OzoneSherrif said:Yes and even the Stormtroopers just stumble around like idiots or when they do find the rebels they tell them to freeze instead of taking them out. the whole battle is a farce. how can all this be fixed short of going out to the redwood forest and filming new scenes?
Some editing could do the trick there.
Here are some alternate ideas based on the Fan-O-Matic edit of JEDI:
IDEA OF OPENING ON TATOOINE AND CUTTING THE DARTH VADER ARRIVAL:
I like the idea of starting on Tatooine and just deleting the opening Death Star scene; we get a breifing as to the situation when they arrive at the Rebel ship, and we could just have the Emperor arrival scene begin the visual Death Star scenes (which would be good, with the fleet of TIEs to show off as well, giving the first appearance of the DS some added oomph)
I would still stick with the 3PO beginning though; you could just have the title sequence pan down to the surface shot (no planet shot, though you could edit the 2 moons from the beginning of ANH to synch with the dusk sky of the Jabba palace scene) and start off with 3PO and R2 going to Jabba. That way we still get into the action but there is some build up. As it is with the edit you have (Fan-O-Matic), even accounting for rough editing, it's just too quick into the story - who's this slug guy? What's going on with the dancing? Why should I care that this alien chick got dropped into a pit?
To ditch the intro Vader scene wouldn't really affect the story too much, since the Emperor arrives later with Vader awaiting him and we get the rebel briefing, buuut even if you want to start on Tatooine, you still need a lead into Jabba as well as a good reveal.
I am still with editing the Lando reveal as well as the re-editing of the "Han is recaptured" scene. Here is an idea on how to edit that one:
RE-EDIT IDEA FOR "HAN IS RECAPTURED BY JABBA" SCENE:
- when Leia unfreezes him and its time for Jabba's curtain call, edit out the laughing and insert the cocking guns or powering up gun sounds (visual FX could be employed to fill in the background "curtain" area with something that doesn't change).
- Han and Leia turn to look up and around.
- Edit a scene of creatures or Boba hovering above/ pointing guns at the camera and then they close in;
- as they close in edit in Jabba's laughing (laughing acts as segway to next scene) and
- cut to scene of Han trying to make deal with Jabba.
That way you keep the nice STAR WARS edit flow but still are able to suggest that they were carried to Jabba as opposed to him hiding behind a curtain.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT DAGOBAH:
Not sure about where to place the YODA scene; I can still see it AFTER Tatooine, as Luke pretty much told Lando at the end of EMPIRE that he would meet him there to rescue Han (implying that that was the first priority) - remember that JEDI is maybe around 6 months more or less after EMPIRE; they would not have waited a year or more to rescue Han.
I can also see placing it within the Tatooine sequence to imply he has been training all this time (to prepare for Han's rescue), but it also ruins his own reveal at Jabba's palace (remember the first time we see him he is a mysterious black cloaked figure - we don't know it is Luke until he speaks to the tentacled advisor guy). Regardless, I agree that something can be done with the Ben scene, if not edit it out completely and end the Dagobah scene with Yoda's passing. That could be done by:
- fade out right after Yoda fades out, or:
- when Luke heads to his X-wing, it is maybe a few seconds after he touches the wing and says something that Ben responds. If you edit it right before Luke speaks and edit in the A NEW HOPE segway music (between Ben saying "you must do what you think is right, of course" and the TIEs shooting towards the DS 1) to cut to a similar scene, that would work without looking too wonky editing wise.
The segway music is at (3:55) to (4:05) at Luke in Ben's House; even better, maybe the music from (7:10) to (7:55) could be used during the latter part of Luke's conversation with Yoda, with the more dramatic music (right before and during the Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen body shots) concurring when Yoda confirms that Vader is indeed his father. You may have to cut out or play with Yoda's "there... is... a..nother" line, but a more "punch in the gut" music que could work quite well. You could edit out the line, but still have Yoda fade out (with the DA/ da/ DA/ da music to concur with or directly follow his fade out), leaving us with Luke looking worried and alone, with the old Imperial theme kicking off the next scene.
ENDOR BATTLE:
in regards to all of the "freeze!" scenes, just edit out the lines from the storm troopers and tighten the editing so there is less lingering. Someone also had the idea of having Han say "I love you" as if he felt he was really a dead man (maybe take a voice line from RAIDERS or TEMPLE OF DOOM) and Chewie blasts and destroys the 2 troopers and saves both Han and Leia.
Another suggestion was put out to cut out the "Leia meets Wicket" scene and just reveal Leia is alive when she comes out at 3PO's dinner party. This would allow the Ewok reveal to be when Luke and Co. are captured, as well as making the first entrance of the Ewoks more ominous (especially if the storm trooper's head is added on the "meat pike").
Ben_Danger:
LOVE the ZULU reference: again, adding in elements of movies Lucas could have watched from growing up to when he was in film school is always a good thing, especially if the ideas and themes of said movies apply (be it ZULU or APOCALYPSE NOW)