TheBossCheese

EPISODES 7 & 8 Restructured
The Last Jedi has memorable moments and quality visuals but really lacks in character development when in regards to The Force Awakens. The Force Awakens has more clear character arcs. For this reason I want to reorganize, edit, and add in FX. I am however not too experienced with editing. I’ve been using VSDC Free Editor and have been liking it. I need to know how to incorporate surround sound, Rotoscoping FX, generally I just need more experience. The highlights of this edit I suppose is that Rey does not use force powers until she meets Luke, Han dies during Episode VIII instead of VII, and that Starkiller Base is also saved for Episode VIII. Its like the last act of my episode 7 is the last act of The Last Jedi, re-edited, and then the 1st act of my episode 8 is the last act of The Force Awakens.

Episode VII

• The film plays out normally until Finn and Rey escape from Jakku in the Millennium Falcon. Finn and Rey then introduce each other. Finn asks BB-8 to take them to the Resistance base. Kylo Ren is upset that the droid escaped with the help of Finn and Rey. The film will play out differently from here.
  
• Finn and Rey arrive on Yavin IV and are immediately met with Han Solo and Chewbacca. No Ranthar chase, cut them hiding under the floor and just cut to han asking about who stole the Falcon. Han talks about Luke and the force.
  
• Finn and BB-8 exit the Falcon and find Poe Dameron alive (Cut Finn asking Poe for Help). Finn and Poe enter the base and speak with Princess Leia. (Only include thank yous, finn and leia do not need help.)
  
• BB-8 meets C3PO and 3PO explains how R2D2 has been in sleep mode since Lukes disappearance. 
  
• Cut to Rey going down into the basement and finding Anakin’s blue lightsaber. 
  
• R2D2 then wakes up to help show the way to Luke. 
  
• Rey leaves and goes to find Luke. (Not really sure if she should take the Falcon though. This is where Rotoscoping might be nice to incorporate a different ship for her on Acto because Han Solo is still alive.)

• With Rey gone the First Order arrive using the footage from the Maz Kanata castle raid scene. Han, Chewie, and Finn fight them off on the ground as Poe Dameron takes to the skys. 
  
• Using the evacuation of Yavin Base from The Last Jedi, the Resistance leave Yavin IV. Poe destroys the dreadnaught. The ship takes off into hyperspace. (Cut out General Hux)

• Rey arrives on Acto with a different ship and meets Luke Skywalker.

• The Resistance run to the abandoned Crait Base and wait for the First Order to follow them there. Luke appears and helps the resistance escape with his force projection. (Han and Chewie are rotoscoped into the scene with Luke and Leia. I had scene a post where a user mentioned doing this along with Han flying the Falcon off Crait.) Rey is not here.

Episode VIII

I am honestly not entirely sure on the order of the scenes for episode VIII yet. Need to watch The Last Jedi more first. The general idea is that Han Solo dies in Episode VIII, then Leia dies after the Tie Fighters blow up the Ship, and Luke dies after Rey does not turn to the dark side and join Ben.

• Kylo Ren is told by Snoke to kill his parents. 
  
• General Hux Starkiller Base Nazi speech.  

• Possibly actually have Maz Kanata’s Castle and using the shots of the Falcon on the outskirts of the castle make it seem like the whole Resistance is there. Even if we take out Maz Kanata herself we could at least probably show the bar scene and then show the Resistance on the outskirts, kinda like they are just camping out not really trying to stay in one place to long.
  
• The Resistance talks about how they can take down Starkiller Base. (Trim scene to make Admiral Ackbar, Han, and Leia the only ones who really know how to take down Starkiller Base) 

• Leia tells Han to bring their son home.
  
• Rey following Luke. Luke drinks some Blue Milk.

• Han, Chewie, and Finn land on Starkiller Base.
  

• Rey goes to Starkiller Base to try to turn Ben to the lightside against Lukes advice. She meets up with Han, Chewie, and Finn. Han Solo is killed by his son. (Have to assume she still has the Rotoscoped ship and not the Falcon.) 
  
• Starkiller Base destroys the Hosnian System/Corosaunt.
  
• Finn gets sliced in the back by Kylo. Rey returns him to the resistance. She hugs Leia and leaves in the Falcon with Chewie and R2D2. as she goes back to Luke.

• Rey comes back to Luke in the Falcon along with Chewie and he asks what happened to Han. This is why Luke not that nice to Rey throughout the movie because of the death of his friend.

• Leia dies by Kylo Ren’s Tie fighters. The Luke and Yoda scene should follow shortly after and Luke almost burns the texts out of rage because he felt Leia’s death.

• Rey leaves Luke again to go to Snokes ship after the dark side mirror cave. Finn wakes up and asks Poe where Rey is and that is how he ends up on Snokes ship. A chance to fight Phasma after she disables the shields in the same movie.

• Luke dies after we see that Rey does not make the decision to join the dark side with Kylo, because like Yoda his mission was completed in training The Last Jedi. End Credits, no broom boy. All the original trilogy actors now all die together in this movie.

This is just a general concept idea I have been thinking about. Like I said I really have to watch The Last Jedi more.

Hi i saw your post and tried searching the web for your cut. Was wondering if you could help me.

Hi Hal,

I have finally just watched you’re version of episode 1. I have already previously seen all of your other versions of 2 & 3 and your edits are my favorite, best presentation and really smart editing choices.

After finally watching episode 1 I feel I can tell you what I think could work better, although I understand how subjective fan edits can be.

-Remove Scene of Queen Amadalla telling Nute Gunray that the Jedi are coming to force a settlement.

I have just always felt the scene was awkward and abrupt because Nute Gunray acts like he forgot all about pursueing the jedi.

Queen Amidalla acts like shes strong and aggressive but then in the following scene she acts like she dosnt know why communications are jammed and then says that she doesn’t want conflict.

I think we should just have Obiwans line about the negotiations being short and then transition to Naboo where the communictations with Corosaunt get cut off, besides the opening crawl already tells us the planet is being occupied by the federation.

-Add back in Jabba the Hutt & Bib Fortuna.

He runs the gambling ring on Tatooine, seeing him appear reinforces the idea of why Watto is afraid of Quigon telling the Hutts about their bet. If you had not seen any star wars you would not have gotten Quigons exposition. Maybe just when the race scene begins don’t have the announcers introduce him he just walks in as the scene starts. Then when he spits his food. Then when hes falling asleep at the end. I have to admit I am a big fan of the hutt.

-Remove Shmi’s line about "giving hope to those who have none."
In this scene she just needs to say that shes proud of him.

I read somebody elses review on fanedit.org and agreed that Anakins mom could use some additional lines overall to make her more involved and appear to be more of a caring mother. Though I understand the way edits work and maybe her cuts are necessary.

I figured with Jabba and Shmi reinserted it should make up for the missing runtime for the removed Nute Gunray Scene.

I like the idea of both having dooku with a darksaber, as well as a jedi lightsaber (blue, green, maybe yellow colored saber) maybe episode 2 he could have a jedi lightsaber and then in ROTS he could have the more darkside darksaber. Also everything you are doing is outstanding. Hope to see it someday. I was making an edit and now i just want to see yours haha