Search - Family Guy - Blue Harvest Special Edition (w/ limited-edition collectibles) on DVD

For the Collector

Kort Kramer | South Florida, USA | 01/11/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Artwork so good it must be a Jedi Mind Trick

John S. Harris | Memphis, TN | 01/16/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Family Guy : A New Hope IV

Byong Kim | Miami | 01/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

If you only watch two "Star Wars" spoofs this year, make thi

C. R. Swanson | Phoenix | 01/16/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Seth McFarlane is, clearly, a geek. I for one am quite happy about this. What other TV show is there with so many hilarious references to things like "Speed Racer", "Star Trek" and, of course, "Star Wars"?

According to the commentary on this DVD, the show did so many SW spoofs they were told by the Legal Department they needed to knock it off or Lucasfilm might have grounds for action against them. Rather than stop, McFarlane and friends went to George Lucas and got permission to do a full hour-long episode.

The result? "Blue Harvest".

Not only is this a hilarious "Star Wars" spoof, but we also get references to things like "American Dad", "Airplane!", "Doctor Who", "Robot Chicken", the Wilhelm Scream, the pointless contents of gift-baskets and why repairing a Y-wing engine can be risky.

There's some dead-on parody of various elements in SW, like the illogic of stormtroopers noticing that a door is locked and ignoring it, and the fact that parsecs are a measurement of distance not time. On the plus side, Han/Peter DOES shoot first, so there ya go.

Really my only real criticism of the episode is that it is, if anything, too short. But what there is of it is really good.

This collector's edition DVD set is really nice. In addition to the episode (with footage not shown on TV), you get tons of extras, including commentary and a fun interview with George Lucas! Plus, hey, trading cards and a t-shirt. The shirt is, of course, XL. Never it let it be said they don't know their fan-base.

If you like "Family Guy" and "Star Wars", buy this. If you don't, you'll sink into a cesspit of self-loathing and hatred that you'll never work your way out of... well, ok, possibly not. But you will miss out on something very entertaining, and that's bad enough!"