Maybe the Force isn’t so strong with the geeks after all.
The fact that Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-Ray has shattered major records isn’t exactly any news flash, and considering how much the geek community loves Star Wars, whatever boycott it demanded from Lucas monkeying around with the films sure didn’t put a single, solitary dent in sales.
As Nikki Finke writes on Deadline, “Looks like that boycott called by hardcore fans didn’t amount to much.”
Indeed, the initial sales of Star Wars: The Complete Saga are a million units sold, making $84 million, and putting the box set right at #1 for pre-order and #1 catalog title for Blu-Ray.
What also makes the sales amazing is this is a nine disc set that will set you back $139.99 list price. (It’s currently listed at $79.99 on Amazon).
And interestingly enough, on Amazon the whole saga has gotten a two star average, with 973 1 star reviews over 374 five star reviews as of this writing. N. Lucius from Ohio couldn’t help but write in his one star review: “So this is how Star Wars dies… with a thunderous ‘NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.'”
All this makes you wonder why a lot of these fans are even buying this box set in the first place, especially considering they knew there would be changes on it. Maybe the geeks really love to complain more than actually enjoying something?
Funny enough, I still have the 1977 Star Wars on VHS when it first came out for home viewing with no changes, and I’m not even that big of a Star Wars nut, and I’m sure the fans probably have everything Star Wars they can get their hands on regardless. (And not being a big Star Wars nut, although I sure loved it to death when I first saw it, having it only on VHS is just fine with me, I don’t need an upgrade right now).
Meanwhile, blogging on Moviefone, geek chronicler Mike Ryan wrote, “George Lucas’s Stupid ‘Star Wars’ Changes Will Never Affect the Meaning of ‘Star Wars.'”
As Ryan explains, “At least for some of us, Star Wars transcends film… It’s more about the memories those three original films created. Even though Lucas may try, he [simply] can’t change those memories.
“Every Star Wars fan has memories like mine: all unique and all important. Yes, the changes made in the Special Editions and now the Blu-rays are ridiculous, but it doesn’t change what Star Wars means to me.”
