The original 1977 version of Star Wars began with the painted 20th Century Fox logo, which was updated in 1997 to the new digital logo that identified Fox as a News Corporation company.
The plain green Lucasfilm Limited card was replaced in 1997 with an animated presentation, though the 'new' logo had been in existence since before 1977.
The original 1977 theatrical crawl did not begin with an Episode title or number; these were added in the 1981 theatrical re-release.
The spacing of the words in the title crawl has changed to avoid single words on a line ending a paragraph. Also note that the capitalization of "Rebel" was fixed in the second paragraph so that it matches the first.
Another example of the 1979 reshuffling of the crawl to avoid ending a paragraph with a single word on a line.
The last paragraph of the crawl was left largely unchanged, though the spacing of the ellipsis has been widened to make the text more block-shaped
The sky in the original 1977 version of this shot was changed to better match continuity with other shots in the desert sequence.
The 1997 release lowered the horizon line of this establishing shot to make room for a digital sunset. The camera still tilts down to reveal R2-D2, as it did in the 1977 release
The 1997 Special Edition release changed the sky of this shot to better represent twilight.
The original shot of the sandcrawler model was shot day-for-night, meaning the artificially darkened daytime sky would not have stars. The 1997 Special Edition digitally changed the sky to a starry night.
The 1997 Special Edition expanded the search for the droids with new footage of stormtroopers combing the desert, complete with digital landing craft and dewbacks.
This 1977 shot was enhanced in 1997 with far more mobile digital dewbacks.
The original shot of the sandcrawler model was replaced with a new shot of the same model moving across a miniature landscape in 1997.
The original framing of this shot was scaled down, with the image area extended with a digital matte painting that added more vaporators and more sandcrawler than was practically built on location.
A strange omission in the 1997 Special Edition was the animated cone of light that extends from R2-D2's holographic projector, seen in the 1977 theatrical version.
The 1997 Special Edition removed some occluding landscape from the famous twin sunset scene, to match continuity to the long shot which has an unobstructed view of the suns.
The sky originally changed color when the camera cut from close-up to medium shot in this scene, since each was gathered at a different time. The Special Edition corrected the color of the redder sky to match.
All the landspeeder hovering shots where enhanced in 1997 with more realistic digital shadows. The original 1977 versions had thick hand-animated shadows.
Though hard to spot, the landspeeder model element that moves through the valley was replaced in the 2004 DVD release with a more realistic digital incarnation.
The establishing shot of Obi-Wan Kenobi's hut was replaced in 1997 with a combination model / digital matte painting.
Another example of the replaced shadow effect.
This landspeeder shot used foreground scenery to hide the practical vehicle's wheels. For the 1997 Special Edition, the entire speeder was digitally "lifted" above the ground.
The original matte painting of Mos Eisley was replaced in 1997 with a more detailed one for a shot that also featured some distant air traffic.
The original version suffered from thick matte lines and blobby shadows. The 1997 version enhanced the background and added digital scurriers. The CG landspeeder was further enhanced for the 2004 DVD release.
This 1997 "helicopter shot" which starts at street level and then ascends high over Mos Eisley is a digital matte painting featuring bluescreened live action elements. Dash Rendar's Outrider is flying in this shot.
Another new shot from 1997, consisting of digital matte painting and miniature background, bluescreened extras, and CG droids, speeder and creatures.
Elements from the 1977 background were isolated and retimed. The horizon line was dropped to accommodate the large CG ronto creature. Digi-matte buildings bulked up the skyline, and a ground-hugging speeder was "raised" a few feet.
The green and white R2 unit seen in the 1977 version was replaced in the Special Edition by a thick-skinned ronto.
A hovering Imperial sentry droid was added to this shot in 1997.
Another ronto was added to this scene to further populate Mos Eisley.
Also from the Special Edition was this shot of a downed vessel in a Mos Eisley thoroughfare, achieved through model photography and a digital matte painting.
The original 1977 version of this shot suffered poor image quality from repeated optical compositing to obscure the wheels of the landspeeder with a hand-animated haze.
The Special Edition version is much sharper, as digital compositing retains an original image's clarity. The speeder wheel removal and ground replacement is much more realistic, and a ronto and Imperial transport were added.
To match continuity with the previous shot, a ronto was added to the background.
Originally achieved through a traditional matte painting since there was no shot of the entrance that didn't contain the principals in the frame. To add life to the still image, live action extras and a CG dewback were added.
The stationary dewback has been replaced with a CG one that moans as the characters enter the cantina.
The shot of the cantina "Wolf Man" was replaced with an insert shot of the Melas puppet in 1997.
The Ketwol puppet was digitally composited into this frame to replace the "Hyena Man" character, Lak Sivrak.
For this exterior shot, two digital dewbacks and a stormtrooper rider were added.
The most talked about change of them all: Han Solo's "Yes, I bet you have," is shortened to allow for an exchange of blaster fire in 1997. It was slightly retimed in the 2004 DVD release.
The hovering sentry droid is added to this scene.
For this scene, the sky backdrop is replaced with a digital sky complete with ship traffic.
Another look at the sky replacement as the camera tracks across the scene.
Although Jabba and Boba Fett were reintroduced to Star Wars in 1997's Special Edition, the 2004 DVD release reworked the scene with an updated Jabba CG model.
The 2004 CG model is based on the Jabba used in The Phantom Menace.
The 1997 Special Edition release also added this exciting shot of the Millennium Falcon blasting away from Docking Bay 94.
In the original '77 version, the Falcon flies in a more-or-less straight line into the sky. The Special Edition added more movement to the ship, and added a camera tilt-up to follow its progress.
The color values of the original film transfer make more apparent the garbage mattes -- strange boxes that surround the model elements in certain shots.
The original shot of Alderaan also had effects artifacts in it, appearing as a hazy blue outline that surrounds the planet.
The original laser blast was hand-animated to have jagged lightning-like fingers of energy surround Alderaan, which didn't scale convincingly. The Special Edition instead had the atmosphere ignite as it spread from the impact point.
The original jump-cut explosion was replaced with a blast that featured a shockwave ring and more properly scaled debris.
This scene benefited from improved compositing; the original 1977 version of the remote had a crude black outline that surrounded it.
Another view of the remote. Note the lack of black outline in the digitally composited shot on the bottom.
In 1997, the original matte painting of the Falcon was replaced with one that used a digital ship model as a foundation. Also, the Death Star hangar design was changed to match the one seen in Return of the Jedi.
In the 1997 Special Edition, a few of the more graphic blaster hits were trimmed by a few frames. The top frame, which has a more visible explosive blast, is not in the Special Edition.
The main tunnel on this set had a painted backing to make it appear it went on much further. Unfortunately, the perspective of the painting often did not match the camera angle, and in 2004 it was replaced with a digital set extension.
More of the digital tunnel set extension.
More of the digital tunnel set extension. A particular compositing challenge was that the camera is often hand-held and moving in this sequence.
More of the digital tunnel set extension. Here, the compositing challenge is to blend the new element behind a non-bluescreened foreground character and have it match the lighting effect.
More of the digital tunnel set extension. Here, the compositing challenge is to blend the new element behind a non-bluescreened foreground character.
More of the digital tunnel set extension. Here, the compositing challenge is to blend the new element behind existing smoke by adding new smoke elements.
The original dianoga was enhanced in 2004 to feature a blinking and moving eye.
In 2004, the original English text on the tractor beam display was translated to Aurebesh, the Star Wars font.
In 1997, this scene was enlarged with a digital matte set and bluescreen-photographed and replicated extras as stormtroopers and Imperial officer.
The lighting effect of the original lightsabers was dependent on a practical light source which would occasionally lose its glow if the 'saber prop was tilted a certain way.
The original shot of Darth Vader did not have any color to his practical lightsaber prop. The red glow was added in 2004.
The approach to Yavin was replaced in 1997 with a more dynamic shot featuring the CG Falcon.
A CG Falcon was added to this scene of the Massassi temples to give the foreground Rebel sentry something to do, and to identify which temple the Rebel base is in.
The 1977 matte painting of the Yavin temple was replaced with a more realistically detailed digital one, complete with slowly opening hangar door and a second speeder. The foreground plants are the same.
The original hangar painting had more impressionistic detail in the foreground Y-wing, which in the update featured a digital Y-wing fighter. Also improved was the color balance between the projected live action and painted set extensions.
The 1997 Special Edition reinserted this brief scene between Luke, Biggs and Red Leader. It cannot be found in the 1977 version.
The Special Edition altered this shot of the Rebel fighters leaving Yavin 4, having more visible and realistic craft against a sky that properly depicts the gas giant behind the moon's clouds.
The Special Edition replaced two separate shots with an arcing camera move impossible to achieve with late '70s motion control. It reversed the order of the shots as well.
The '97 shot also included Yavin 4 in the background.
The S-foil separation shot was enhanced to include a greater sense of forward motion.
This early dive shot was replaced with one that shows the Death Star's surface.
A stilted barrel roll from '77 was replaced with a more fluid one in '97.
By replacing the motion-control fighters in this shot, the CG ones get a closer run past the cannon emplacements.
This high altitude shot added more fighters as well as surface cannon fire.
Luke's flight through an explosion is much more dramatic in the '97 revision of this shot.
Red Five's barrel roll is redone to not only match screen direction in the following shot, but the tiny digital pilot in the cockpit also matches action to the next closeup of Luke.
John D has a TIE fighter latch onto his fighter in this shot, which is redone in the Special Edition.
Most of the pyrotechnic shots were recomposited, allowing for softer, more natural-looking edges on the explosion elements.
A rather languid and distant dogfight shot in '77 is replaced and accelerated in the Special Edition.
What was largely a straight line in '77 becomes more of a jinking, twisting evasion in '97.
A three-way pursuit is made much more dynamic by having the camera pass closer to the digital fighters.
Limitations in motion-control meant the original '77 shot followed more of a straight line at a distance.
The camera gets much closer to the CG version of the fighters, creating a much more dramatic shot.
Wedge's flight to the rescue is enhanced here.
In replacing this POV shot, the X-wing's light source now matches that of the canopy spokes.
Rather than rushing straight into the TIE, the '97 version of Wedge's fighter slides into frame first.
In the '97 redo, Wedge's fighter boldly plunges through the exploding TIE fighter.
An example of improved compositing, Gold Two's death originally blotted out the background, as well as contained a number of garbage artifacts.
Gold Leader's destruction underwent improved compositing here...
... and another look a few frames later. Note the black outlines in the '77 footage
The '77 version had the approach of Red Leader and his wingman as two separate shots. The '97 version replaced them with a single shot of all three fighters.
Red Ten's destruction, benefiting from improved compositing.
Red Leader's pull-up featured a digital X-wing that flies closer to the explosion and sports interactive lighting across its fuselage.
Another improved pyro composite, this time Biggs' destruction.
Shots such as this were re-composited, allowing for a smoother blur in Luke's fast-moving hand, as opposed to the rigid cutout effect experienced in the '77 version.
The smoke pouring from Artoo is better composited through digital means than photochemicals means, as seen here.
The display board in '77 featured tiny type that said "YAVIN" in standard English lettering. This was replaced with Aurebesh text in 2004.
In '97, the Falcon banked after eliminating Darth Vader, rather than just flying in a straight line.
The shot of these Rebel ships fleeing from the doomed Death Star was made more dynamic in 1997.
The Death Star explosion now includes a massive shockwave in order to properly play up the scale of the blast.
The rather obvious matte painting soldiers in the foreground were replaced with digitally composited extras in 1997.
The Special Edition credits have a thinner typeface than the original release, making them match the other films in the saga. Also, the 1997 Special Edition credits George Lucas as Executive Producer, something the original 1977 version did not.
James Earl Jones was not originally listed in the 1977 credits.
Alan Roderick-Jones was not originally listed in the 1977 credits.
The Special Edition credits are longer, featuring additional crew as well as the modern THX notation for quality assurance.
