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ANH is waiting on Dat_SW_Guy’s project, but the slight audio update to the others could be put out soon but I’d like to wait a little bit to see if anything else presents itself for them first.

TFA had the easier job of setting up the story of the ST, and made what I consider a bad call in recreating the plot mechanics of the original film(s) of rebels vs empire. It deliberately chose not to build on the story as it had developed so far but to regress and recreate. I’m not interested in blaming specific people, so I personify the film when doing so because I don’t know if these decisions were mandated from on high or JJ’s own insistence. TFA works pretty good at executing this unfortunate decision and introduces a colorful cast of characters in a fun ride. You’re all right with the lack of a solid ending because you understand it’s part one of three. TFA bears its own flaws well enough, but leeches somewhat on what would follow and cannot stand on its own.

TLJ actually has some kind of a central idea, that idea is just kind of sophomoric. TLJ smells the above about its predecessor and wants to correct it before it’s too late. It does so respectfully, taking the events and story so far seriously even as it changes our view of them. It’s a critique of TFA and a dare for IX to be great.

IX failed that dare altogether. TLJ said, “I dare you to do better” without knowing it would be the TFA crew the message would be sent to. TROS was written on the bus to school and the administrators weren’t willing to give it more time. So, we got a bullshit story of “nuh-uh, Snoke didn’t really die, he was just Palpatine all along.” TROS is that kid who stubbornly insists he is winning a playground game and is the worst at turn-based storytelling games. I don’t have many good things to say about TROS. It doesn’t seem to say much of anything, at least when you exclude things the OT already said. There’s no new light cast on anything and nothing to go home thinking about that ROTJ didn’t do much better. It’s a shame for the entire Star Wars saga to end on such a note. I laughed through my first viewing because otherwise I’d just feel embarrassed and sad. It’s enough to hope for a 10-12 trilogy someday just to have another chance at doing what 7-9 ought to have done. Just down the road enough for the chance that enough turnover would let it be fresh.

Tell that to the AOTC crawl.

If RJ was going to refer to star systems in this crawl I’d imagine he’d consider that way of doing so for that reason. Not a huge deal either way, of course. TPM’s crawl uses “star systems” so there’s precedent for both (but I didn’t remember that until looking it up just now.)

I suspect Burbin is right. The existing crawl serves this film, and changing it too much feels contrived to suit other ancillary material.

Nevertheless, here’s another…

The First Order reigns. Having [removed all the peaceful Republic’s defenses], Supreme Leader Snoke gathers his remaining forces to seize control of the galaxy’s central solar systems.

Only General Leia Organa’s band of Resistance fighters stand against the rising tyranny, certain that Jedi Master Luke Skywalker will return and restore a spark of hope to the fight.

But the Resistance has been exposed. As the First Order speeds toward the rebel base, the brave heroes mount a desperate escape…

I thought it worked surprisingly well. Not perfect but I’d like to watch the whole film that way and just see what it’s like.

Some day, even if in the distant future, we will live to see the entire film given a virtual-Harrison-Ford treatment. Kinda crazy to think about.

ALLOL

I do like where Faraday is heading with that revision.

If we’re gonna revise the crawl… I guess it’d only make sense to make the font for the title match TFA and TROS. I don’t really like the symbolic statement that makes, but it seems to make sense to do.

[A power vacuum is here.] Having decimated the New Republic capital and military, Supreme Leader Snoke presses his advantage to seize control of the galaxy’s central star systems.

Reeling from their failure to prevent the Starkiller atrocity, many allies of General Leia Organa’s RESISTANCE fear only the return of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker can restore a spark of hope to the fight.

But the Resistance has been exposed. As the First Order speeds toward the rebel base, the brave heroes mount a desperate escape…

I’d be interested in seeing this incorporated into Mando, perhaps titled “The Mandalorians.”

Or, maybe for Mando season 2, we start off following Fett out of the Sarlacc, with two episodes’ worth of flashback material treated linearly. Let a couple Fett episodes encroach on Mando’s show rather than the other way around. Perhaps these two episodes could follow Fett’s introduction in S02E01. We’d be all caught up by the time we see him next.

Season 3 of Mando can start with the present-day BOBF material for perhaps an episode or two, then pick up from episode 5 with Mando and concluding with a mid-season finale of sorts.

Lol, have that Resistance captain exclaim, “Goodnight, San Antonio!”

On the one hand I enjoyed having something to watch, but on the other it seemed jumbled.

I had just watched a video essay about how Star Wars was very linear in its storytelling, introducing new things firmly in context of what came before and staying focused on the story. Maybe that was just on my mind, but this series certainly did not feel that way.

Boba Fett felt confused, and I don’t have much more of an idea who he is now than six weeks ago. I’m still not really sure how saving Mos Espa makes the Sand People’s lot any better.

Fortunately, this mess doesn’t have “Episode _” at the start of it, so I’m much more forgiving than if it had.

Yeah, I guess it’s pretty much all there. Just would be nice for it to be communicated more clearly in the films.

Well, at least in the future there’ll be some bit of what I still refer to as EU stuff someone could watch or read before heading into the ST. But, y’know….

If I do end up revising TLJ:L I’ll reinstate that line from Snoke as you have it (without the island remark), but it’s a minuscule tweak and I won’t make it on its own.

I’m afraid that after even more work from myself and danieldubb, the “What if he doesn’t survive - he’s worth a fortune to me” line from Battlefront II just isn’t cutting it. It’s a better delivery, but can’t be made to mesh.

“As you wish” works beautifully, and will be used in any event. It is spoken in a different part of the movie so I don’t think it needs to sound identical. It nearly does anyway, though.

The only question now is whether to go with the 2004’s Morrison delivery of, “He’s no good to me dead.” Or to use a sentence mixed partially from Battlefront II of, “He’s not worth anything to me dead.” Here are both for your consideration. Let me know what you think.

2004 audio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UpeLp9JFp1HpJq8D6xOxwa_u3tolEC9f/view?usp=sharing

Revised proposed audio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1djIPpppOFDIHiRVFOtwTYLeBinb10jX0/view?usp=sharing

I just posted something about this in my TLJ: Legendary thread to hopefully generate a few workable ideas toward this effect, in case anyone wants to pursue it there.

It seems like one way to bring TLJ into greater alignment with the two JJ Abrams installments would be to downplay the strength and dominance of the First Order.

TFA appears to establish the First Order as an Imperial remnant that has coalesced in part thanks to Snoke, and are not strong or prevalent enough to pose a threat obvious enough for the Senate to take actions. Instead, Leia has to take matters into her own hands. When Poe is taken aboard a star destroyer, he marvels as though he had not realized the First Order had such resources. They manage to build a doomsday device, which they are able to use to essentially blow up the New Republic capitol. It really seems like at the end of the movie the two major superpowers cut the head off the other, leaving a power vacuum.

TLJ charges out of the gate to suggest that the entire Republic was reduced to very little by the single act of destroying their capitol and fleet. The First Order, however, seems barely hurt at all, with legions to easily and quickly seize control of the galaxy. With ample huge ships and destroyers to spare to chase the meager Resistance. They seem to have plenty of resources and are elevated to Empire status, with the Resistance slipping into the role of “rebels” now.

TROS presents us with Kylo Ren as an erratic Supreme Leader who is compelled by the Final Order fleet presented by Palpatine, feeling that acquiring this resource would finally elevate them to the level of “a true empire.” The First Order appears to have a presence throughout the galaxy, with destroyers in place, though apparently spread thin in the effort.

Where is the New Republic post-TFA? Totally gone? Incapacitated but ready to reform? Surely post-TROS we won’t hear about a “New New Republic,” but reforming it with the same name.

So, here’s what I would like to imply about the First Order and Republic throughout the trilogy, most of which puts pressure on TLJ more than the other two:

The New Republic formed as one might expect and recall from the Legends continuity, following the overthrow of the Empire. The primary remnant of the Empire never died out, but coalesced in secret before starting to present themselves as the First Order. Snoke is evidently known to the galaxy at large, though not taken as a serious threat. The Republic government does not wish to get involved in fighting the First Order, despite Leia insisting that this must be done. The Republic pools their resources around their capitol planet, though these forces don’t affiliate with her ragtag Resistance group.

Throughout the events of TFA, including its revised opening crawl, the First Order presents its previously unrevealed might by destroying the Republic capitol. However, in the process their own military capitol is also destroyed. The film ends with an apparent vacuum of power or control, with both forces having suffered large losses.

When we go into TLJ, I’d like to imply or state that the loss of the Republic fleet has allowed the First Order the opportunity to strike into central or important systems to try to seize control. However, this is done through ruthless strikes rather than unleashing limitless resources to wear down any resistance. (They are lacking in resources as well!) However, they feel it is important to snuff out the organized Resistance that destroyed Starkiller Base, and perhaps prioritize this by sending most or all of their forces to do so. (Kylo says, “Get all our forces down to that Resistance base.” And Rey says that “the First Order will control all the major systems within weeks” but have not seized them already.) As the film concludes, the Resistance barely manages to escape, and the First Order continues their strikes against an undefended Republic.

Even though the plot of TROS throws a monkey wrench into this development no matter how you slice it and it’s tempting to just pretend it didn’t happen, we have to make it make sense. So, entering TROS we see that Kylo feels somewhat insecure in his rule and that the First Order is ruthlessly attacking planets that support the Resistance. Their rule is fledging, and has not set into a truly Imperial sense of rule. Disorder and chaos have erupted as citizens rebel, though not in an organized way. When the Empire took over, it was a turnover of an existing Republic structure. The First Order is an invading force that has had a rough time foisting itself on the populace. When Palpatine emerges with an “oh by the way here’s an enormous fleet” the First Order is in a position to gladly accept it. Dialogue paints them as in need of help, not yet having become “a true empire.” And by the time the galaxy learns Palpatine himself returned somehow, they amass to knock this bastard out for good, torching the First Order’s thinly-spread forces and presumably leaving room for the (New) Republic to recover and reestablish itself.

Soooo… what can be done to TLJ to help facilitate this narrative?

Well, the opening crawl is a great place to do some of this. I would imagine spelling out to a greater extent that it is only the lack of the Republic flee that allows the First Order to make calculated strikes to seize control of major systems. They aren’t the new Empire all of a sudden, though post a large threat.

Ideally, and this probably isn’t really all that possible, they wouldn’t suddenly call themselves rebels. (Not a huge deal.)

Make their forces smaller, or else imply that this is basically all of it. Snoke’s ship is comically large, I feel. If it appeared on its own in space shots, and not in the famous Holdo maneuver sequence, I’d suggest replacing it with a regular destroyer or something.

Any other ideas for realizing this vision? Perhaps it’s mostly just through a slight tweak to TLJ’s crawl.

Here’s my old list of ideas for a gag reel when TLJ came out…

“I see your eye. I know your eye.” (Use Maz from TFA ads to speak as Phasma’s armor cracks and we see her eye.)

“Who’s that Pokemon?” Phasma says, “Execute.” “It’s [something that looks like Eggsecute]!” Phasma rages

“It’s time for The Last Jedi… to end.” cue credits

As Yoda lifts the thing to save Obi-Wan and Anakin in AOTC, hear Rose’s line about saving what we love.

As Holdo prepares to lightspeed, Obi-Wan and Han say “turn the ship around” and “yeah I think you’re right”

Monster man in final scene is a Disney guy shutting down the kids’ unlisenced star wars merch.

Chanting of “Grond, grond…” as the battering ram thing is mounted.

Luke saying “it’s so much bigger” as Starkiller base hologram is shown at briefing in TFA.

Overlay “Save the rebellion… save the dream” over something or other in TLJ.

Have broom boy transform into the ‘Star Wars kid’ from 2003-ish. (Google it, kids.)

Luke saying Sheev instead of Palpatine.

Forrest Gump telling stormtrooper at the start of TFA "you got shot.” (Not TLJ-related.)

Poe Hug is great.

[/sarcasm]

Touché!

I’d add more blood, trailing as he falls. And getting on the floor, maybe dripping down the pit while Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon talk. Lightsabers might be able to cauterize a hand being cut off, but not someone being totally bisected like that. Maybe some organs come out.

What all do you infer from the Mando-verse to suggest this will end up being the orthodox understanding, over and against what TLJ depicts? (Ala retconning Ben’s slaughter of Luke’s students.)

What could be done in TLJ? Make their flagship… smaller? Spell this out in the crawl?

Have the crawl for TLJ state that there is a power vacuum now that the Republic and First Order have each been decimated, with Snoke launching assaults to claim as many important star systems as he can.