The Prequel Radical Redux Ideas Thread — Page 243

          For those who would like Maul to live on:

          I suppose that there could be a swipe and a miss, we could see Maul from the back duck or stumble down and roll into a vent or under a grate, he could get away while his opponent is distracted helping his buddy or something.

          Obviously, I don't know how the CW handled that.

Has anyone considered removing Grievous COMPLETELY from Revenge of the Sith?

MrInsaneA said:

Has anyone considered removing Grievous COMPLETELY from Revenge of the Sith?

It may be fairly simple to remove him from the opening battle.  Anakin mentions "General Grievous's ship is dead ahead" but I imagine this wouldn't be too hard to remove.  TheCutter did an edit where Anakin and Obi-Wan get away in the escape pod while the ship is being attacked.  I thought it worked pretty well, and it avoids the entire confrontation with Grievous after they rescue Palpatine.

The appearance of Grievous on Utapau is more tricky.  What exactly is Obi-Wan doing while Anakin is off falling to the dark side?  It's troublesome to have him go after the never-seen Grievous.  Maybe it could be arranged to have him looking for the Separatist leaders instead and have them escape to Mustafar while the clone army attacks.  There are the couple times when Grievous is mentioned when Anakin is talking to Bail Organa and in a Jedi Council meeting.  Perhaps these could be reworded or cut to refer the Separatist leaders or maybe the Viceroy instead.

EDIT: Along the lines of a resurrected Maul idea, TheCutter also did an edit with Duel of the Fates playing during the Obi-Wan-Grievous duel.  It really improved the mood and could really sell the idea that this is Maul back from the dead.  A good Maul impersonation could go a long way too.

         Maul is shown racing clear of the scene on his speeder bike or alternate transport?

MrInsaneA said:

Has anyone considered removing Grievous COMPLETELY from Revenge of the Sith?

This would be the biggest improvement to any of the PT films, including scrubbing Jar Jar Binks.  Greivous is the weakest and lamest character in the entire PT and the light saber duel between him and Obi Wan just reeks of the heavy hand of Speilberg's influence.  

I don't know.

For one thing he is a big component to pull.

Yes his input only exists to pull Kenobi away so he cannot get in the way of Anakin finally flipping but if you remove him entirely you end up with a very short film which isn't dramatically improved.

If he could be adjusted to be a more constant threat in the series having Obi-wan take him down would have more impact.

It might sound hokey but combining him with Maul would go someway to justifying his presence in the film.

Dropping him into Episode 2 would help as well (he could replace Fett and/or Poggle on Geonosis).

Re-dubbing his lines could make him more important and less of a minor boss battle character.

If only Dooku remained a Jedi and the other guy was the real Sith apprentice that Vader replaced.

For AOTC has anyone attempted to splice the deleted senate scene with the declaration of the formation of the army?

That way the army could be formed at the beginning and Kenobi could be on a troop inspection only to find out they are clones rather than normal recruits.

That would cut out the search for a hidden planet and the mystery element would be narrowed.

If the material was worked so that it seemed that Fett saved Padme from an assassin it might make the template story seem less stupid.

Kenobi just wants to talk to Fett to find out how he knew about the assassination and prevented it.

Gunray seems determined to kill Padme for revenge, she spoiled his invasion of Naboo and made things too twitchy for him in the Senate to remain in the Republic so he would have a motive for hiring Zam.

Palpatine could have hired Fett to prevent Padme's death (he needs Anakin to fall in love with her so he can manipulate him later).

I'm still not sure how to get Kenobi to Geonosis without him following Fett (I'd rather Fett had no connection to Dooku as it seems idiotic that the Jedi would use such a compromised asset).

    ^The hologram thing again? Interacting with Sidius?

Bingowings said:

For AOTC has anyone attempted to splice the deleted senate scene with the declaration of the formation of the army?

That way the army could be formed at the beginning and Kenobi could be on a troop inspection only to find out they are clones rather than normal recruits.

I accomplished similar without that deleted scene for my work-in-progress edit and posted it here some time ago. Some of my videos have been removed from youtube unfortunately. In my edit, the clone army isn't a secret so the senate scene discussing the army is cut to shreds and put nearer the start of the film. Notice the change of Yoda's line:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49L3xzkZ3Pc

           Prequel double feature?  90 minutes each? Reduced time and reworked?

           Eliminating the "Ani on The Council" subplot would save time. He could go to see Palpatine and cut it off soon after "I need your help" Change dialogue a little. Skip the Council stuff. Distant shots of them walking through the temple corridor and then start at "I'm on your side- I didn't want to put you in this position. Maybe after changing Ani's "AND?!" to "What?". He's just a spy. Focus most of the concern on saving Padme. 

          As much as I'd hate to lose the very beautiful night cityscape after the nightmare, the scene could be cut off just after he wakes. Maybe keep a quick shot of him brooding in front of the city and Padme asking what's wrong.

          The nightmare vision whem Padme is in the black dress could be moved to the bedroom. The vision then Ani looking out the window wincing then "I found a way..."

          Still trying to figure out these viewing order possibilities. 6-90, 12-45? Did I just pull so many one-eighties that I've come full circle? 45 12 36? 12 34 56? 

I've just brought this up again at FE.org, and thought we could perhaps brainstorm here aswell. (Sort of follows on from the Episode Alpha, Beta, Gamma edits that were suggested a while back)

An Episode I which opens with Padme fleeing the invasion of theed, using footage from the end of TPM shooting droids etc. This then leads to coruscant and footage from AOTC. We follow her plight initially like we did with Leia in ANH, and are introduced to Anakin and Obiwan much later like we did with Luke.

Could a new story be formed around this? Does the Clone Wars start because of the invasion of Naboo? Maybe Padme now pushes FOR the creation of a clone army? Would there be a mystery?

A new sort of Desert-Naboo could be created by combining it with Geonosis, so the film ends with its liberation. Or perhaps a sequel edit would open with Naboo's liberation?

ben_danger said:

I've just brought this up again at FE.org, and thought we could perhaps brainstorm here aswell. (Sort of follows on from the Episode Alpha, Beta, Gamma edits that were suggested a while back)

An Episode I which opens with Padme fleeing the invasion of theed, using footage from the end of TPM shooting droids etc. This then leads to coruscant and footage from AOTC. We follow her plight initially like we did with Leia in ANH, and are introduced to Anakin and Obiwan much later like we did with Luke.

Could a new story be formed around this? Does the Clone Wars start because of the invasion of Naboo? Maybe Padme now pushes FOR the creation of a clone army? Would there be a mystery?

A new sort of Desert-Naboo could be created by combining it with Geonosis, so the film ends with its liberation. Or perhaps a sequel edit would open with Naboo's liberation?

Sounds great. I would think that this would result in two prequel movies, the later one being an episode 3 edit.

Yeah I imagined a prequel Episode 1 and 2, then we have a gap for a new Episode 3 which would either be a really good future fanfilm that could link to an ambitious ROTJ edit, or an edit made from the live action tv-series should one ever be made (which i doubt).

Considering we waited for the prequels for nearly 20 years, content to have the three original films by themselves, I'm sure an overall better, yet incomplete saga wouldn't be SO bad!

Some more thoughts for the rough plot.
It will require redubbing, some new shots and CG etc. Bery ambitious.

Alot is based on a reinterpretation of Count Dooku as new Vader:
He is a mysterious masked figure, with a distorted menacing voice. He is the leader of the Seperatist Faction. Noone knows his real identity, where he came from etc.?
A new actor with a matching costume could stand in with a mask, and a CG mask grafted onto Christopher Lee's face until the BIG REVEAL later on. The Mask allows for easy re-dubbing, so we can see alot more of this consistent villain now.

ROUGH PLOT SO FAR

Film opens with the conquest of Naboo and Amidala's escape. The entire affair is watched by our new Dooku from the bridge of his Flagship (much like Vader). He contacts a mandalorian via hologram, demanding her assassination.

Cut to a star destroyer passing over a blue planet, a Jedi fighter drops out the bottom. A very editted sequence in Kamino, acts as an introduction for Obi-wan. He encounters Jango Fett (with Zam replacing Boba in Slave 1) and pursues him under instruction from the council. The clones are still commissioned by a long dead Jedi master.

Amidala settles in Coruscant (no bombs). Somehow she needs to discuss the plight of naboo, without using footage from Ep1 to avoid all the makeup. This might be a good opportunity to introduce Palpatine.

Assassination attempt on Padme in her apartment not sure how, but somehow Obi-wan intervenes, diving through her window and the scene continues. Zam shoots out the ball droid thing and Obiwan falls, only to be saved by a new hero - ANAKIN SKYWALKER (super late introduction). Everything follows as normal.

-----

Not sure how to tackle it from here. The lift scene could be used for the Jedi Council meeting, maybe they revisit Padme afterwards. Really not sure how to explain anakin and padme going to naboo, although it could be a new planet. Also the visit to tatooine might also not be as appropriate now.

Ultimately it turns out that Count Dooku is actually *Sifo Dias*, he removes his mask to reveal this at the beginning of the duel, then gets out his lightsaber. It is just obi-wan fighting him, and all the 'Join me obi-wan' dialogue is used during the fight. Anakin jumps in from nowhere like before, maybe having flown in from a different transport.

Probably no 'Dark Side' in this episode, save that for the next one when we might not know if its really that bad or not.

Lend me your brains people!

It would be kind of fun if the template is a dark haired boy who is unusually strong in the Force and Obi-wan wants to train him but he is denied because he already has an apprentice but he trains him secretly anyway.

This will create a false Vader to distract the first time viewer away from Anakin (especially if little Anakin is not going to be the adjusted prequels).

He could turn out to be the brave Jedi shot by the clones before Bail's eyes at the temple.

ah thats interesting. i remember you mentioning he could be the young boba. if ep I is cut, then he might even be jake lloyd. obiwan could even leave him in the temple with yoda and the younglings.

what do you think of the late anakin introduction? this might suggest he isn't even his apprentice.

The kid that plays little Boba looks more like the kid that grows up to be Anakin (the hair colour is wrong but the body language is spot on).

He also has a bad seed look which could work as an alternative candidate for Vader.

I'd make Jango into Boba and have him just a bounty hunter not the template for the clone army.

I'd also never take that helmet off him.

         I've rewatched AOTC,

         It might be possible to get it down to about 45 minutes almost seamlessly. ROTS is a much bigger challenge as it is so packed with needed exposition and storyline.

         I'd be curious to see a cutlist for a TG style cut.

         About 45 minutes of AOTC and 90 minutes of ROTS for a 135 cut?

         234556;/ 

This is the problem I have.

While I'd rather have less nonsense Star Wars films have a well defined length.

I dare to dream that a fanfilm/fanedit hybrid will one day add new material which works with the story (or makes the story work) with the best of the existing material giving us a PT of feature length episodes worthy of the name Star Wars.

Bingowings said:

This is the problem I have.

While I'd rather have less nonsense Star Wars films have a well defined length.

I dare to dream that a fanfilm/fanedit hybrid will one day add new material which works with the story (or makes the story work) with the best of the existing material giving us a PT of feature length episodes worthy of the name Star Wars.

I'm pretty sure that's what Ady's PT:R is going to be, considering all that I've heard about it.

       I suppose AOTC could be reduced by another 20 minutes and the time given to ROTS;/

       I like the PT music the most, but an inconsistency is created if OT and PT films are combined;/

       I like the idea of seeing what might have been if GL and the editors had selected their alternate ideas.

       Linking another movie to ANH would boost viewing of both.

Bingowings said:

This is the problem I have.

While I'd rather have less nonsense Star Wars films have a well defined length.

         I'm on the minimum runtime kick because of my experience with TPM3D. It was fun to see Watto and Jar-Jar seeming even more lifelike. I loved the space shots and the sense of hanging out on nothingness.

        They seem to have cut the runtime a bit, but it was right around the 90 minute mark when I began feeling restless with a film I had already seen. It must be difficult and a little daunting for parents with young children who have seen the movie, it was for me. There was nothing particularly new other than the 3D.

        Fan-edits of "About 96 minutes" might have some attraction. The alternative would be 135s that also offer a very new perspective. As many alternate takes and angles as will enhance the different experience, some quick deleted scenes, and ruthlessly cutting as much as possible of the material that wasn't especially popular amoung the true fans is seeming like the best aproach. The alternate edits and plot points originally considered but not implemented would really shake things up. There were the things that weren't possible in '77- '80- '83, the different directions, Wookies or other creatures on Endor, the alternatives to a single second Death Star....

        6 90s: 123456- 451236- 2,23,3456;/       3 or 4 135s: 12,23,45,56- 23,45,56;/   625314;)

        Anyway, there is a nearly seamless transition between "...Just another Bantha chase." and "Obi-Wan, MTFBWY." It would cut a little runtime and also some complaining.

        I regard ROTS as a great film. It's like ROTJ for me in that it was a great experience (in spite of some flaws) for the first two viewings, but then got a little wearing in places after that. The time Ani spends brooding and complaining is an example. I'd imagined pre-Vader as a very stoic "suffer in silence" type until he encountered some thing/s he (or anyone else) could no longer continue to endure. There are many husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons who would sell their souls to the Devil if they thought it was the only way they could save their wives, daughters, sisters, or mothers. That impulse, together with the fear of chaos and civil war, is more than enough to readily explain his turn.

        I remain old-school very attached to the puppet Yoda. The CGI guy is fantastic, but it's a little like watching Yoda's more staid younger brother Yada. The puppet had a special character all it's own that I don't believe could ever be replicated by animation. I'm sure it will be some time before fan-editors have the capability, but a "Reverse Head Replacement", with the puppet head on the CGI body, would be awesome. There must be a way to mark the position of the CGI head in a guide video and then replicate the position and movement in slow motion with a puppet head. the eyes, lips, tongue, and cheeks could then be tweaked digitally to make it more lively. terrific things are being done here with Jar-Jar's dialogue replacement, maybe Yoda's dialogue could be enhanced.  :)