Disc
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Inside Artwork
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Ewok Adventures, DVD, 20th Century Fox Home Ent., UK 2005
Isn't it dull how uniform packaging has become across the world? The cover and disc for this release is just about identical in all countries. The US releases came with a chapter guide insert, while the other territories had a transparent case with the chapter guide printed on the inside of the inlay.
FILM 1: THE EWOK ADVENTURE
For the Ewok films' DVD debut, Lucasfilm went back to the original film elements and made new transfers. This means we get to see the version of The Ewok Adventure that was prepared for theatrical release outside the US. (The theatrical version was issued on VHS in Australia in 1986, but all other releases used the telefilm master up until the DVD appeared.)
The differences between the theatrical and telefilm versions are very minor. Now that the film was finally released by 20th. Century Fox worldwide (The home video rights were split with MGM/UA in some territories), we get a proper 20th Century Fox studio logo at the start, which gives it this genuine theatrical Star Wars feature film feel. The title card now says "Caravan of Courage - An Ewok Adventure", instead of just "The Ewok Adventure" like in the original telefilm. Also, the "Teleplay" credit is changed to "Screenplay".
There are some new-to-DVD changes. The last shots of the opening credits sequence are now colour-timed as a day-for-night shot for the DVD release. This was always a dawn/day sequence in the previous releases. They also redid the end credit scroll from scratch, extending it from 50 seconds to 2 minutes in length. They included more personell, listing the Ewok vocal performers for example, and it feels more like a proper theatrical end credit now. The extension means they used a longer version of the end credits music as well. (See comparison here.)
The Battle for Endor was originally released by MGM/UA in most territories, but now comes under the 20th Century Fox banner. It still doesn't have the Fox logo in the beginning but goes directly to the Lucasfilm credit. There are no differences in the DVD version compared to all the releases that came before, as far as I can tell.
The two Ewoks films from 1984 and 1985 were finally released on a double-feature DVD in the USA in 2004, but didn't come to the UK and other territories a year later. This is the UK issue of the same program that was released in all territories. While the US release was a 2-sided disc, other territories got both films on the same side of a dual-layered disc.
Company logo
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Theatrical title card
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Screenplay credits
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Muzzle flash
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Sacred totem
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Matte painting
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Gorax surprise
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New end credits
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Company logo
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Title card
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In the woods
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Blurrgs
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Aerial rescue
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Noa's hut
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Terak's court
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Escaping Ewoks
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Terak's demise
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End credits
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