An example of how much better Star Wars can be when Lucas takes his hands off the reins...

Rating: Null/10 (31 March 2003)

With Episode IV raking in so much money that George Lucas was really becoming a law unto himself in the world of film, there was almost nothing to stop him from doing exactly what he wanted with the next episode. Only the limitations of technology stood in the way of him making shots work exactly as he wanted, and they only took another couple of decades to be removed.
In 1980, however, Lucas at least had enough humility to let someone else handle the elements he wasn't so good at, namely story and direction. The result is a Star Wars that feels much more natural and performance-oriented than any other, despite the fact that three have been made since. It can also be argued that Episode V is the one that was least in need of a Special Edition in 1997. The story flowed well with connections to the other two Episodes well-established (except in the case of the earliest link in the Jabba subplot having to be cut out of Episode IV). The acting was as good as the actors could deliver in the hands of a good director, and the effects had evolved just barely enough that the more glaring wrinkles in the original were no longer a problem.
It's no surprise, therefore, that most of the changes in the Special Edition are very subtle. In fact, the moment when the Wampa tries to eat Luke is the only obvious place in which a change is made. The other changes mostly consist of placing artifical windows in the Cloud City set to give it a less claustrophobic feel, or things to that effect. Unfortunately, when Lucas does go too far in the restorations or alterations, it sticks out like a sore thumb. The moment when C-3PO says "at least you're still in one piece" to R2-D2 is a classic example. This shot worked well in its original form because everything about it was connected properly to the rest of the footage. In the Special Edition, it looks more like they took a bad angle, added some very silly-looking artificial sky to it, and just wedged it in there. Not exactly what I would call a seamless change.
Another problem with the Special Edition is that it doesn't respect the audience's intelligence a hell of a lot. Some very unconvincing footage of Darth Vader ordering his men to let the crew of his Star Destroyer know he is coming back to take charge was added when it was just far more expedient (not to mention mature in terms of storytelling) to have Vader appear on the capital ship and let the audience assume he just got there by whatever means he had at his disposal. Instead, Lucas assumes that his audience is either less than five years old or has an IQ that doesn't exceed room temperature. Another example of him somehow acquiring Barney syndrome between 1983 and 1997.
The original cut of the film is worthy of a nine out of ten (a point being deducted for some very silly effects in places). Unfortunately, the new version is only an eight. It crosses the line between enhancing the film and what happens when a child keeps adding colours upon colours to a drawing. Lucas really needs to wind down and relax, or get that ego under control, before he inspires more directors to slightly ruin their films.