Return of the Jedi: New Ending

I'm pissed of about that ending. I don't think Lucas should have put the younger Anakin in there. Why mess with an incredible movie we all know and love. If I bought a vintage Mustang I certainly wouldn't want to find a Chevy engine in it. I liken Lucas's actions to those same A holes that run the record companies. When you buy your favorite bands greatest hits CD expecting to listen the the songs you have known since you were a kid and you end up with some "re-mastered" P.O.S. which sounds nothing like what you were expecting. It is a huge let down. I think it stinks.

I agree with GL replacing Sebastian Shaw, especially since the movies were obviously modified to fit in with Episode I II and III. As someone said before the real Anakin died years ago and was replaced by Darth Vader, he lost his soul in a way. Once Vader died his soul was set free which would explain why the ghost appears young. Both Ben and Yoda were the same consistently, so when they died, they died. Anakin in a way was trapped in a shell, and was finally let go. Yes, I can see why OT fans would be mad, but it accomodates much better. I am sure if Lucas would have though of the original trilogy back then he would have had a younger actor play Anakin's ghost.

i know its not going to happen, but everyone should respect GL's decision, this is the way the movie was meant to be seen in his eyes. although change has always been a fear of man kind.

At first i was like...whoa! WTF!? But after i thought about it for a while...i kinda liked the idea.

like other people, at first i was whoa-- that doesn't seem like the old ending or the one i watched before. But i liked it and it made sense. the good man that luke was referring to as his father was the YOUNG anakin skywalker BEFORE he "died" and became darth vader as obi wan kenobi said. anakin kinda pops through at the end when he wants to see his son for the last time with his own eyes. did you also notice added scenes of Naboo, and other planets partying?

I just want to know how he's gonna explain Anakin having an American accent before he bacame darth vader and then a clipped British accent when Luke takes off his helmet...

That bit just makes no sense...

british? moron!

I was shocked to see the different Anakin ghost as well but after a little consideration I couldnt care less. The thing that pissed me of was that George changed the Ewok's victory "Yowah" song. That song ruled, it was the way the triliogy ended for me. A tribal up-beat ditty that I absolutely loved. I watched it with my girlfriend (first time she had ever seen it) last night and sadly whimpered "they changed it..." I couldnt have been more upset. But who knows to make many more millions of dollars Lucas will probably release another set of dvds where you can chose what new stuff is added and what old stuff is changed. Because like a sucker I would buy it.

yup, it's true, I know it is old news, but I still wanted to post it
I just saw ROTJ on Fox latinamerica, and yeah, young Anakin is there

Just fished watching all 6 episodes in a row!

Had to go to the theatre to see Episode III, but it actually "somewhat" justifies switching the actor.

At first I thought it was super cool... but then I started thinking, wait a sec... I remember him being really old. Then I searched the net and found this page.

I actually liked the overall feeling it gave. It was quite clear that the Anakin as a Jedi not a Sith was being represented I thought.

However I didn't realize how much other stuff had been changed, as is posted above. Most of them do seem to have changed if memory serves, but interesting choices. There are still some remaining flaws (as should be expected - I mean come on guys, perfection?) but strange that he would cover up some and still leave glaring ones. Most notable is the Leigha remembering her mother.

Of course all of this can be explained if you extend your reasoning far enough. I think in some ways its a shame Lucas felt he had to modify things, however it did give an overall nice feeling when watching the whole set. I actually liked the extra screenshots of planets from the first three episodes right at the end of Jedi.

Anyhow, just my opinion.

I actually don't mind so much that Lucas changed the ending "ghost" scene of ROTJ, if that is the way he sees it then so be it. However, why the heck couldn't he actually release the DVDs with both versions on them. Many, many other movies release DVDs with "the original theatrical version" and "the director's cut" on them, why not these? I have a feeling the uber-greed of Lucas has gotten the better of us and you will find the originals eventually released, just like how PM widescreen came out on video b4 the DVDs. You gotta admit the guy knows how to squeeze every last buck out of the fans.

^
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finally people get the reason lucas did this...
i imagine if hayden was 20 something in 83 and he knew hayden would be in the prequels then he would have used him then too. i honestly think the actor he used for anakin in the OG ROTJ was a stupid idea anyway.

BTW: EP3 ownes.

i think that obi wan, like most of the other jedi, was trained by yoda as a youngling in a clan and when he reached the right age he became qui gons apprentice. so actually he was trained by both. check this nerd out

i dont get it.. i thought there were only 3 star wars movies out but whys everyone talking about episode 6???

*sigh*

There was episodes 4-6 (A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi) between 1979 and 1986.

Recently, there have been episodes 1-3.

oh, are they going to remake them?

The rumor going around is that in the upcoming DVD release of the Star Wars series, George Lucas has altered the ending of Return of the Jedi (Episode VI) so that Hayden Christensen has replaced Sebastian Shaw in the final scene that shows the ghosts of Darth Vader, Yoda, and Obi wan Kenobi standing together

From the original entry.
So it's just the DVD release. I assume that this is when they release the whole lot as a set.

so the old movies are gonna carry on from the new ones? wouldnt that look wrong?

Um, I'm not sure if I get what you mean.
If it's that the older ones are set later in the Star Wars universe, yes.
The more recent three are prequels.

well like if the old movies filmed 20 years ago are carrying on from these new ones wont it look odd.. all the characters wil be different and the effects wont be near as good..

In what way different? There's quite a time gap between where episode three finishes and episode four starts, remember. People who were children are now adults, people who were young (I'm thinking of Obi Wan here) will be old...

True, the effects are more old-fashioned, but George Lucas always intended to make episodes 4-6 first, then go back to the prequels. Plus there's areas where they have updated the originals with more high-tech computer effects.

oh ok cool,
thanks then :>

No problem.
😊

well if u guyz watch EP III when anakin turned into the robot he was still young, if u think about it ROBOTS don't agE!!! so therefore he looks the same!!!,

for the scene where he takes off his mask it makes sense coz he face probably melted and stuff so meh

i thought there was an uncanny resemblance between Hayden and the Anakin at the end of return of the jedi. I have been amazed for days but thanks for explaining it. i don't know which i would prefer sebastian or hayden. Its a great ending still though,if a bit wierd ages wise. It make sense and carries on well from the prequels. It seems a shame to edit he old ones though. Perhaps they should have been left as they were, sorry to sound so cheesy but now the originals have been lost forever. Shame really, maybe they should bring out an unedited version. i dunno, they could have at least explained the trilogy had been edited, to be honest i never noticed,being 7yrs since i last saw them but it was a bit wierd. I dunno. i better shut up. It will take me a week to make up my mind. Ad they could have changed the credits at the end to hayden christensen but maybe leave sebastians name too. it made me confused.

I think it is a tribute to the orginal anakin either that or they were too lazy to edit the end credits

well if u guyz watch EP III when anakin turned into the robot he was still young, if u think about it ROBOTS don't agE!!! so therefore he looks the same!!!

uh...... He is not a robot, he merely needs the life support suit to live. Remember, the name Darth Vader has nothing to do with the black suit he wears, he only wears that because he has to.

Anyways, I disagree with them reamking the ending with Hayden as the ghost of Anakin, ans here is why. Anakin does indeed "die" (not phyiscally) in Episode III when he turns to the dark side, and becomes the dreaded darth vader. However, Darth Vader dies (not physically) the moment he kills the Emperor and saves Luke's life. The man who dies next to Luke's X wing with his helmet is off is NOT Darth Vader, but Anakin Skywalker who had returned to the Skywalker. So when Anakin physically dies, it is not Vader who is dying, but Anakin dying. So for those saying "well it needs to be hayden so it reflects that its Anakian!" that really is not correct. Hayden Christianson merely portrays Anakin Skywalker when he is about 19 years old. But Anakin physically dies when he is about 40 (since eps 4-6 take place about 20 years after Episode 3) so obviously Anakin should be portrayed by someone who looks that aqe and looks like he could be Luke's father. He is supposed to luke the same as the scarred Anakin we see at the end of ROTJ right before he dies, except with no scarring, so its basically how he would look at that age had he not had fallen into the lava. So yeah, anyways it was an unecessary change, since, as I stated, the old Anakin (Sebastain Shaw) relects what Anakin looked like that age, and also reflects the Anakin Skywalker that killed the Emperor, saved luke, returned to the light side, and who ultimately brought balance to the force.

blah lol sorry about some of the typo's in my message I typed it pretty fast..... so i'll repost it.

well if u guyz watch EP III when anakin turned into the robot he was still young, if u think about it ROBOTS don't agE!!! so therefore he looks the same!!!

Uh...... he is not a robot, he merely needs the life support suit to live. Remember, the name Darth Vader has nothing to do with the black suit he wears, he only wears that because he has to. And he DOES indeed age and get older, we just don't see it (untill the end of ROTJ, of course) because he has the suit on, thus we cannot see what he looks like underneath. ...... but honestly, how could anyone think he doesnt age ? Of course he still ages, he may look like a machine on the outside, but he is still a human being.


Anyways, I disagree with them remaking the ending with Hayden as the ghost of Anakin, and here is why. Anakin does indeed "die" (not physically) in Episode III when he turns to the dark side, and becomes the dreaded Darth Vader. However, Darth Vader dies (not physically) the moment he kills the Emperor and saves Luke's life. The man who dies next to Luke's X wing with his helmet off is NOT Darth Vader, but Anakin Skywalker who had returned to the light side. So when Anakin physically dies, it is not Vader who is dying, but Anakin dying. So for those saying "well it needs to be hayden so it reflects that it's Anakin!" that really is not correct. Hayden Christensen merely portrays Anakin Skywalker when he is about 19 years old. But Anakin physically dies when he is about 40 (since eps 4-6 take place about 20 years after Episode 3) so obviously Anakin should be portrayed by someone who looks that age and looks like he could be Luke's father. He is supposed to look the same as the scarred Anakin we see at the end of ROTJ right before he dies, except with no scarring, so its basically how he would look at that age had he not fallen into the lava. So yeah, anyways it was an unecessary change, since, as I stated, the old Anakin (Shaw) relects what Anakin looked like at that age, and also reflects the Anakin Skywalker that killed the Emperor, saved Luke, returned to the light side, and who ultimately brought balance to the force.

get over it already, bitching wont change a damn thing.
GL dosent give a fuck what you all think.

PENIS!!!!

Wow what a intelligent post..... not. Anyways, I know that what we say doesn't change anything. That doesn't mean we can't discuss the subject and give our opinions, and present logical reasons for our opinions.

Let's put thefacts down on the table hear. In ROTS (Ep. III) you see that anakin is burned alive right? Of course he is. The main reason why Lucas changed the ending is to show how Anakin was before. Here is the facts. When a jedi die or in Anakins case turns to the dark side, only the knowledge of the jedi is being controlled not the SPIRIT. These are the spirits of who they were once before. The changes aren't so bad but the alternate ending is perfect for ending the bi-trilogy. The ending shows how Anakin was before. That there can be the reason for the ending.

There's only one problem, Ryan. Sebastian Shaw was *seventy-eight* at the time of ROTJ, according to the Internet Movie Database. Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker, according to the official Star Wars timeline, was only forty-five! To me, leaving in Sebastian Shaw just made no sense. Okay, for sentimental reasons, I can understand wanting the original preserved. But, Christiansen wasn't in the SE that was put out on video. There are plenty of copies of the original with Shaw. I guess to be absolutely sure of continuity he could have found a forty something actor...or dyed Christiansen's hair gray. Personally, I like the metaphysical explanation, even if it doesn't quite fit.

I also agree that the original Ewok song in the original movie was better.

Personally i'm glad that they have changed it. I'm only 15, just finished watching the original version for the second time and i got confused at the end, i couldnt tell if the ghost was meant to be Darth Vader. You have to bear in mind that these DVD's have been released for my generation who might not have seen the films before, and that for us it is much less confusing to show us the Anakin that we know.

I was ok with the new Anakin. But - I have a question. If Lucas was going to replace Anakin in ROTJ, why didn't he just make Hayden Christensen look like he was in his late 40s? What about make up?

Here's a tip for everyone, regardless of whether you like the Special Edition or DVD versions. I happen to thoroughly enjoy the DVD versions now that I have seen Epi. 1-3, but I also really wish the DVDs had an option to view the original releases.

I'm not sure how much the software costs (possibly expensive) but my buddy can rip VHS tapes, turn them into computer files, then burn them to DVD. I have the black-case VHS releases (the "restored" version, different from the gold-case VHS "Special Edition" version) and had him burn me DVDs of the original movies. These tapes are not too old (in Star Wars terms) and make for great DVD transfers. You aren't violating any copyright terms as long as you are only making a copy for yourself. If you are SUPER creative you can print up a spiffy retro DVD cover for these, but one way or another they are a great addition to your Star Wars DVD collection. This may be a way to satisfy the craving until Lucas releases the inevitable "Theatrical Release" DVD set.

One can only hope that George will have the guts to include the two Ewok movies and the little-known 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special. You all know about the Star Wars Holiday Special, right?!

Psi Fi you are right about that...... he did look to old to be Anakin, I always thought that, since Anakin is supposed to be about 45 or so. That is one thing I don't get is why they used him, instead of someone who actually looked like they where 45. Other then that though, I think the ending is still better showing Anakin how he looks at that part of his life, rather than he he looked back when he was 19.

I'm not sure. I think originally Lucas was trying to make Anakin appear to be the same age as Obi-wan. I don't think Lucas knew how old Anakin was in ROTJ, until he wrote TPM. Maybe he should have gotten a forty something actor instead of Christiansen, but I still think people would be confused. What do you think of the idea of aging Christiansen to look forty-five? Or, alternatively, what actor would you recommend to play Anakin instead of Shaw?

When someone dies, the age they appeared at death might be the age they would appear afterwards. It would not make sense to have Hayden Christensen appear as the young Anakin Skywalker as it would seem
that Darth Vader is a young man in ther next life. I
also preferred the original ending with Sebastian Shaw as the middle aged Darth Vader. (David Prowse
played Darth Vader in the uniform and mask as well as unmasked.) Maybe George Lucas wanted a new take on the original trilogoy, but I preferred the origiinal
ending to remain the way it was.

But, Sebastian Shaw wasn't middle aged. He was seventy-eight! He was *far* too old to be a realistic Anakin Skywalker. Anyway, a soul doesn't necessarily have to have the appearance of the physical body when it dies. Maybe Anakin looked young, cause that's how he conceived of himself...the young man Anakin freed from the aged and evil Darth Vader. I think replacing Shaw was necessary, based on the timeline now set by the prequel trilogy...although I will concede that replacing him with a forty something actor might have made more sense, for some.

Come'on guys! Who cares what was altered or not. This is just a film and it's supposed to be entertaining. I personally will not waste time on why Anakin is old or young becuase it's only a film.

I'm a 30-something who has grown up with Star Wars. I never did like the actor who portrayed Anikin at the end and especially after seeing eps I,II,III. While I can certainly understand the upset of many fans over the changes, I do think they make the movies flow better. I was thrilled with the change to Anikin's ghost, but also thought about him not being older. I came to the same conclusion as some of you here - that GL wanted to portray Anikin as he was before he became corrupted. I do think, though, that it might have been a good idea to make him look older. I think they could have aged him a bit and he would still be recognizable as Anikin (Hayden C.)

Oops! I meant Anakin.

Well, Im 23yo and I used to watch Star Wars when I was younger but I never really got into it. So when I started to get into the new Episodes it was like I was watching it in the proper order. So once I finally watched Episode III, I went out and bought the Star Wars Box Set, and I couldnt believe it when they had young Ani at the end, it make it come together so well!! I was blown away. I understand why the old fans would be upset, but you gotta realize how exciting that was for us new fans. Ive come to the realization that Star Wars is the greatest story ever told!!

have just watched the new end of Jedi and found it a brilliant surprise. Thought it completed the six films beautifully.we had been debating whether to show our kids 4,5,and 6 first and then 1,2, and 3 because of the continuity problems (and to see it the way we did).but now with this new ending, it would be completely appropriate to show it in sequential order. congratulations GL - people give you a hard time. you've enriched our childhoods and now our adulthoods. don't be so quick to criticise.

This here is the final word.

Anakin is 45 when he kills the emperor and dies. Yet he spent 20+ years, a living being, and thus grew to maturity in mutilation. When revealing himself, therefore, he looks much older than a healthy middle aged Anakin would normally. Not to mention the fact that he was burned horribly in epIII. He should obviously be as old as he did when he died, especially when taking into consideration what Ryan mentioned earlier.

no more must be said

I think that the change of anakin

All of you need a slap. face it, Darth Vader and Anakin are the same person.Anakin doesn't die, physically or metaphorically when he becomes Darth Vader. He merely converts from doing good things, to doing bad things, from the light to the dark. Check the Expanded universe and even Luke and Leia come to the same conclusion. The force isn't as blatant as black and white.There are shades of grey. Anakin and Darth are the same. Point One. Why shouldn't Anakin look as old as Sebastion Shaw at the end of Return Of The Jedi? did you notice what drawing on the dark side of the force for all those years did to Palpatine's face? I'm ashamed of George Lucas. He's like an overprotective parent, smothering his creation, trying not to let it fly the nest. Star Wars isn't just his any more, it belongs as much to the fans as anyone else. almost even more blasphemous than changing Anakin's ghost, he changed Boba Fetts voice to match the inferior prequels. Why change the trilogy that is largely regarded as the best ever made, simply to fit in with the trilogy that is widely regarded as Not. Minor tweaks are fine like the changing of the display to aurebesh and such. Don't get me wrong, the new prequels aren't bad, I just see no reason to change the original so dramtically, so that younger generations are forced to endure films different to the ones that made them famous.

Well said Rickford. That's exactly how I fell about the changes. If it's not broken don't fix it. They were 2 great and 1 pretty good (the ewoks were a bit hokey) movies that should NOT have been changed for anything. If he wanted to change them he should have made it optional to the viewer on the DVD not to force it on us. It don't want to buy CD's with my favorite songs "remixed" and I don't want it in my movies either. What the hell ever happened with the freedom to choose what you want anymore.

Too true. Stumbled on this, it has pictures of all the changes. Apparently nothing is sacred.
http://www.loresdelsith.net/3po/rep/c_retoques_dvd.htm

Being in my thirties I was a bit thrown by the changes after seeing them for the first time today. All in all I can see why GL changed these things. He never truely believes in abandoning a progect to the winds as long as it is making money for him. I just accept it as him retelling the story differently right now.

GL himself has sworn of the catastrophic 'Christmas Special' and we would thank you very much for not mentioning it here thank you.

I hope everyone is aware that GL will probably be changing the first three episodes before releasing any other box sets also. It's just what he does.

Don't give up hope yet on EP VII thru IX, George said previously that would never bother making prequels either. Give him some time and I am sure he will consider new opportunities at profitability from a tried-and true franchise