Star Wars Episode II: The Approaching Storm (Released) — Page 32

I honestly don’t remember at this point, but maybe my commentary track sheds light on it around that part of the movie.

Nah, it’s a very different look and feel for a variety of reasons. And if it were shoehorned into Ep2, then… it wouldn’t be there to do its job in the Kenobi show.

As a MASSIVE fan of the Hal9000 prequel edits, one small audio change that most of us know in “The Approaching Storm” is the transition from Anakin and Padme’s sunset kiss to Obi Wan leaving Kamino.

I wanted to try redoing the audio transition with rescored music and replaced sfx. Let me know what you guys think! 😃

https://streamable.com/tdd1dc

I feel like I’m too close to that to really even assess it! My version uses the score’s existing break in the music, originally to accompany the kiss itself breaking up. This is obviously just as sudden but different.

I’d welcome anyone’s feedback about that versus mine.

I appreciate the feedback and am glad you enjoyed it! I’m less willing to make further changes to this one than Episode I, but let’s talk through your feedback.

DarthFwoot said:

• I can see an argument for pieces of the “I don’t like sand” scene to be re-added, to use as a relationship bridge between the scene at her home to the suddenly very romantic picnic, or in another location. I think the scene works until “not like here” before it gets overly awkward. I think the contrast between their view on sand is quite poetic as it shows the difference in their upbringing.

This sequence in TAS follows a fan edit by Slumberland, replacing the fireside scene of deciding not to fall in love with a modified, nighttime version of the lakeside kiss. Their love develops more organically, which admittedly may be less dramatic but I feel works better onscreen.

• I think the Geonosian conveyor scene works so much better than the original, but it still feels a bit clunky to me. Particularly 3 moments:
  A) The way the shots are ordered make it unclear which container Padme is in before the lava falls. I can see why this may have been done on purpose, but I think it would probably still work better if we knew.

This is an aspect of the original scene, so I don’t have a problem with it.

B) Having Anakin drop the container with the force is a clever change but I didn’t even notice on first watch. The other viewers thought that the Geonosians caused it to drop. I wonder if there’s some way to imply they caused it to drop so they could capture her?

Even if I removed that shot of Anakin releasing the container, it’d be a solid enough inference that the Geonosians did it since they approach her immediately.

C) Warning, Nitpicky. The droidekas roll up with Jango, then we go to Padme, then back to Anakin and they roll up again. It feels awkward. I’d say start that last shot a second later than you do, to show that at least the few near Jango are already stopped.

I see what you mean, but it’s something with the original and I don’t see anything to do without undoing how I had made the scene to end. Doesn’t seem like a big problem, though.

• I don’t know the whole deleted scene of negotiations between Padme and Dooku, but the way it’s currently edited feels awkward, it definitely feels like there’s missing lines. I do like its inclusion for pacing and Dooku’s characterization.

I’ve used the deleted scene as presented to us, but I get what you mean.

• EC Henry made a sort of psuedo-translation for the Geonosians. It’s completely fanmade, but it’s very interesting. It could be a neat change for Poggle the Lesser’s subtitles, to give the arena opening some more grandeur. Here’s the video if you’re interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vqsJC4sYig
  “Settle down, settle down” becomes “listen, and let your speaking be silent!”
  “Let the executions begin” becomes “Behold, the Barahunde”

I’ve seen it, and always admire what that guy does. I don’t necessarily want to change the subtitles to a stilted use of language, especially since he doesn’t say nearly as much here as in the theatrical.

• Just curious, what’s the reason for removing the shot of Mace Windu walking up to Dooku?

So it’s more of a surprise when he is suddenly there a few shots later.

• I feel stupid. When I watched this, I didn’t even realize the Yoda/Dooku duel was gone. The only criticism I have is that the twinkle sfx starts on the last Dooku power, but it’s cutoff abruptly. I recommend replacing it with a new sfx that can carry over into the shot of squeezing the pipes, or just remove the sfx.

That’s good, that means it’s working! I don’t remember specifically but I think that sound was intertwined with the music and had to now lead into him using the force to pull down the pipe.

• Nitpick alert: I suggest removing “welcome home” from Palpatine to Count Dooku. Feels out of character.

Eh, it quickly cements that these two are deeply in cahoots.

Overall, great edit! Makes the film actually watchable! I’m looking forward to my watch of The Labyrinth of Evil tomorrow. Thank you!

Hey, I look forward to hearing your thoughts. That movie is the most different of the three.

Here’s something cool I came across that might be worth correcting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3SJoXFhZfY

I’ll bear it in mind, but I don’t see cracking AOTC open again anytime soon.

Hal 9000 said:

I’ll bear it in mind, but I don’t see cracking AOTC open again anytime soon.

Not even to remove Anakin’s rape-face during the packing scene? It’s pretty much the only part of your edit that still makes me cringe when I watch it.

It made for an abrupt ending to a short scene to remove it.

Hal 9000 said:

I’ll bear it in mind, but I don’t see cracking AOTC open again anytime soon.

When you said the last round of changes would be the last but people suggest new things

Hal 9000 said:

It made for an abrupt ending to a short scene to remove it.

Well, maybe one of the VFX wizards around here could try their hand at extending the shot just before? I understand the need for seamless editing, but keeping in even a single moment of Anakin’s creepiness actively harms your goal with fixing the romance IMO.

Up to this point even, we’ve been less primed than in AOTC to view him as creepy, and I think that shot is meant to show us that he sees through her disingenuous “makes me feel uncomfortable.” As delivered in the context of Anakin’s tirade in that scene, Padme’s line reads as fully earnest. But here I hope it reads closer to its intent as a deflection of her feelings for him.

I’ll keep this in mind and refer to it here in the event that there’s yet another update, but I still intend for what’s out now to be final. I know better than to say “never,” but I’d very much like to get to a point of these prequel edits being finalized or laying fallow.

I think that I’ve messed with the scene as much as I’m willing to, trying to improve upon it. There’s only so many recordings of that theme and none fit in seamlessly and I’ve already put out what I still intend as the final version. There’s nothing more I can do, and I very much want to put the prequel trilogy edits behind me once I revise COD once more.

Great to hear, thanks for sharing the feedback.

Watching through the full saga fanedited and this is the first of yours I’ve seen (I opted for octorox’s ep I edit). Just wanted to say excellent work. Couldn’t tell what was a deleted scene and orignal, it was all integrated and edited so masterfully. The last time I watched ep II, I’m pretty sure my brother and I gave up 20 minutes in and fell asleep. It was too bad as I remember watching it a lot and loving it as a kid before ep III came out. Now, I feel like I can finally love it as much as I did back then, so thank you.

I’ll list some of my nitpicks here in case you deem them worthy of changing for a future version.

• The lack of Dexter’s brief introduction felt awkward and unecessary. Obi-wan and this random Alien just appear in a diner out of nowhere. You can kind of figure out that Obi-wan knows this guy, but it’d be more effective imo to just leave the scene of him greeting Obi-wan from behind the counter.
• I noticed in the changelog that ending to the packing scene was reinstated. I’m curious why that decision was made because it felt like the only thing really out of place in their love story. The rest of it was handled really well and makes their romance pretty believable, but the “it makes me uncomfortable” and his creepy stare was distracting for me.
• The color grading for their kiss was too dark and felt out of place compared to the rest of the film’s visuals. I’m not sure if that scene really needs to be at sunset, anyway. The pear scene could easily be morning or the kiss could be the day after.
• I understand the music transition from the kiss scene is the original music as it cuts off when Padme regrets the kiss, but it doesn’t work here. It just sounds like a poor edit. Something from “love pledge” could probably be plugged in there for a better transition.