Wow, this is looking very interesting - watching the clip you posted though, it feels to me that it might work better if the Death Star was on the right hand side of the window, where the fleet is, since that is where Luke is doing all his looking.
What was the bad mother/good mother angle? I don't think I have ever heard of that potential angle before (and if I have, I've completely forgotten it) - it sounds interesting.
Glad to hear that you're going to try and complete this edit, nightstalkerpoet!
I think that both the additional Maul scene ideas and Amidala addressing the senate would be good to reinstate in some form. Maul is such a non-entity in TPM that while I was watching your edit I was wondering what a Maul free version of TPM would be like (that's not a critiscism of your edit, but more to do with Maul's role in the original version).
Abe Simpson said:
Too small; didn't read!
Sorry for the small text, when I copied my last response over from a PM it seemed to screw with the font size. Hopefully it's better now.
I wrote some notes down while I was watching the workprint - I know you're not really working on this anymore, but there is definitely potential in the idea - I hope that either someone picks it up, or at least that some of the ideas in it are adopted by other Prequel Trilogy fan editors, because as a proof of concept it really works :)
The opening is freed up so much by the removal of the Gungans, which makes for a much faster paced introduction to the movie, and means that Anakin actually makes an appearance much earlier. This also makes the first appearance of Anakin in the movie fairly comparable to the first appearance of Luke in the original, around the 17 minute mark (give or take) for each.
I know this is just a (very) rough cut, so the editing isn’t always going to be seamless but I thought I would mention one part that occurs around the 22 minute mark, when they are at Anakin’s house, specifically when it cuts from Qui-Gon talking to Obi-Wan to the dinner table explanation of how slaves have locator devices under their skin. Maybe by keeping the sandstorm establishing shot just before this it wouldn’t be as jarring, especially if a wipe could be created between the shot of Qui-Gon hanging up and the sandstorm shot. The sandstorm bit would help show a passage of time as well, IMO. Alternatively, another editor might just leave in the Sidious/Maul scene that comes between them, but that’s an issue of personal taste.
Another cut that could be reinstated is the introduction of Sebulba, given the prominence of his rivalry with Anakin. The Jar-Jar antics in that scene aren’t the most objectionable, either. If I was cutting more Jar-Jar wackiness, I’d personally try and remove the bit where he is messing around with the droid in Watto’s shop. Again, that’s more of a personal taste issue though.
The Pod Race might be cut a little bit too much as well, since it goes straight from the start to Anakin and Sebulba neck-and-neck – it makes it seem like there isn’t anyone else in the race. Cutting C3PO’s line at the end of the Pod Race might be an idea too, since his introduction has been removed.
Midichlorions - would you be planning on keeping them in a final cut, or would all reference to them be cut?
The reveal that Padme is actually Queen Amidala in disguise never happens in this version, which makes it seem like she really is just an ass kicking hand maiden... until the Nemodians inexplicably think that she is the queen, before the fake queen appears to make them think Padme is a decoy. Obviously there are little hints throughout the movie about which is the true Amidala, this aspect of the story seems to be the one which suffers the most through the removal of the Gungans.
Getting back to the main thrust of the edit, the removal of the Gungans – the Gungan/Droid battle is not missed in the slightest, and the removal of that story strand really helps make the ending a tighter experience. The four simultaneous battles going on at the end of the theatrical version was just way too much.
Bingowings: I will post that idea over in the Prequel Radical Redux thread as well, but am sort of hesitant to until Nightstalkerpoet posts his idea first, as I don't want to steal any credit or anything (moving the Gungan footage depends heavily on removing them from the rest of the Naboo scenes, after all).
EDIT: Thanks for posting both these ideas over there, Bingowings :)
I really like this idea - I was actually thinking something similar the other day, based on an idea from the Prequel Radical Redux Ideas thread about showing an invasion of another planet at the start of TPM - that maybe some footage of the Gungan battle could be used to create the idea of a previous planet falling to the Trade Federation before Naboo. The Gungans could be from a different planet, with Jar Jar having escaped to Naboo or something.
This sounds like a very interesting project - the incorporation of Soundwave into the Frenzy hacking scene was quite well done :)