That is a fantastic list of changes to ROTJ. I want to work on THAT.
The potential of doing ROTJ next is attractive -- it is like Episode II -- the weakest of its respective trilogy. With SOTD and a new ROTJ, we'd be a hell of a lot closer to a Saga. Trooperman likes MagFan's Episode I and the rest of the OT. ROTS is being tweaked by many already (although only the Trooperman voiced Anakin can fully complete the set). I mean, if we got a Ranch style Episode I done and an ROTJ -- well that would be close to a "Trooperman" approved saga.
I'd still have some major beef with ANH -- but so few other people seem to agree. Even my wife can't see Obi Wan's lying for the cancer that it is.
Maybe I need to be shown the light -- how do you account for the lying, Commander? What good did it do him to lie to Luke? I need to believe something big was gained by Obi Wan being so deceptive before I can be okay with this scene being in Episode IV. It works just fine in Star Wars, the stand alone movie as it was released and designed -- when it WASN'T a lie. But now it's a lie that, as far as I can figure, gets him exactly nowhere and sets Luke up for a terrible fall.
But that issue aside -- I think InfoDroid could do a quicker pass through ANH to add the few ques and tweaks that blend it into Episode III without changing that beat and finish faster. Maybe that's wisest at this point since we all know Trooperman doesn't want to change it. There's still plenty to tweak and construct -- I think it's necessary to get the Emperor at least one scene in ANH (and we do have material we plan to cut from the prequels available to us).
Anyway, I'm excited as hell by those ROTJ ideas.
What if Lando, Leia and Chewie start their effort to free Han before Luke returns. If we could somehow let Luke's return from training be "just in time" to save his friends again, it would add even more justification to that awful plan of theirs. Essentially -- Leia's plan was to get Han, Chewie and Lando out in the middle of night, but she got caught. ...Then Luke arrives. I don't know how to handle the droids off the top of my head, but this idea solves a lot of problems for me.
Mix in all the changes suggested earlier regarding radio dialogue and a make-over to the Ewoks and we may really have something great on our hands.
I'd like to beef up Han's story as well, CC. The main issue is that he is played as a second banana. He doesn't get to be a rogue, really. So he comes off as immasculated somewhat. I'd like to work in more skeptical and recognizable Han material and lose some of the beats that feel "off."
I see major opportunities for making the Death Star destruction better too -- Luke's escape is timed poorly vis-a-vis Lando's. They should be simultaneously escaping the exploding battle station -- Luke gets out too soon. I wonder if we couldn't do with less of Lando's co-pilot as well?
Anyway-- this must be the Bible thread because we are now officially all over the map.