1 Brings back memories
I remember watching these on tv. One of them was even simulcast on the radio. We taped them off the tv and was just talking about throwing them out when my parents move b/c the tape is old & probably no good after sitting in the bbasement all these years. Can't believe they are on dvd. I just ordered and can't wait for it to come. I'd watch it right now if I had it. Yeah it was made for kids but I'm just a taller kid. It brings back memories. It you like the ewoks in Return of the Jedi but don't think they got enough screen time, you'll like these movies. And you don't have to fast forward through commercials.
2 Prequel of chapter 6 of greatest film saga ever conceived!
:-)
I remember seeing these two television movies when during their original television release when they were named "The Ewok Adventure" & "The Ewoks Battle for Endor" - I was 9 when "The Ewok Adventure" was on television and 10 when "The Ewoks Battle for Endor" was released and I loved them then and now. After a bit of research I discovered that these two movies take place between "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" and "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi," even though I remember them both coming out after the 1983 release of "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi" back when I was 8 years old. Once again George Lucas was both writer & executive producer as he did with "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" & "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi" and that in part is what made these two television movies so good, because George Lucas is a great storyteller, creating great characters and a great adventure to watch those characters grow within the film, but he is no director.
Even though these movies came out after the first trilogy had gone its course these movies were intended to give us a proper introduction to the Ewoks and their way of life - not to mention capitalized on their popularity. These movies are light-hearted and fun to watch and because their only connection to the "Star Wars" saga happens outside of these two movies these can be watched without any knowledge of the "Star Wars" storyline and still be enjoyed. These movies are pure fun for young and old and great for a family with children to have an evening of entertainment. I highly recommend both of these two movies.
3 Good and bad
The first film, Caravan of Courage, was great, but the second one was kind of a downer. I wish more than these that Lucasfilm would release THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL.
4 As unworthy of the Star Wars name as Episodes I and II
I hate to go against the flow here, but these movies are grade-A tripe. I suppose my opinion may partly be influenced by the fact that I find the Ewoks annoying, ugly, and painfully unarticulate in the first place, but the fact of the matter is that the acting was horrendous, the special effects were amateurish at best, and the writing (both the premise and the dialogue) were unbearable. This DVD simultaneously embodies everything I hate about children's movies, the 80's, and low-budget telivision with big-name backing. It didn't even seem consistent with the Star Wars universe: the Ewoks understand English, and the humans understand the Ewok language; one character had the ability to metamorphose (much more in the realm of fantasy than science fiction); and the characters were dressed in hokey 80's-era spaceman garb.
And even regardless of all that, it's a known fact that former childhood gems get more and more ridiculous the older we get; and kids would quite generally rather watch a contemporary crappy kid's flick than an old one. These movies, therefore, have no valid, sane audience, and ought to be relegated to local video store's bargain bin.
5 Battle for Endor was never "widescreen"
E:tBfE was *not* shot in 1:2.35, or any other true widescreen format, and this is *not* a pan & scan transfer. The film image is flat 35mm, and was composed to work either in a full-screen TV format (as it's seen here), or the "cropped" 1:1.85 and 1:1.66 theatrical formats. I'm almost positive the same is true for CoC.
That being said, a little bit of letterboxing would have been nice.
6 Ewoks Unite!
Finally both classic TV shows on one great disc. Now the Ewok adventures can be enjoyed by a whole new clan of Star Wars fans. This single DVD has interactive menus and contains an entire feature on each side. (one note of correction, the liner notes indicates which side the movies are listed on, but on the actual DVD the movies are on opposite sides)
Special effects are decent, acting and script are as best as can be expected from a TV show made years ago, but c'mon it's a Lucas original story and it has...Ewoks in it!!!
This DVD makes a nice addition to any Star Wars collection.
7 The decent Ewok Adventures
These made for tv Ewok movies weren't that bad. I wish Lucas film would even release more made for tv movies with the StarWars universe after Episode 3. Well as long as we don't get...Jar-Jar Binks the movie. These are cute and harmless adventures. StarWars fans never really loved Ewoks that much but learned to not mind them that much after Jar-Jar. So releasing these movies now on dvd wasn't that bad of an idea. Some StarWars fans including myself actually have waited for them to be released.
The first movie is called Caravan of Courage and is about a boy "a wannabe Luke Skywalker" and his sister who get seperated from their parents. Their parents are being heald captive by a giant. The two kids meet the Ewoks who decide to help them get their parents back. This isn't a bad movie, it mixes adventure with fantasy and isn't bad entertainment for kids.
The second one is called the Battle for Endor. The girl from the first one is the only one left of her family after they are killed. Funny that her parents are killed right in the beginning of this one after all the trouble of rescueing them in the first one. Plus her brother who was the hero in the first dies right in the beginning as well. So all she has left is her Ewok friend Wicket (Warwick Davis). Together they meet a cranky old guy in the woods who takes them both in. He's played by Wilfred Brimley from Cocoon. He's really sweet of course and bonds with the girl. When she is taken by the Marauders that killed her parents. Brimley along with Wcket have to go save her and the captured ewoks. This is another one that's not bad.. The first had more of a story and had better creatures and better ideas though. The movie starts off dark but gets more lighter and more for kids as it goes along. Also the effects are kinda cheesey but back then they were great especially for a made for tv movie. I think they should've just made a Ewok show eventually. Fans had a long way to wait before the next StarWars movie so it wouldn't have been that bad for fans who were craving more StarWars.
8 blue harvest title
to the fella that mentioned blue Harvest--that was the code title for Return of the Jedi when they were filming it on location, so fewer lookie-loos would be aware they were filming a star wars movie.
9 Buy These Kid-Friendly Movies!
Looking for a movie to show your restless children?
Want them to watch something you don't have to censor every five minutes?
They will love this new disc starring the Ewoks-those infamous teddy bear like warriors from Return of the Jedi- in two action packed made for TV movies taking place on Endor.
Live action all the way, this is a must for your kids' collection.
Order your copy today!
10 Good for Children and Star Wars Collectors (3 1/2 Stars)
The Ewok movies finally arrive on DVD in a single, bare-bones release. They are on a single double-sided disc, the main problem I find with this being that it lowers the audio level quality. They are not presented in Dolby 5.1 and contain no extras. These movies may have the distinct look of 80s TV movies but the picture quality is very good on DVD. I do not know if a future release will ever come out on widescreen since they were originally released on TV.
These movies will mainly appeal to young children, though it contains elements that may frighten them such as human deaths (not graphically shown) and monster villains. However, the younger characters are the heroes here and the Ewoks are basically the kind teddy-bear companions to the lead human characters- a young girl and her older teenage brother.
Older viewers may find the movies slow going at times and there is a distinct lack of technology and major visual effects sequences such as space battles- something Star Wars is famous for. This is mainly set in a forest environment.
Followers of Star Wars will notice discrepancies such as a lack of certain Ewok characters, the smaller number of Ewoks used, or the slightly different look to Wicket- who is still appealing as the young Ewok who helps the stranded children. Also of note, the giant redwoods of California used for "Return of the Jedi" are absent (I heard they were chopped down for logging soon after filming).
These are simple good vs. evil adventures with basic plotting and fantasy elements set in the time just before the Ewoks met the characters of Star Wars. And they do not have the huge budget and effects of the Star Wars movies.
As I said, children will find these appealing. Others may not enjoy these cheaper, simpler TV movies. By the end of it, they may also suffer from Ewok overload! However, these movies are at this time the only other Star Wars movies outside of Episodes I-VI.
11 Why "FOOLSCREEN"?
I have been eagerly awaiting this DVD release, but when I finally saw the box at a local store, I just wanted to break it in half. Why am I the only one who has a problem with the fact that this DVD is only available in Pan-and-Scan and not widescreen? Despite the fact that these films were intended to be released on television here in the States, they were actually released theatrically overseas... and they WERE originally filmed in widescreen (2.35:1 aspect ratio I believe for the first movie). Why then did Fox begin to think we'd be interested in cropped-for-TV versions of these now classic films? The simple fact that they didn't bother with a 5.1 audio mix should have been enough of a clue as to how lazy they were with this release.
I loved these movies when I was a kid, and would probably still like them if I saw them again, but I'm sure as hell not going to waste my money on this turkey of a release.
DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!!! Go write letters to Fox and demand they release a proper version.
12 Better these than the original films, right?
I find it grimly ironic that LucasFilm Ltd et al are falling all over themselves to provide DVDs of these two Ewok TV shows in all their uncut glory, rather than, say, A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. Apparently, according to LFL spokesman Jim Ward, it's because there is such demand in the fan base for these Ewok films. Say what?
These two "films," effectively TV shows, aren't terrible, but they're pure 1980s drivel and are simply overrun with furry, reviled Ewoks that don't even have the benefit of turning into scaled horrors when dunked in water, unlike Mogwai. I mean, I'm pretty sure there are neon headbands involved. That's never a good sign.
Frankly I'm surprised Lucas hasn't chopped these things up into bits either to "get them to where he wanted if he'd had the appropriate technology at the time". Here are some desperately needed changes that the boys down in the CGI Revisionism Department could pump out in a day:
1) All the slain parents now appear as ghosts at the end of the films. However, they are not the ages the parents were when they died, but are children for some reason. This is accepted by all without question.
2) The brother never shoots first. In fact, he never shoots at all, and all blasters fatally backfire when triggered to demonstrate the perils of not sharing.
3) Instead of spears, the Ewoks all wield harmless flashlights.
4) Both films are narrated by beloved Lucas brainchild Jar Jar Binks. In fact, he dubs all the character lines too.
5) At the end of each film, Gungans are shown celebrating for some reason.
6) A CGI Yoda bounds constantly around the landscape like Clay Aiken on speed, spouting hip phrases like "tubular to the max, dude," and "jam the pipe to the extremez!"
7) As a consequence of the massively saccharine nature of the proceedings, a new "PG-0" rating is instituted, which means the films are suitable for playing against the stomachs of expectant mothers to better inculcate their children to a lifetime of mindless unquestioning grasping at the LucasFilm teat.
8) Every human being who manages to do something is discovered to have billions of "midichlorians" and to be the result of an immaculate conception, presumably by God himself.
9) Every tenth frame is a Hyperspace logo.
10) The DVDs come with special, patented LFL "CGI Cancer", which spreads from scene to scene over the course of your ownership of the DVDs, gradually turning them into episodes of "The Thundercats". Only a monthly payment of $9.95 to LucasFilm temporarily arrests this process.
13 Better than the prequels
I am an avid hater of the prequel films for reasons I will not go into right here, but I must say that these Ewok films somehow capture the feel of the Star Wars universe more than the prequels.
I remember seeing commercials for the first movie as a child and looking forward to it. The first movie is about a semisensient giant called the Gorax, who kidnaps two children's parents, the family having crash-landed on the remote forest moon of Endor. The kids wind up in the care of the Ewoks. They are furry, stone-level beings native to Endor. The kids and a "caravan of courage" go in search of the Gorax' lair, in an effort to rescue the parents.
In the second movie, a band of alien marauders -- in search of a nonexistant "power" -- attack the Ewok village, killing every human family member, save for the little girl, Cindel. Cindel and Wicket, an Ewok child, escape and wander the forest until they find a hut where an old human named Noa lives. Noa teams up with Cindel and Wicket to fight the marauders and their evil ally, a witch named Charal.
These movies were quite entertaining as a child, and I am anxious to see if I will enjoy them now. As for the problem with Wicket learning Basic (the English spoken in Star Wars), how do we know that the humans were speaking Basic? Perhaps they were speaking another human language, but to us, the viewers, it had to be in English so we could understand.
Cindel is actually mentioned in one of the Expanded Universe books. Twelve years after Return of the Jedi, she is a reporter for a news service.
I was perturbed at the death of Mace in the opening scenes of the second movie, as it was cool to have a young boy shooting blasters and fighting. You could imagine yourself in the role if you were close to Mace's age.
14 I am sure there was a third movie
I am 90% there was a third ewok movie having something in the title about "blue harvest". It was in suncoast's archieves. I tried to special order it but it was a no go. If anyone out there has this or knows about it, let me know.
thanks
xcntrlaltdelete@aol.com
15 Here come the furballs
I made a rare blind buy on this set. Mostly due to its very cheap price and my huge Star Wars fanatisisim. I had rather mixed feelings about the ewoks in Return of the Jedi. They had there cute momments but there fight with the Empire is just kind of silly. Main reason Return of the Jedi is my least favorite of the Star Wars movies. Caravan of Courage is the story of a family of humans that crashed landed on the Endor moon. When there parents are kidnapped by a giant monster called the Gorax Mace and Cydinal team up with the ewoks in order to go on a mission to rescue there parents. The second movie Battle for Endor is slightly better then the first movie. It involves Cyndil and Wicket going on an adventure to save the ewoks from a clan of evil off world maruders. As expected these movie are mostly for kids. There feel is more of an old time fantasy movie then a Star Wars movie. Still its a decent little movie set in the Star Wars galaxy. My biggest problems with these flicks is they are inconsistant with the movies. This takes place sometime before A New Hope. We see Wicket slowly learn english and speak it well by the second movie. Why then does he appear not to understand Leia in Return of the Jed? Did he forget English? I also had a problem with the magic. Star Wars has the force but the magic we see in the ewok movies doesn't fit with the force magic we see in the movies. Since the magic has little to do with the major story I think these movies would have been better off if all magic had been cut out. There is much good in these flicks. These movies create alot of cool creatures and some cool action sequences. In fact id say the end action sequence in Battle for Endor helps make the ewoks victory in Return of the Jedi seem a bit more probable. There are no extras on this disc of any kind. Just the movies. It is presented in 1.33 fullscreen. Since these were made for television I assume that this is the original aspect ratio. Being a big widescreen supporter I don't think Lucas would allow a DVD to be released in Pan Scan only. The picture quality is very good. I was surprised given the low bargin nature of the disc how good the picture was. Its almost as good as the trilogy discs. The audio is only 2.0 stereo. A 5.1 track would have been desireable but on a 2.0 stereo level the sound is really good. Lucasfilm has a habit for creating great soundtracks at low bit rates and this is no exception.
Overal I recommend the ewok adventures. Unlike the cartoon DVDs these are being released complete and unbutchered. For those disipointed at the lack of original versions of the trilogy will be happy to know these appear to be unaltered and have no CGI. For such a cheap price I don't see why any fan of the ewoks could deny themselves these movies.
16 Like it or not, here they come...
I can't bring myself to review this title based soley on whether or not I like Ewoks. If you don't, stay away and don't complain. If you do, you'll enjoy these classic 80s TV movies. As a kid, simply having a new story set in the STAR WARS universe was a big deal, and I remember enjoying these films. By today's standards they'll come off as pretty cheesy, with little of the great action sequences we've come to expect from the STAR WARS Trilogies. These movies will be perfect for kids or adults in their 20s in need of a little nostalgia. The production values were high at the time and result in two extremely kid-safe movies. It's hard to argue with the price tag, and if you've been dying to see Wilford Brimley do more than hock Quaker Oats, this is the double feature event you've been waiting for. Boys will like the first movie, girls will like the second, and many an adult will be irritated by both. I can't wait to see them again myself, but don't go into these movies expecting a STAR WARS experience because you won't get it. And I'm sorry, but in my humble opinion, a little more Wicket beats Carrie Fisher singing to the STAR WARS theme any day. I'm happy to have the Holiday Special floating around as a bootleg.
17 One for the kid in you
Reading through all these people bashing these movies has me shaking my head. Really what can you expect out of television movies about Ewoks? To criticize these movies as being too childish is like criticizing the smurfs for being blue.
These movies were made for kids and not the people like me who saw the original STAR WARS movies in the theater as a kid but are now in their 30s. Really though to be able to get two movies on DVD for about half the price of a tank of gas to me sounds like an okay deal. People really should lighten up and take into account the audience these TV movies were made for.
One bright spot in these movies are some quite ambitious special effects (for TV at least).
18 Where's the Christmas Special?
If you like ewoks, you'll love these made-for-tv movies. However, nobody in their right mind likes ewoks. These movies should've been a warning to all that the new Star Wars movies would not be good. And if these are released, where's the Christmas Special? It was much better than these lame movies.
19 EEEEEW! Ewoks!
I guess this isn't what I can call entertainment. I sat through these with my kid. All I can say is I'd like a movie to be made called EWOKS VERSUS PREDATOR, so i can root for the Predator.
Robert Whitaker Sirignano
20 A double feature?
I have seen both of these movies a dozen times & I love them. Up until the Clone Wars cartoon, I refered to the Battle For Endor as the best non star wars star wars. I still enjoy them. I recommend getting them & enjoying them with the whole family. Putting them as a double feature is a great idea (is it too much to hope for commentaries or featurettes too?), but my only question is this... why no third one? It seems like a good idea & Cindel promised Wicket she'd return. I guess 20 years is a long time to wait for another one. Maybe if they let me write it... Anyway, great packaging & I can't wait for the 23rd. Wonderful movies!
21 Caravan of Courage
Yes you're right the first movie "The Ewok Adventure" was entitled Ewok - Karawane der Tapferen which means "Caravan of the couraged ones" here in germany! So I think it's an attempt to clean up the title mess!
22 Star Wars Ewok
if you do not know he was not going to release these at all
he made them for his child i love the movies and all the star wars i have all of the star wars and have ordered this one two
23 My favorite movies when I was a kid!
When I was about five or six, these were my favorite movies of all time. I liked The Ewok Adventure (a.k.a. Caravan of Courage) the best out of the two, but Battle for Endore was good also. Classic Star Wars on double-feature DVD. This is a piece of my childhood I couldn't live without.
24 Caravan of Courage is The Ewok Adventure
Caravan of Courage is The Ewok Adventure directed by John Korty. For some strange reason the title was changed...I read somewhere that the European release was called Caravan of Courage so maybe they thought that we were already confused enough and kept it that way...who knows. Anyway, same GREAT movies, finally on DVD, which deserve 5 stars.
25 hooray for Ewoks
I really enjoyed the Battle For Endor but What about The Ewok Adventure, directed by John Korty? Is it beng released too?
26 It's About Time!
I have waited for this item to come out on DVD for a very long time. My old videos are just not cutting it any longer. The quality has fallen, as VHS tapes do over time. It's about time these great films were put out on DVD! I don't know why they weren't released sooner.
27 Great Memories
Wow, I am so excited that this movie is coming out on DVD. I grew up watching this movie and loved it-I played the VHS till it wore out. It was made in the 80's so the effects aren't like they are now days, but that's the good part. It's a movie that I want to share with my kids!
28 Ewoks forever!!!
I am a huge fan of anything Ewok... and this DVD release is the icing on the cake! Yes I managed to find them both on VHS, but DVD quality is gonna immortalise the Ewoks forever! I'm hoping for some bonus features, but won't hold my breath. The two films in one is well worth the wait and the money. So let's all get nostalgic and order this today! A must for any child of the 80's.
29 Can't Wait!
I think this is great that they're FINALLY releasing all these great Star Wars movies.
I loved both these movies as a kid, I occasionally still watch the VHS tapes to this day, and it'll be a welcome relief to not have to sit through grainy tapes and be able to watch crystal clear DVDs.
Though these really don't tie-in with the Star Wars saga, they're a good addition to any Star Wars fan's DVD collection!
30 Finally! Why not sooner?
I'm doing cartwheels over this, yippee! I went and sold my video tapes, and now I wait for the chance to purchase this treasure.
31 Here comes the EwokS!!!
I always loved this movie as a kid, i watched it so much my VHS tape broke and i never saw this movie for a while.I love Wicket on the movie i still have a teddy bear of him,but im glad its finally coming out on DVD ive been looking for years and i couldnt find the DVD or VHS but im so happy its finally coming out im gunna watch this over and over!!
32 There goes the neighborhood
I've always felt special because I have these two movies in thier hard to find original VHS formats. Dang it. Also they don't really tie in well with the rest of the Star Wars saga other than the fact that they have Ewoks and are on Endor.
33 It's About Stinkin' Time!
Let me just start out by saying that the Ewoks are the single most underrated cinematic creations of all time. I love those little dudes! I love these little movies, too. Though I haven't seen them for a good six years or more, I remember absolutely loving them when I was little. They always made me want to go climb a tree and pretend I was an Ewok! Honestly, WHO would not want to live in hundred-foot trees, leaping on vines and speaking in those funky voices?! Um, anyway, just to give you the idea how much I love Ewoks . . . . . . .
Plus, to all you Ewok-bashers out there, they were successful enough to star in not one, but TWO solo adventure movies. HA HA HA!!
There had been rumors of an eventual DVD release of these two films for years. (That fawlty announcement of a three-disc ultimate collector's edition was a doozy.) Now, it's official: Come November, Ewoks fans across the nation can rejoice!! Though not in any special edition format (which coud be expected from two 80s TV movies), just having these priceless gems on DVD will be enough.
GO EWOKS!!!
34 YES!!!! EWOKS!!!!
I grew up with these two Ewok movies since I was 6 years old (watching them over and over again) and they're still awesome! I recently watched both of them again to see how they hold up and they brought back so many pleasant memories. I can't wait for these to come to DVD (and I hope they have some nice extras on them along with good extras/sounds.) GO EWOKS!!!
