DVD Reviews

DVD Review: Star Wars A Musical Journey

By Andy McKeague Apr 30, 2005, 23:00 GMT

The frustration is almost getting to me. Here in my hands is the soundtrack to a movie I have yet to watch, one of the most anticipated movies of most people in my generation. This is the one where the Jedi goes bad ! The blackest chapter of the ‘Star Wars’ saga. But what about this disc in my hands ? Again John Williams is on board with the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Voices…. But wait. Can you remember when they brought out the soundtrack for ‘The Phantom Menace’ long before the movie played its dazzling lights on the cinema screen ? Yes that’s right, the movie was shrouded in mystery and there blazened on the back cover was the title of one track, ‘The Funeral Of Qui-Gon’. I almost fell to my knees in tears. I had not yet watched and I knew that the master Jedi Qui-Gon was to bite the space dust.

Dare I look this time ?

How can I resisit. What is in front of me is not just a movie soundtrack but the end of an era. This is not a mere cd either, this 2 disc set is a must for any fan. 2 disc set I hear you ask ? That’s right, out there in limited numbers is a 2 disc set, and disc 2 is something worth the price alone. A DVD called ‘Star Wars : A Musical Journey’.

This 70 minute extravaganza is a musical journey through ALL six of the ‘Star Wars’ movies. This takes you on a trip and it can be experienced in two ways.

The first is to play with ‘intros’ on. Actor Ian McDiarmid (Emperor/Palpatine) stands in the orchestral pit and explains the world that is 'Star Wars', from the young farm boy to the clash of good and evil in the universe. Each section, revolves through themes too, good, evil, light, dark, hope and despair. Everything a journey is.

The second and better choice is to let the music take you there by itself. One hours worth of sheer, musical bliss.

These can be played in speaker breaking 5.1 too.

Each section of music is accompanied with the visuals from the movies. Comprised of 16 chapters and showing lots of new material from ‘The Revenge of the Sith’ how can one resist.

With ‘A Long Time Ago’ the Fox fanfare takes us through a montage of John Williams and George Lucus photos before opening up with a Star Destroyer, now we know where we are.

‘Battle of the Fates’ is played here, but it has changed too. There are some of the other episodes mixed in with the most powerful and operatic piece of music written for this saga.

The most exciting chapter here is ‘A Hero Falls’, due to the new material from the forthcoming ‘Revenge of the Sith’ and playing the standout track from Episode III, ‘Battle of the Heroes’. When you hear the words ‘Lord Vader rise’ your blood chills…. May 19th does indeed seem to far away.

Battles are shown, heroes escape, dark powers rise, all is here. Filled with sound bites from the movies and on occasion, poster, art and photograph montages mix in with the movie visuals.

It may be somewhat light in overall content towards episodes I to III (around a third) but then the music was founded in the later trilogy so it is not surprising that more time and music is given to them.

This is a marvellous disc, and as a bonus on your soundtrack purchase words fail me. Get out your light sabres and may the force be with you.

For more info on the cd content, check out our review here.

'Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith soundtrack and bonus DVD' is out to own now in the UK and available via Amazon UK, with a limited edition sleeve (while stocks last), and available in the US via Amazon.

For more info on ‘Star Wars, Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith’ please check our database.