The original Star Wars trilogy has undergone some serious cosmetic changes over the past three decades or so; some of those changes have been laughably pointless, and some have actively opposed the larger themes of the movies. For example, Greedo shooting first contradicts the characterisation of Han Solo, a man who had previously needed no motivation whatsoever for murdering someone in cold blood. After all, he’s Han Solo; he’s a badass.
Unfortunately, due to some notably terrible changes (*cough* Jedi Rocks *cough*), all of George Lucas’ edits have been royally trashed by fans of the original trilogy. For the most part, that’s fairly justifiable; after all, altering something as culturally significant and beloved as Star Wars is difficult to defend. In fact, it could be considered a fairly heinous offence to the preservation of art; some might even call it a crime against humanity.
But, are all of George Lucas’ changes really that bad? Well, despite what most diehard fans of the original trilogy will tell you, the answer is no. Some of the changes are downright offensive for sure, but there are a few that are completely sensible.
To go one step further: some of the changes to the Star Wars films actually improve them, make them more enjoyable to watch, make them better movies overall.