Image via Warner Bros.

5 Films That Had A Better Theatrical Cut Than Director’s Cut

In the world of the film fan, there is often the sense that the director’s cut of a movie is the more desirable version, since the term implies that it is more closely aligned with the vision of the individual at the helm of the production. The cinephile is expected to have at least seen the director’s cut of classic movies, or their favourite movies, if not have a well-rounded, reasoned opinion about it. While the director’s cut is seen as the more artistically pure version, the theatrical cut is often regarded as being the commercial cut – the studio-approved, corporate version released for mass consumption.

Sarah Myles

Published: Apr 20, 2015 01:45 pm

This article is over 10 years old and may contain outdated information

Star Wars (1977)

Recommended Videos

There’s fandom, and then there’s Star Wars fandom, which began way back in 1977, with the release of the then-called Star Wars. The film was repeatedly re-released, eventually gaining the subtitled name Star Wars IV: A New Hope in 1981.

George Lucas never really left it alone, though, and in 1997, the film and its sequels were re-mastered using state-of-the-art digital technology, with new footage added just in time for a 20th anniversary re-release. The addition of new footage by Lucas essentially constituted a director’s cut but, despite a palpable adoration for the filmmaker and the universe he created, the changes to the original were generally not well-received.

Many of the most deeply disliked new snippets involved the character of Han Solo, with one seeing more of him in conflict with Greedo, and one seeing more of him in conversation with Jabba The Hut. These small changes had such little positive impact on the narrative structure of the film that they served merely as a distraction. While the re-mastering of the original material was impressive, the additional scenes felt unnecessary and self-indulgent, which is something that goes against everything fans love about the original Star Wars trilogy.

We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy