Star Wars Episode II: The Approaching Storm (Released) — Page 36

Jar Jar Bricks said:

G&G-Fan said:

He’s voiced that he wants to be done with the Prequels.

And this is precisely why I was pushing for last minute changes he could sneak in there. Imagine in a year or two from now, random newbies to the forum will post on this thread saying “why is this continuity error present in your edit” or “why isn’t this deleted scene that everyone likes in your edit”. My goal was to avoid that headache preemptively, since this is the last time he will be touching them.

Don’t get me wrong, I am very grateful for these alternative versions. Perhaps I should have been clearer about that. I’m sorry, Hal. But I think you’re misunderstanding the motive I had for pushing these things, G&G.

I think Hal has explained in the past that he doesn’t mind leaving in continuity errors and other minor on-set gaffes because he believes they are fun to point out if you do notice them and not really distracting for the average viewer. Definitely a different philosophy from someone like Adywan, who tries to fix all of those types of things. I don’t really have a strong feeling either way about it.

Oh, I didn’t know that about him. I guess I figured everyone around here were obsessed with all the intricate details like Adywan lol

Hal 9000 said:

Yes. Sorry, I must’ve forgotten to post about it here. Only the large 1080 P version had to be fixed, because the others are cropped anyway.

Hi Hal 9000! First off, thank you so much for all of your edits. For years, they have been my favorite way to watch most of the SW movies and I’m grateful for the care and attention you put into all your projects. As a film nerd and editor myself, I can tell the amount of time and creative energy you have sunk into them, it shows. I deeply appreciate hearing your intentions and justifications in the commentary tracks on the prequels as well.

Anyhow I downloaded V9 of TAS, the large 1080p version recently, and I noticed a few errors in the wipes midway through the film. They come at around 32:10, 33:18, and 38:18. The wipes seem to be reversed, cutting to the next scene first, before wiping back to the previous scene.

Thanks again Hal, cheers to you!

Hal 9000 said:

I could kill FCPX with a rusty knife.

Thanks for letting me know. Shouldn’t be too bad to patch up, but I just don’t understand how that happens. Nothing’s even wrong at all in the timeline. But I’ve learned if I export just the clip in isolation I can import it as a clip and it’ll be fine.

Also, welcome! Also, thanks for the feedback!

Ack, Premiere has its own bugs like that that drive me nuts, i’ll discover an issue with one or two clips, or I find an error in the export, and it leaves me wondering what else in the timeline got messed up.

Thanks for the welcome! Been a long time lurker, was actually surprised I hadnt created an account yet.

I believe they are one in the same, no?

Hal 9000 said:

TAS V9 has been fixed and reuploaded. Only the Large 1080p version was affected. Thank you for reporting the issues.

Thanks Hal!

In both the purist and main version when it transitions out of the first deleted scene, the screen wipe is a little goofed up. It takes place around 6min 15sec.

Hal, I hate to be yet another voice in this thread complaining about something, but I can’t help but notice the subtitle for Yoda’s final line “Begun, the Clone War has” doesn’t disappear in both your preferred and the purist edition throughout the final scenes of the clone army and wedding. I also found it odd that NeverarGreat’s TFA Starlight also has this issue with the final line “May the force be with you.” I don’t know if it’s on my end (I’m watching with VLC), but I’m guessing not because your other edits don’t have this issue (CoD, LoE, and Rogue One.) Thank you for all of the effort you put into these edits!

While we’re all throwing ideas around, I would just like to say what keeps these edits from being “perfect” is the Hal9000 intro and the different titles. The Hal9000 intro distracts from the viewing experience with the 20th Century Fox fanfare compared to your quick fanedit disclaimer message in your other edits. I don’t necessarily mind the different titles as they reference the tie-in novels, but I prefer the AotC purist version simply due to the fact that the CGI in the deleted Obi/Mace scene is distracting and Mace is completely out of character, and having Attack of the Clones as the title instead of The Approaching Storm irks me.

If you replaced the Hal9000 intro with the disclaimer to match your other edits and changed the purist edition back to The Approaching Storm (or create separate “purist editions” with the original titles but updated crawls) that would make these edits the definitive replacements to the prequels.

True… I’ve been a lurker on these forums for quite some time now, but you may have just inspired me to try my hand at the fanediting process, haha. I hope my comment didn’t come across as ungrateful. I just completed a SW marathon with your prequel/sequel/RO edits (with David Kaylor’s final cut OT and TLJ Rekindled) and it was absolutely fantastic. Dare I say I shed a tear… A few times… Thank you for helping to reinvigorate and sustain my love of Star Wars after the atrocities committed by Kathleen Kennedy and company. I was genuinely depressed regarding the state of the fandom for a minute there. Shoot, even Andor season 2 wasn’t all it was touted to be…

Just one last suggestion - after watching your YouTube interview, you really should consider making a Star Wars / pop culture news and review YouTube channel. They are only getting more popular and can be monetized… Considering your history, expertise, and clout, you probably would gain a sizable audience if you posted regularly. Anyway, thanks again Hal.

Hal 9000 said:

I expected a little backlash for that one, but I feel like
A) It doesn’t end abruptly as it did in prior versions
B) It mediates the smoothed over love story and the very next scene where the two are a little cold toward each other
C) It includes a movie trope that goes way back about the woman initially resisting the man’s advances (the #MeToo thing) which is consistent with the love story’s ‘old cinema’ style (and begins to show us that she is denying to herself that she may have feelings for him, as continued in the family dinner scene)
And mutters D) The Phantom Editor saw fit to leave it in for his cut.

All around I felt like it was the right thing to do, though I anticipated some blowback. I’m sorry, everyone.

JEDIT: I actually shortened it slightly, mimicking Attack of the Phantom. I would suggest watching this cut and see how that moment strikes you in context of the whole.

Hi Hal,

Just watched your edit for the first time, and I was listening to your audio commentary. You give a perfect rationale that I would agree with on how creepy this scene is and why it doesn’t work in live action, but then the scene is still present. I had to stop watching to come here and figure out what the rationale was.

It seems like this is easily the most divisive thing that you’ve done on this edit, and many people here have been looking for a v5 version just to be able to revert that single change. With your recent return to editing and the creation of your “Maximalist” versions, perhaps it would be worth taking another look at this scene?

I am not a fan editor and I have no idea how difficult this whole process is, but personally if I only changed one single thing from the cinematic versions it would be removing that line and the creepy smile.

I know we all want the best possible versions of the movies.

Thank you for all your hard work.

Hal 9000 said:

I don’t think a change like that lends itself to the regular/max distinction; it either works well or doesn’t, and no one would think, “I miss this moment.” It’s one of a few things that were undone not because I love the original, but for it to feel seamless. The scene ends very abruptly otherwise.

I managed to find your v5 scene, as it was used in Octorox’s Sanded Down edit. The scene does have a somewhat abrupt end, so now I can see why you decided to make the change for it to be seamless. Perhaps one day someone will be able to cut that line seamlessly, and we can have the “best of both worlds”. I’ve never tried editing anything, but I might try to learn in my free time. And AI video stuff is getting better every day so that might help too.

Hal 9000 said:

At this point, the prequels are closed off; I cannot keep myself open to revising them.

I can appreciate that, and I’m glad you are able to work on other projects. I’m a big fan of your work on the custom special editions for the original trilogy and your edits of the sequels.

Since I now consider the Cloak of Deception my favorite version of Episode 1, I decided to watch the maximalist version of “The Approaching Storm”. I had never seen this version either, because I just like the lightsaber duel between Yoda and Dooku too much to have it cut. I definitely appreciate that you added it back in for the maximalist edition!

Anyway, I think this is my favorite edit from you, Hal. It is without a doubt the definitive version of Episode II for me. I don’t know how you pulled it off, but you somehow took away all the cringe love-scenes and created a legitimate love story. After watching this edit, I’m convinced George Lucas decided to cut all the best scenes between Anakin and Padme, and instead left in all the wrong scenes. Your version seemed like a simple love story. No more “I don’t like sand” or “I truly, deeply, love you”, or “I shouldn’t have done that” nonsense.

If I had to pick only one tiny scene I’d bring back, it would be the long version of the cafe scene (the Kamino dart). I don’t know why, but I find the atmosphere in that scene kind of comforting - but I’m sure there are plenty of people who disagree with me. Either way, this is the worlds smallest suggestion.

Fantastic job on this edit!

Much agreed! Many people regard AoTC as one of the worst of the saga, and this edit brings it up to the middle of the pack I’d dare say.

The CGI looks a bit dated in some places, mostly that diner scene, which is why I’m personally glad that was trimmed up.

I think the only thing I might do at some point is insert Spence’s version of the Kenobi flashback at the beginning of the movie. There’s a little too much talking (politics, etc.) and not enough spectacle at the beginning of this movie compared to all the rest in the saga. I have an idea on how to de-age the voices that wasn’t previously available. The only reason I haven’t pursued this yet is because I’m waiting to see how PixelJoker’s Kenobi edit handles the scene. If I prefer how it’s implemented there, then I won’t put this in.

And can someone fix Obi-Wan’s hair in this scene? It’s ridiculously slicked back with gel and doesn’t fit in with how he looks in Episode II. Personally, this annoys me more than “old” Anakin…

Jar Jar Bricks said:

Much agreed! Many people regard AoTC as one of the worst of the saga, and this edit brings it up to the middle of the pack I’d dare say.

The CGI looks a bit dated in some places, mostly that diner scene, which is why I’m personally glad that was trimmed up.

I think the only thing I might do at some point is insert Spence’s version of the Kenobi flashback at the beginning of the movie. There’s a little too much talking (politics, etc.) and not enough spectacle at the beginning of this movie compared to all the rest in the saga. I have an idea on how to de-age the voices that wasn’t previously available. The only reason I haven’t pursued this yet is because I’m waiting to see how PixelJoker’s Kenobi edit handles the scene. If I prefer how it’s implemented there, then I won’t put this in.

It’s funny, because I actually always really enjoyed Episode II minus the cringe scenes. Although the CGI is a bit dated now, the battle at the end is very well done. I’m also a huge fan of Count Dooku and all of his screen time (I only wish he had more of it). I’d almost dare to say this edit brings Episode II nearly to the level of Episode III (nearly, but not quite). The removal of all the slapstick scenes keeps up the pacing pretty well (especially with C3PO mostly gone at the end).

As I’ve gotten older, I definitely have more of an issue with Episode I more than anything else. It was awesome seeing the movie first come out when I was a kid, but all those slapstick/cartoonish scenes bring the whole movie down. The Cloak of Deception edit makes it 80% more watchable, but it’s definitely still the weakest link…