Product Description

Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 09/30/2008 Run time: 48 minutes Rating: Nr

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2536 in DVD
• Brand: Family
• Released on: 2008-01-15
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: French, Spanish
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 48 minutes

Amazon.com
What better way to launch Family Guy's sixth season and commemorate Star Wars' 30th anniversary than with this double-length Very Special Episode, a full-scale, awesomely animated spoof that recasts George Lucas' saga with Family Guy's galaxy of characters: Chris (Seth Green) is Luke; Lois (Alex Borstein) is Princess Leia; Peter (Seth McFarlane) is Han Solo, but not, as expected, Jabba the Hut; Brian (Seth, again) is Chewbacca; Quagmire (and again, Seth) is C3PO; Cleveland is R2D2; Herbert, the creepy senior pedophile, is Obi-Wan (both voiced by Mike Henry); and, of course, Stewie (Seth, already) is Darth Vader ("My diapers have gone over to the dark side"). Poor Meg is reduced to a cameo as the hideous reptilian creature that haunts the garbage compactor. Blue Harvest is reverently faithful to A New Hope, while engaging in typical Family Guy pop-culture references (everything from those old Grey Poupon commercials to Doctor Who, Airplane, Dirty Dancing, and Deal or No Deal) and bizarre digressions (the iconic opening crawl detours into an appreciation of a "way naked" Angelina Jolie in Gia). Along for the wild ride are Judd Nelson, who contributes a voice cameo as John Bender for a Breakfast Club gag, Rush Limbaugh railing against futuristic affirmative action on Tatooine talk radio, and Beverly D'Angelo and Chevy Chase as the vacationing Griswolds observing the rebellion from their orbiting station wagon. A Star Wars spoof in 2007 isn't exactly uncharted territory. As Chris Griffin notes in this episode's final moments, Robot Chicken brilliantly did it months earlier (and let us not forget Mel Brooks' Spaceballs from 1987; or, on second thought...). But the Force is strong with Family Guy, and who could resist the opportunity to hear the Muzak playing in a Death Star elevator? --Donald Liebenson

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Customer Reviews

Family Guy : A New Hope IV
As already being a fan of the Star Wars Legacy and Family Guy, I was excited when I saw the commercials for the Family Guy Star Wars Special. I knew this was different then just the regular episodes, and like so many others, I tuned in and was pleasantly surprised. Not only was the storyline similar and different to the actual movies, it also had its own subtleties that made it unique to the way only Family Guy could do it. The movie is based on "A New Hope" (the one that came out in 1977), launching a generation of Star Wars loyalists. Everyone gets a part, and I love Stewie as Darth. It was a perfect fit as he tries yet again to conquer the world.

You can get either the regular DVD or the special edition pack. I am not really sure what's in the regular DVD, but I just bought the special edition at a store today and you get everything. Obviously, the biggest reason you would get the special edition version is because of the shirt. I love it. The details and colors are amazing. What's funny is, it looks like C-3PO/Quagmire is asking R2-D2/Cleveland about his sister's lesbot.

Additional goodies that you get are the baseball style cards, where one side you can put together and its a jigsaw puzzle (I wont spoil it for you), the 3-D glasses so you can watch the fight scene in 3-D. The 19 page booklet is included with sketches and storyboard. Another great feature is that Disc 2 includes the movie where you can transfer it to computer, video iPod, iPhone, and other portable media players. What that means is you can watch the movie on your iPhone, Zune, etc. The final piece is the box. Its actually a great finish piece that puts everything into place neatly and you can even use it as a centerpiece display to show off.

It's worth it. I don't think it's a rip-off like other people claim. You get a lot for 25 dollars, and I am happy and I know that this is something I will enjoy for a really long time. Freakin' Sweet.

Artwork so good it must be a Jedi Mind Trick
As is stated repeatedly on the Commentary Track, there was no Rotoscoping of the original film by the Family Guy artist team. They hand-drew or computer-generated everything themselves, though you would SWEAR they painted over cells of the original film! The artwork of the Millennium Falcon and the Imperial Star Destroyers (is that one word or two?)as they fly through space is just too good to be believed.

As for the jokes, not all are slam-dunks but there are far more hits than misses. The only segment that brought things to a screeching halt was the "Dirty Dancing" musical number.

There are a few clever jokes that poke fun at the original movie's lapses in logic. The ending is a bit abrupt, but maybe we can chalk that up to the fact that FG already did the Throne Room Medal Ceremony scene (the final scene in "Star Wars") in an earlier episode of the TV series. They already used up the best ending.

I bought the collector's edition. The bonus goodies are kinda neat so long as you buy the thing at a sale price.

The collector's edition includes a pair of 3-D glasses to watch a 3-D bonus segment following the escape from the Death Star, but the effect doesn't really work that well.

The set also includes a second disc that lets you download the entire episode to your PC or iPod. I don't know if that is exclusive to the Collector's edition or if it comes with the standard edition too.

Collector's edition comes with a T-shirt too, but being a man of Peter Griffin-esque girth, it simply ain't gonna fit me.

For the Collector
As both a die-hard Family Guy and Star Wars fan, I was thrilled when I heard about this double episode, and really enjoyed it when it aired on FOX. I taped it while watching, but have since lost that copy so am glad they were so quick to release it on DVD.

If you just want the this for the epsisode alone, then I suggest buying Family Guy - Blue Harvest -- the bare bones DVD. Granted, the price is still a bit steep for just 2 episodes, but to be fair they pack it with a ton of special features and a a bonus disc with a "portable digital copy of Blue Harvest" that's compatible with iTunes & Windows Media Players.

But with the Special Edition, you get much more, and as a collector and fan, that is what really appeals to me. Just read the Product Description for the full list. As for the actual show, fans of either franchise will probably find a lot to like. Though it is a spoof, it remains very faithful to the original Episode IV in many respects. The humor was great, though the some of the parts dragged a little. The couch in the trash compactor bit was funny, but it seemed to go on bit long. The musical numbers didn't add much for me, and I was not overly thrilled at the use of the old pedefile as Obi Wan. It seem innapropriate somehow. For those little niggles I dropped a star.

Overall though, a fun and worthwhile package for Star Wars and Family Guy fans everywhere!
Just one other niggle -- Amazon dropped the price to just below $25 so it does not qualify for Super Saver Shipping. Not cool guys.