Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Redux Ideas thread — Page 16

Another random idea!

While the movie in general felt rather rushed, I feel like the opening scene was even more rushed than the rest of the film. We got one planet shot, then it jumps IMMEDIATELY to the ground, which has never happened in a saga film, since a ship usually transitions the audience naturally from space to land. We get a few shots of Kylo Ren fighting random people, then he opens the chest and immediately transitions to him flying to Exogol. Before we even have time to know where we’re at we’re already gone. I didn’t even know that planet was Mustafar until I read about it later. I originally wanted to cut this opening and start straight with him flying to Exogol, but I had another idea.

What if we created an opening scene that mirrors the opening of The Phantom Menace? Instead of the Trade Federation invading Naboo, the First Order invades Mustafar.

No new footage would have to be shot, but some visual effects could be used to create some new shots.

Opening crawl, tilt down to Kylo Ren’s TIE Fighter flying toward camera, then pan left following as it passes camera (like Republic ship in TPM). Mustafar enters frame, where a dozen Star Destroyers orbit the planet. TIE fighters and troop transports invade planet surface. Montage of Kylo killing Vader cultists. Kylo then arrives at Vader’s castle. Paralleling Queen Amidala watching the invasion of Naboo from the palace window, Kylo stares out the castle window as TIE Fighters fly by and Star Destroyers float above. He then enters another room and finds a stone chest, pushing the lid off to reveal Vader’s Sith Wayfinder.

Reusing some footage from Rogue One (and hopefully some deleted scenes and additional visual effects), you probably could make something like this work and allow the opening of the film to have time to breathe.

I suggest putting a clone of Luke in a tank on Exogol. That would imply the Luke we saw in TLJ was actually a deranged clone - maybe Luuke from the Thrawn Trilogy survived and tried to train some Jedi.

Something to suggest Palpatine is a deranged clone would be nice as well.

For a bonus: maybe the Star Destroyer fleet was created by a Star Forge from KOTOR. Put in a shot of the Star Forge or a reference to it into the film and it could provide some explanation for that nonsense.

RL, as always I love your ideas. But I often struggle to see the feasibility of them. Hopefully with this, we get the rumored extended version of this scene on the BD.

I actually think perhaps the simplest explanation would be to just cut out Kylo killing the cultists, and just cut from the Mustafar exterior to the shots of Krennic’s ship landing at the castle (replaced by Kylo’s TIE), followed by Kylo locating the wayfinder. Of course even then you still have the technical challenge of accomplishing those VFX, but you alleviate some confusion I think as to the appearance of Mustafar (because it looks very different in TROS).

The Horror said:

I suggest putting a clone of Luke in a tank on Exogol. That would imply the Luke we saw in TLJ was actually a deranged clone - maybe Luuke from the Thrawn Trilogy survived and tried to train some Jedi.

Something to suggest Palpatine is a deranged clone would be nice as well.

For a bonus: maybe the Star Destroyer fleet was created by a Star Forge from KOTOR. Put in a shot of the Star Forge or a reference to it into the film and it could provide some explanation for that nonsense.

Um…excuse me, wtf?

Why? What are you trying to accomplish?

Here’s a random idea from me, it might be a bit radical for some: Having looked at Palpatines death I don’t think it would be too hard using lightning VFX and Photoshop cloning of the saber on each frame, to have Rey actually kill Palpatine with her OWN force lightning (instead of using the second saber to effectively block and push Palpy’s own attack back onto himself).

I would be very interested to hear people’s general opinions on this because I thought the death of the Emperor was an unsatisfying end and it was thematically too safe. Obviously I understand why they didn’t show Rey using anger/hatred but having seen Rey losing control and using force lightning on the transport earlier in the film, how would people feel to see a Jedi using lightning but in a more controlled manner and for the greater good? Yes it pushes her closer to the darkside but is it a step too far?

I’d be highly against that. This is the ending. It’s the moment to introduce the idea of using the Dark Side for good. Killing Palpatine is the moment the good guys win, so you don’t want to have moral ambiguity there.

RogueLeader said:
Maybe Palpatine’s plan from the beginning is to get them both in front of them to drain their life force.

Good idea; I feel as if this was partially what JJ had in mind but only on paper since it doesn’t come across well. I say partially because Palp’s goal was to live on through Rey, so it was like Plan B for him.

Palpatine’s announcement makes zero sense in the sense he’d announce his army BEFORE it was ready to launch, because that just lures the entire galaxy to find and attack. Now, if he’s doing it to lure Rey there, Death Star 2 style, then that makes a bit more sense.

thebluefrog said:

RogueLeader said:
Maybe Palpatine’s plan from the beginning is to get them both in front of them to drain their life force.

Good idea; I feel as if this was partially what JJ had in mind but only on paper since it doesn’t come across well. I say partially because Palp’s goal was to live on through Rey, so it was like Plan B for him.

Palpatine’s announcement makes zero sense in the sense he’d announce his army BEFORE it was ready to launch, because that just lures the entire galaxy to find and attack. Now, if he’s doing it to lure Rey there, Death Star 2 style, then that makes a bit more sense.

The problem you have is you would have to cut the red guards attacking Rey and The Knight’s of Ren attacking Ben because otherwise if Palpatine’s plan was to get Rey/Ren both together why would his guards (or the Knights) be trying to stop them? You then also have the problem of where does Ren get the saber from?

Could the compromise for the “Rey is nobody edits” be, that through dialogue changes it is implied that Palpatine is purely pitting Kylo Ren against Rey to see which ONE of them will join him as his new apprentice and thus restore the rule of two (Palpy + one other)?

Instead of wanting Rey to strike him down, could Palpatine ask her to lay down her weapon and kneel before him?

Yeah, basically, the only way Palpatine’s plan has any logic is if getting Rey and/or Kylo there helps his cause.

The problem is that Kylo already voluntarily went there at the start, demonstrating Palpatine doesn’t actually NEED Kylo.

So for the climax requiring Rey’s presence, it would need to be either:

1. Palpatine specifically needs her there for the soul/genetic transfer. This was basically what the movie suggested as is, though in an incredibly hamfisted manner since why would she willingly be possessed by Palpatine after he says that’s what he’s going to do?

2. Rey and Kylo’s force bond (the Dyad) is what Palpatine needed. This could fit with Rogueleader’s idea–in other words, Rey IS NOT Palpatine’s granddaughter and it’s their emotional bond that gives him strength. It fits with the “Rey is nobody” theme better than the weak “it was just her parents who were nobody” excuse. I realize this isn’t the best explanation, but we have to work with what the film gave us.

Honestly, the Palpatine-Rey connection is the weakest part of her story since his plot makes no sense. If he HAD NOT told her that striking him down would result in him possessing her, she probably would have done it in anger and he’d have won. So why did JJ have Palps monologue like that?

Do we think it’s possible an earlier version of the film established early on that Leia was dying? Rey and Leia’s emotional goodbye seems to imply they both know the possibility. Wonder if this is something we should expect from the deleted scenes. Also wonder if this is something that wouldn’t feel weird to establish in a crawl.

big_gareth said:

Obviously I understand why they didn’t show Rey using anger/hatred but having seen Rey losing control and using force lightning on the transport earlier in the film, how would people feel to see a Jedi using lightning but in a more controlled manner and for the greater good? Yes it pushes her closer to the darkside but is it a step too far?

I’m considering just nixing the Rey-lightning scene, as well as the fake-Chewie-death bit. I knew immediately what they were going for (cuz I’d gone ahead and read the spoilers before seeing the film), but it didn’t come off well because of how Chewie survived. Another transport? Where? When? We clearly see him get on the very transport Rey brings down. There’s no battle confusion or other ships flying around.

So because that plot twist wasn’t well executed, I’m likely gonna ditch it altogether. They find the blade but Chewie gets captured. On to the next scene.

It might help set up a TROS reedit if one also inserted a few lines from Palpatine as uninvited thoughts in Rey’s head in scenes from TLJ and/or TFA.

Anakin Starkiller said:

I’d be highly against that. This is the ending. It’s the moment to introduce the idea of using the Dark Side for good. Killing Palpatine is the moment the good guys win, so you don’t want to have moral ambiguity there.

Seems to me the fact that it’s the ending of the Skywalker saga is the very reason not to introduce “using the Dark Side for good.” I’d be okay with that concept in and of itself; it was explored in the New Jedi Order storyline - but there it was developed over the course of several novels. I can’t see that working within a single film.

thebluefrog said:

Yeah, basically, the only way Palpatine’s plan has any logic is if getting Rey and/or Kylo there helps his cause.

The problem is that Kylo already voluntarily went there at the start, demonstrating Palpatine doesn’t actually NEED Kylo.

So for the climax requiring Rey’s presence, it would need to be either:

1. Palpatine specifically needs her there for the soul/genetic transfer.

I’m thinking I’ll go with this one. I’ll also eliminate the “Dyad” thing. Ben attempts to rescue her but he dies. That’s the climax of his own redemption story. Rey’s left to kill Palpatine - and she doesn’t revive Ben, either (and no friggin’ “Reylo”!!!) - but she’s able to retrieve Ben’s lightsaber to do help her do it.

I’ll try to streamline Ben/Kylo’s plotline so that his objective (before turning back to the Light Side) is simply to bring Rey to Palpatine.

Honestly, the Palpatine-Rey connection is the weakest part of her story since his plot makes no sense. If he HAD NOT told her that striking him down would result in him possessing her, she probably would have done it in anger and he’d have won. So why did JJ have Palps monologue like that?

Hmm . . . I’m wondering if that explanation from Palpatine could be transferred either to (a) his words to Kylo (either in person or via a message); (b) to the opening crawl; or ( c) dramatized in a prologue involving a Sith cult.

Darth Lucas said:

DominicCobb said:

Honestly that still would have sucked shit. I’m not sure in what way it would have been better.

No confusion as to when Palpatine procreated and with whom? The previous two movies setting up that Rey is “nobody”. Her “cave vision” seeing a bunch if duplicates of herself would actually make sense instead of being imagery for imagery sake?

I admit it’s not the most spectacular idea, but it at least makes more sense than what we got.

Contrary to the opinion of those who liked the “nobody” idea from TLJ, Rey had to have forebears (either parents or further back) who were “somebodies” in order to explain her Force prowess. It’s really as simple as that. Either you provide a believable explanation as to why she’s so powerful, or else the fact that she’s so powerful (sans training) is absurd.

This just occurred to me: what if Rey were the descendant of Darth Plagueis, who wanted to use her to get vengeance on Palpatine . . . ?

So because that plot twist wasn’t well executed, I’m likely gonna ditch it altogether.

Why did I read that as “I’m likely gonna ditch the alligator.”

Seems to me the fact that it’s the ending of the Skywalker saga is the very reason not to introduce “using the Dark Side for good.” I’d be okay with that concept in and of itself; it was explored in the New Jedi Order storyline - but there it was developed over the course of several novels. I can’t see that working within a single film.

That was a typo. I meant it’s not the moment. Lemme fix that post.

Either you provide a believable explanation as to why she’s so powerful, or else the fact that she’s so powerful (sans training) is absurd.

She could just be from an undiscovered or unidentified powerful lineage. The Force works in mysterious ways. Besides, in the context of the films, she never felt OP to me.

Can we add a health meter for all of Rey’s scenes? Just to show that she’s not OP and does indeed take some damage.

RogueLeader said:

I wasn’t super crazy about them bringing back Kylo Ren’s helmet in this film (although I really dig the cracked look), it actually might end up being a godsend for us to play with Kylo’s dialogue and chracter motivation for the first two acts of the film.

Fair point about taking advantage of it for new dialogue. But I actually wanted him to wear the helmet constantly until he turned back to the Light Side, for the simple reason that a helmeted/masked villain comes across as more threatening than an open-faced one. As a bad guy he was simply cooler with the helmet on. (Shrug)

I guess part of my motivation to pursue this idea [you have a good idea there, by the way] is that some people felt Kylo’s turn to the light felt rather sudden.

I didn’t think so, cuz it seemed obvious to me from both TFA and TLJ that his heart wasn’t fully in it.

To enhance Kylo/Ben’s inner struggle, however, I intend to make ample use of this superb fan film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owrmLeX20CY&t=43s

Bonus thought: I found an Adam Driver line from This is Where I Leave You where he says to Tina Fey’s character, “You’re the voice in my head.”

Great find. May I use it “in your honor”???

While the movie in general felt rather rushed, I feel like the opening scene was even more rushed than the rest of the film. . . . I didn’t even know that planet was Mustafar until I read about it later.

LOL! I didn’t know it was Mustafar before reading this thread!

What if we created an opening scene that mirrors the opening of The Phantom Menace? Instead of the Trade Federation invading Naboo, the First Order invades Mustafar.

This is excellent. I’m wondering if there’s some space-battle footage that could be used briefly from a Battlefront II cinematic.

I’m also considering a prologue in which Palpatine transfers his consciousness from Death Star II to a clone on Kamino - but then Kamino is attacked by the Alliance (using Battlefront II clips) and the clone facility is left damaged. The Knights of Ren are subsequently needed to bring a Sith artifact to Kamino to revive Palpy. This would explain why he’s not entirely restored physically in TROS.

I think the Force healing works thematically, it’s just on a lore/continuity level that it fails. For that reason, I think it could work if we make it so that only dyads can heal each other. Pretty much all you need to do is cut Rey healing the snake and have Palpatine or somebody clarify that this is a property of Force dyads.

And I absolutely agree with StarkillerAG on Rey’s parents. Rey Palpatine doesn’t work, we all agree on that, but Rey’s parents ditching her to protect her does. The thing is, Rey’s parents being drunkards works far better.

I suggest we have someone mention that First Order troops have been sent to Exegol. That way, we’d solve the “where did this army come from?” conundrum. As for where the Star Destroyers came from, we could have them say they were stashed there during the imperial days, explaining their imperial design.