Anyone who watches Family Guy on a regular basis will discover series creator Seth MacFarlane is no stranger to Star Wars. Obviously a huge fan of the series, he has worked Star Wars-based gags into countless episodes of the show. So why not do a whole episode based on it? ***

Blue Harvest is that episode. Double the length of a standard Family Guy episode, the mini-feature puts Family Guy characters into the roles of Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope. Lois is Princess Leia, Chris is Luke Skywalker, Peter is Han Solo, Brian is Chewbacca, Stewie is Darth Vader, and the old pedophile Herbert is Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. MacFarlane and the crew stick close to the original film's storyline, but with these characters in place, and the Family Guy-style humor you've all come to know and love, it's a laugh-out-loud experience from start to finish. ***

The version of Blue Harvest presented on the DVD is not the same version that was broadcast, but an extended, unrated cut. Basically this just means all the bleeped language is presented uncensored, and a few extra scenes have been added here and there. ---

Image And Sound:

The picture quality on this DVD is stunning. The animators made frequent usage of 3D animation when they were creating this film, and it all comes across looking fantastic on here. The colors are bold and bright, and the images clean and crisp, never fading to the dark side. The sound is terrific as well, with no noticeable defects whatsoever. ---

MacFarlane and company put a lot of extra features on this DVD. At first I was disappointed to hear this episode was not being released as a part of the season sets, but these added features more than make up for it. The series creator teams up with a cast of the men and women who helped bring this instant classic to life for a commentary track. As a fan of both Family Guy and Star Wars, this commentary was particularly enlightening - considerably moreso than the commentaries that appear in the season sets (but then again, there's more history here than in your average Family Guy episode.) The crew also appears for an equally-interesting “making of” featurette, further exploring behind the scenes of the presentation. There's even a conversation with George Lucas, the mastermind who created Star Wars! Additionally, there are animatics, which seem to be an extra on most Family Guy releases. ***

The extras don't stop there. Fox has included a second disc in the set, which is a digital transfer of the film. Basically what this means is that you can import the complete episode into iTunes on your computer, and from there onto a compatible device. As an iPod owner myself, this was a nice bonus. Hopefully this feature will become a regular addition for Fox in future DVD releases.

Furthermore, Fox has released a special edition of the episode, in addition to the standard release. The special edition includes everything the standard version has plus special edition packaging, 3D fight scenes and glasses, a Blue Harvest T-shirt, trading cards, and a brochure/letter from MacFarlane himself.

Final Words: