MalàStrana

Ok, I have watched your v3 edit. It’s a vast improvement over a very strange and fascinating movie (visually astonishing), where key scenes are awfully executed and transitional scenes are actually quite good. The best idea of your edit is the removal of all action material involving Yoda. It’s perfect and the editing is highly profesional. Adding the Seed of Rebellion material is also a very good call.

I’m just confused with a few edit ideas:

• at the beginning when Ben, Anakin and Palpatine are taken prisonners to Grievous, it’s very odd to reuse the footage of the elevator scene, because it doesn’t make sens. The original energy field trap seems the best way to conclude the scene, while removing the “battle droid kicks R2” part would be great;

• I undestand why you removed the death of Padmé, but in the internal context of the movie it does make sens (moreover Leia doesn’t quite understand Luke’s question about her “real” mother in RETURN OF THE JEDI). The footage from another movie to imply Padmé would still be alive is really distracting, I don’t think it works well. The same goes for the Coruscant shot remplacing the Death Star: I don’t get the point of Palpatine and Tarkin starring at Coruscant from a Star Destroyer ship. The Death Star is totally logical in the original shot.

Besides that, it’s a very good work you’ve accomplished.

A partial feedback (sorry i’m French so there might be a few grammar mistakes below):

• good idea to reinstal the senate scene of Amidala. Sadly the picture quality is low and the overall shots of the senators are kinda “frozen/liveless”. On the opening assassination attempt I would have left the captain’s piece of dialogue, because it’s not at all annoying.

• the all night assassination scene is slighly better in your edit (the entire sequence stays really stupid but as it is more entertaining it’s a good editing effort). Except for the “kamino system” reveal, as I don’t really mind the Dex cantina sequence. The “Jedi Business” line was funny, I understand why you removed it but it was at least one of the very few badbass lines Anakin had in the prelogy. It’s a very good idea to keep Fett’s involvement in the attempt a final mystery.

• the Geonosis droid plant action sure is dull but it has a narrative purpose to show that Amidala and Anakin don’t get caught without a fight. Here in the trial scene they seem too passive, and it’s quite incomprehensible for someone who would have never seen the movie before.

• it’s great to keep the sand people massacre sequence, as it is the most important sequence in the entire prelogy. I wonder why you removed the Yoda scene feeling Anakin’s disturbance (maybe you use it in your Episode III edit ?).

• i like the fact Yoda doesn’t wield a saber anymore. It suits better the character who is a spiritual warrior, not a muscle warrior. The edit is cleverly made. The duel that occurs a few minutes before also seems more interesting (I guess you’ve removed a few shots to tighten it).

I still need to rewatch a few sequences to complete my feedback (i see you’re planning to release a v4 version, so I’d better wait for it). On the overall this edit is good and it keeps the plot untouched and understandable. I consider Episode II to be the weakest part of the saga, and I welcome every effort to improve it without reducing to half an hour action piece: it will never be a good movie, but at least it can become something watchable. You’re very close to reach this objective, well done !

Seems to be a very interesting edit you’ve achived. I’m not such how well it could really improve the overall plot but removing the most embarrassing bits of dialogues and scenes should at least make it a better experience. As Lucas is not likely to deliver a “Prelogy special edition”, your edit will do the job done.

I’ll try to give you a feedback as soon as I have watched them.