hairs about a movie not worth the trouble to argue about.

      • Bolo

        Okay, I do remember that moment where a guy with multiple arms busted out all those lightsabers and spun them into deadly propellers. A bit overkill, in my opinion.

    • theHDphantom

      Really??? I thought General Grievous was a great character. One of my favourite characters from the Star Wars universe in fact. Not up to the bar as Darth Maul is, but still pretty high up there.

      • cardpetree

        He had potential to be a pretty cool character. They made him a complete bitch in the movie. He was a bad ass in the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Vol. 1 movie.

      • Bolo

        Sorry, like I said, my memory of these films is very hazy. I do remember Christopher Lee’s villain character factoring into the plot, but not this guy.

        Josh has reminded me of the part where he gets four lightsabers going at once and I remember that visual. But I still can’t remember what his deal was, what he did in the movie or what his fate was.

        • EM

          I remember him coughing and getting defeated by Obi-Wan with the help of an “uncivilized” blaster.

          Dooku was cooler…except for that name. Grievous had it all over Dooku, and I think it even outclassed Darth Tyranus by a modest margin.

  4. Timcharger

    Josh:
    “The artwork is very high-res and textured (at least in these promotional images).”

    Textured? Like embossed? How do you know this from the images?
    A leaked, unboxing video?

  5. I will buy ‘Revenge of the Sith’. My laptop was stolen in February 2015, and the ‘Revenge’ disc was inside of my disc drive. As such, I have 8 of the 9 discs of the box set. I called and mailed Fox to ask for a replacement copy, but they couldn’t help me. I had no intention to buy another box set, so this individual release will be of great help.

  6. cardpetree

    Those are pretty sweet but I’m still holding out hope that there will be unedited versions of Episodes IV through VI available one day.

  7. EM

    Of course I wil hold out for the restored original trilogy. To coin a phrase…these aren’t the discs I’m looking for.

  8. Thulsadoom

    Firstly, I wouldn’t bother buying them just for the steelbooks, as I have the box-set, but what’s with the bland artwork? You’ve got some of the most incredibly artistic and creative films ever made (even including the prequel trilogy). You could use the Drew Struzan paintings and they’d look amazing. These are just disappointing…

  9. William Henley

    If these were released at the same time as the Boxed Sets AND were available in a bundle, I would have jumped on them. Paying $25 per movie for something I already own – no, I’m not doing that.

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