Star Wars Episode VIII: The Eyepainter Fanedit is now online

Here are the technical specs for my 1080p and 720p versions:

Lossless 1080p
Codec: H.264 - MPEG-4 AVC (Part 10)
Resolution: 1920x804
Frame Rate: 23.976fps
Audio: AAC 5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo
File Size: 10.6gb
Running Time: 1:33:56

Lossy 720p
Codec: H.264 - MPEG-4 AVC (Part 10)
Resolution: 1280x720
Frame Rate: 23.976fps
Audio: AAC 5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo
File Size: 3.80gb
Running Time: 1:33:56

…And for those of you who like comparing color grades, here’s the specs for Episode VIII in Glorious Blue!

Episode VIII in Glorious Blue!
Codec: H.264 - MPEG-4 AVC (Part 10)
Resolution: 1280x720
Frame Rate: 23.976fps
Audio: AAC 5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo
File Size: 8.32gb
Running Time: 1:35:32

I would also like to give a big thank you to CaptainFaraday and GMatias for their advice and support through this edit. Their contributions made a big difference in the making of this edit. May the force be with you guys! 👍😌

It’s time for the Jedi to end…

(Updated 1-24-22)

The biggest problem with The Force Awakens is that it’s too much like Star Wars. The biggest problem with The Last Jedi is that it’s too little like Star Wars. Now, I liked VII enough that I was highly anticipating the next film in the saga, called The Last Jedi. I enjoyed a lot of Rian Johnson’s other indie flicks (Like Looper, for example), and knowing that he was directing and writing this movie, I was filled with hope that the force would be strong with this one.

You can imagine my disappointment when I saw the movie that fateful Christmas of 2017. When I left the theatre that night, my first reaction was “Huh. That was complicated.” And the more I thought about it, the more I began to realize the terrible truth: this film was a disaster area.

The Last Jedi is, to me, the film that singlehandedly broke the sequel trilogy. I know some people like to defend it saying that it’s “different.” But different isn’t always good. And make no mistake, TLJ is the bad kind of different. If VII was a scoop of vanilla ice cream, VIII is a scoop of feces. It may be different, but I wouldn’t call it delicious by any means. I almost shouldn’t call it a Star Wars movie. But there are lightsabers, Luke is in it, and it takes place in space, so it can just barely be called Star Wars. Just barely.

This is the one that really motivated me to take on the sequels. If any of these movies needed to be fixed, it’s this one. Hang in there, kid. This movie deserves to be compared to a real good ice cream flavor.

This is also the hardest one to edit thus far. Given that this is the middle film in the trilogy, I’ve had to check for inconsistencies across the board since this is the one that takes us from point A to point B. Not just for this movie, but for all three. With the prequels, I was working on one episode at a time. But because of this film, I’ve been constantly looking back and forth between all three films as if they were one. No, I’m not doing one of those 3-in-1 edits here. This is Lord of the Rings logic. I’m treating all three movies as if they were one movie, even though they will still be a trilogy. It’s only because this movie really is that broken and I have to check to ensure that it makes sense with the logic of the rest of the trilogy.

Of course, there are some things I definitely didn’t have to think about too much. Luke Skywalker’s character is the first thing that comes to mind. I also didn’t have to think too much about removing Poe’s conspiracy theory subplot. I’ve also removed Rey’s decision on whether she joins Kylo Ren or not to ensure a more ambiguous ending, and I’ve made some unusual editing decisions to keep the rest of the ending ambiguous and leave Rey’s decision more open-ended, even though she still saves the rebellion in the end.

A general list of changes (Updated 12-5-21)

I decided to take a page from my friend, CaptainFaraday, and release a general overview of the basics in my edit. I still have a lot of work to do on some of the little things (especially since it’s all in the details with this movie). However, the biggest changes and alterations are complete. I will release a more thorough list when I’ve gotten the tiny things taken care of. For now, though, this should give off a more detailed idea of what my edit of The Last Jedi is gonna be like. Enjoy!

I’ve placed the list under the spoiler tag below. “–” means removed, “/” means changed or altered, and “++” means added or extended, because the algorithm has changed so that a singular plus sign looks like a bullet point instead. Hence the double plus symbol will be used until further notice.

/ Changing the opening crawl
– Removed some of the jokes
– Attempting to lessen the snooty british tone of the First Order fleet, especially General Hux
– Removed Poe’s bad blood with Leia
– Lessening Paige’s role in saving the rebellion as well as the overly patriotic tone of the scene
/ Changed Luke from murderous psychopath to a jedi who fell to guilt and self-hatred over his failure to train Kylo Ren
++ Added “Luke Has a Moment” deleted scene
– Attempting to remove the “flying Princess Leia” moment
– Removed Poe’s conspiracy subplot revolving around Holdo
/ Changed Holdo to a more heroic figure
++ Added “Caretaker Village Sequence” deleted scene
/ Altered and removed scenes and lines about Rey’s parents for consistency with Episode IX
– Removed all moments of Luke using his lightsaber on Kylo Ren in flashbacks
++ Added “Alternate Opening” deleted scene to introduce Finn
– Removed Rose and Finn’s romantic relationship
– Removed all of Canto Bight
– Removed DJ
– Removed all of Finn and Rose’s episode on the First Order frigate
– Removed Captain Phasma
– Removed Snoke’s speechin’ about how Kylo won’t change and how he can sense him turning the lightsaber and so on before he dies (Inspired by HAL9000)(Updated 1-11-22)
– Removed Rey’s rejection of Kylo Ren’s offer to join
– Removed Kylo and Rey’s force fight for Luke’s lightsaber, including its destruction
/ Re-edited so that Holdo’s kamikaze run on the First Order fleet interrupts Rey’s decision
– Removed Kylo’s lie about Rey killing Snoke
– Removed most of Kylo’s angrier scenes during Crait battle to create a more ambiguous ending
– Removing Finn risking his life to stop the battering ram cannon
– Removed Rose’s “saving” Finn, as well as her line about “saving what we love”
– Removed most of Rey from Crait battle up until she has to move rocks to create a more ambiguous ending and tone
/ Soften up Kylo Ren slightly during his Luke Skywalker confrontation to create more ambiguity
– Removed ending scene with the jedi children on Canto Bight