I worked on my ideas for editing Jabba's Palace sequence last night and found that the material is there to make something much more sensible and thrilling. There are many jokes that create a tone that makes me cringe. But with CC's strategy, the idea of cutting the jokes as part of a new narrative really worked.
In brief (beause I don't have time now) I have a way to let Leia's plan be in action before Luke arrives-- essentially covering the gap we're creating by having Luke go get training while letting Han just hang around frozen in Jabba's clutches. Then Luke's arrival and "plan" come across as more daring and less blind-frickin'-lucky.
The droids appearance gets moved back, thus keeping the tone darker before their arrival. The whole sequence of Leia arriving as the bounty hunter plays out with subtitles and no Threepio.
So it goes:
Darth Vader arrives at Death Star II
Luke finishes training
The Emperor arrives at Death Star II
Jabba takes delivery of Chewbacca (cut the obvious reveal of Lando -- use his later reveal with Leia)
Leia takes Han out of the carbonite -- caught (cut down the over-the-top humor -- keep a more ESB tone)
The droids walk toward the palace-- hand themselves over to Jabba.
The droids get reassigned (cut the "torture" of other droids -- a truly stupid idea)
Jabba kills his dancer
Luke arrives -- scarrier, faster fighting.
Luke USES THE FORCE to bring door down on monster.
Han and Luke struggle as they're dragged before Jabba (cut the hilarious banter down)
Go to Sarlac (cut the banter down some more -- I don't think we need the "I was born here/You're going to die here" exchange or the "Tell that fat bastard he'll get no such satisfaction from us!" -- that just doesn't sound like Han Solo. Han taking the threat silently sounds more correct to my ears. Cut that in favor of going directly to Luke's threat "This is your last chance!" That should, I suggest, be Luke's FIRST threat if possible since Jabba sentenced him. The others ring very hollow and boistrous).
Cut the fight to be faster.
Can Boba be defeated by a laser blast instead of a stick in the ass?
Let Han helping Lando go faster: "Trust me" BEEOW! Less begging from Lando.
Like that. What do you think?