Matt.F

I’ve just enjoyed your Episode 1 cut, combining the first four Andor’s into one movie length feature.

First and foremost, it’s a professional cut that never once jars or has any technical ‘tells’ that betray it as a fan edit. Watching it for the first time you’d never know this wasn’t a studio product, well done!

Did I like it? No, I loved it! Watching the combined episodes without the interruption of titles and credits felt seamless and your instincts of what could be carefully trimmed and tightened seemed to gel with my own. The cuts are not overdone, and the pacing is still measured and relatively slow to what we are accustomed to from Star Wars. Repetition of setting is a staple of television as the budget constraints dictate but you made this television show seem truly cinematic by prioritising scenes that had visual interest and majesty, and by reducing the number of recycled settings. It really allows the set design, props and costume work to shine - and Andor is incredibly good in this regard.

I’m holding back on watching the second Episode as it sounds like you’re still working on a revision, but I’m looking forward to it already!

Yes I’m enjoying each episode, but for a ‘turn a tv series into a movie’ fanedit there’s probably only 10 mins tops in Episode 5 that feels important and visually impressive enough to be worth keeping.

“I did very little editing to this actual episode, other than making it flow out of the previous episode.”

Personally I thought Ep 4 could do with some trimming and tightening too.

Cassian meets a heist gang member who doesn’t want him there.
Cassian meets a heist gang member who doesn’t want him there.
Cassian meets a heist gang member who doesn’t want him there.

The same scene is repeated three times in short succession, and the point is belaboured. Also the campsite setting isnt very visually interesting, so I’d really look at moving things forward a bit faster.

Those sound like sensible cuts. There was a lot to like in Andor epsidoes 1-3 but the pacing did feel a bit off to me. It sounds like your thoughts have tallied with my own in terms of what could be edited to improve it. The Timm scenes and the chap who talks to Stellan Skarsgard on the shuttle were both unStar Warsy and uninteresting, I also suspect the childhood tribal flashbacks will work better in abridged form (or perhaps even removed entirely, although I did enjoy that shot of the damaged vessel streaking across the sky).

I’ll look forward to seeing this progress.

One last comment, and I hopefully speak for all the 4K TV owners, if you do continue to hone the edit then a higher resolution version would be the icing on the cake.

Bravo sir! I watched your edit last night and it entirely succeeds in its central ambition to create a movie out of a TV series.

You’ve done brilliantly to make the pacing match that of a feature length film, and you’ve refocused the attention on Obi Wan (and it helps tremendously that in Ewan McGregor we have an A-list star, in fact rewatching his expressions in close up I’d say his work here might be the best acting performance we’ve had in a Star Wars production).

The original series had so many great moments but also a few clunky ones, that either confused or raised a question mark. You’ve deftly negated them all with your edit. I’m also thankful that your choice of shots to keep or jettison match my own taste - shaky cam is nearly entirely gone as are those moments where the production values seemed a little below par. Your musical additions also serve to elevate the onscreen action. As a result the 2 and a quarter hours of footage seem more cinematic and Kenobi can take its place alongside Rogue One and Solo as a standalone adventure.

Any nitpicks? Well like someone above I do miss little Leia’s memorable putdown of her cousin (recalls her burn of Tarkin in A New Hope), and the sewer segueway into the Imperial Base isn’t 100% successful (but I dont know that there’s any more could be done given what you have to work with). However these are minor things, and if you were watching this version without having seen the series it would work - and I guess that’s really fundamental to a good edit.

Well done!

Anjohan said:

PMs sent. Click the top right icon chat bubble icon to find it.

Thanks chap, I’m looking forward to giving it a watch and I’ll let you know my thoughts after…

Edit sounds great - I’d love a link to download your latest version please!

Fan_edit_fan said:

Matt.F said:

Fan_edit_fan said:

Anyway, I stand by my point that a Jedi executing a fallen foe would be completely out of character with the compassion and chivalry that is their code.

Yeah, it’s real chivalrous to get people’s kids to commit murder because you’re just too “compassionate” to carry through with it. Mace Windu was about to split Palpatine in two while he was mutilated on the floor yelling “No don’t!”. Obi-Wan cut Maul in half like a savage…and shot Greivous soo many times he exploded. There’s no “code” in leaving Vader alive in the show, it’s just irresponsible writing.

Yes, of course they kill their opponents in combat (Maul and Greivous). You’ll also remember that Mace had gone to arrest Palpatine - not execute him - before the situation suddenly went nuclear.

How does that change anything I stated? Obi-Wan and Vader were opposing combatants. Mace was trying to arrest with the intent to kill if necessary, you just can’t claim Jedi won’t finish off opponents because of their “chivalrous code”. There’s not even any evidence for it.

The whole saga is based around Anakin executing a fallen opponent and turning to the Dark Side, and Luke sparing a fallen opponent and becoming a true Jedi.

Even in this particular TV show we have this rather memorable line;

“Do you know the key to hunting a Jedi, friend? It is patience. Jedi cannot help what they are. Their compassion leaves a trail.”

Fan_edit_fan said:

Anyway, I stand by my point that a Jedi executing a fallen foe would be completely out of character with the compassion and chivalry that is their code.

Yeah, it’s real chivalrous to get people’s kids to commit murder because you’re just too “compassionate” to carry through with it. Mace Windu was about to split Palpatine in two while he was mutilated on the floor yelling “No don’t!”. Obi-Wan cut Maul in half like a savage…and shot Greivous soo many times he exploded. There’s no “code” in leaving Vader alive in the show, it’s just irresponsible writing.

Yes, of course they kill their opponents in combat (Maul and Greivous). You’ll also remember that Mace had gone to arrest Palpatine - not execute him - before the situation suddenly went nuclear.

DrDre said:

Matt.F said:

RE: Why doesn’t Ben kill a defeated Vader?

Jedi Knights are honourable and chivalrous. Killing an opponent in a duel is one thing, but killing a vanquished fallen opponent is something entirely different. That is an execution.

We already see that when Anakin ‘executes’ a defeated Count Dooku. It is a wholly evil thing, and not the Jedi way.

So leaving Vader alive to murder millions of people is honourable and chivalrous? The situation with Dooku is not comparable, because Anakin had the option of letting Dooku stand trial. Obi-Wan on the other hand has to choose between two evils, where letting Vader live is clearly the worse option. Also, Yoda in ROTS sends Obi-Wan to kill Anakin, and Obi-Wan tells Luke, that if he will not kill Vader, the Emperor has already won.

Leaving Vader alive results in Palpatine’s defeat and the fall of the Empire (at least until Palapatine returned “somehow” lol).

“Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.” to bring a bit of Tolkien into the Star Wars chat!

Anyway, I stand by my point that a Jedi executing a fallen foe would be completely out of character with the compassion and chivalry that is their code.

RE: Why doesn’t Ben kill a defeated Vader?

Jedi Knights are honourable and chivalrous. Killing an opponent in a duel is one thing, but killing a vanquished fallen opponent is something entirely different. That is an execution.

We already see that when Anakin ‘executes’ a defeated Count Dooku. It is a wholly evil thing, and not the Jedi way.

Hello Hal, I’d love to have a link to watch your edits please. Thanks in advance!

RogueLeader said:

A lot of my opinions have already been reflected in previous posts, but I’ll share a critique and a compliment.

I know it is a cliché, but I think Boba’s character change could’ve been better explained, and been interesting, if he got amnesia while he was in the Sarlacc. I know Legends had this idea that sarlaccs could assimilate the thoughts and memories of their victims, so there could’ve been a lore explanation to it. So when he wakes up in the desert, without his armor, he has no idea who he is or how he really got there. Then he begins living with the Tuskens and the story could play out similarly.

Amnesia is a cliche but it would work well in-universe. There is precedent with Bor Gullet, Bodhi Rook certainly appears to have some memory loss from being exposed to that monster, and it seems pretty similar to the Sarlaac.

Maybe a fan editor might be able to get some milage from it. It would explain why he thinks his armor might be in the Sarlaac, and his voyage of personal rediscovery could also put a new slant on his declaration “I am Boba Fett”.

The title implies that the plot and action will be following Boba Fett, and that’s really where the issue lies. If the title were just a little less specific then it might bother people less. ‘The Clone Wars’ or ‘Star Wars: Rebels’ for example give the showrunners freedom to expand the scope beyond a single character.

But basically it seems we’re watching a timeline unfold, that’s linked to Boba but not exclusive to him.

"Set within the timeline of The Mandalorian, these inter-connected shows, along with future stories, will excite new audiences, embrace our most passionate fans, and will culminate in a climactic story event.” Kathleen Kennedy, Disney Plus Investor Day, December 10, 2020

I think this quote speaks to those who are finding it hard to see past the ‘Boba Fett’ title.

If you are creating an inter-connected timeline then you can do that by finding a reason for characters to show up in Jabba’s palace (and risk it feeling shoehorned) or you can take a sojourn to another part of the Galaxy (as the last two episodes did).

Let’s hope that when it does “culminate in a climactic story event” it does indeed feel satisfying.

I thought Bryce Dallas Howard did a stellar job directing Episode 5. I’d go as far to say that the establishing shots of the Ring World space station are the most epic images we’ve had thus far in either BOBF or Mandalorian. And I use that word meaning in the tradition of epic cinema. You can have city wide destruction in superhero flicks and action movies but I found the Ring World shots more in tune with the language of epic cinema (David Lean, Ridley Scott, Kurosawa, and yes George Lucas), the stately pace that allowed the grandeur and scale to be realised.

Gorgeous stuff, more of that please (and less Spy Kids!).

I enjoyed it but I also query the Stormtrooper in the Sarlaac (not even a Sandtrooper with a Pauldron). One of Jabba’s goons would have created a connection to ROTJ rather than a question mark (wonder when TK-321 fell in?).

The Sand People too had previously been established up as low threat enemies “they startle easy… will soon be back in larger numbers”, and then we see a single Tusken absolutely wallop Boba Fett in a one-on-one. I guess Boba was in a weakened state, but the Tusken (female Tusken?) was still shown as a deadly capable fighter.

These are the nitpicks of a long term fan, but that’s what this forum is for!

Also, is this vintage toy now Star Wars canon?

Hal, thank you!

Hal, I saw this edit a few years ago and felt it really improved AOTC.

I’ve heard you have edits for all the films in both the prequel and the sequel trilogy…

Would it be possible to message me links to all 6? I’d love to work my way through your versions.

/\ In truth that speaks more to Shaw being miscast in the first place than it does to a 78 year old Prowse being right.

But my point remains that I think Prowse had a better face for Vader under the mask than Shaw did, and for what it’s worth I also think he had ‘a better right’ to be Vader, to be seen just once on the big screen without that mask on - but that’s a sentimental viewpoint and perhaps it has no place in the movie business.

If there was some way to put Prowse in that position in Revisited it would be cool, and the documentary reshoot footage might potentially provide that, but I understand the difficulties might be insurmountable…

doubleofive said:

David Prowse was decades too old to play Anakin when they filmed the documentary. It’s not an option, even if it was available.

Sebastian Shaw was 77 years old when he filmed the unmasking. Dave Prowse was 78 when he filmed I Am Your Father.

I’d say Prowse bears more than a passing resemblance to both Hayden Christensen, and in ‘profile’ he actually looks rather like his future on-screen grandson Adam Driver!

Artan42 said:

Hayden Christensen is Canadian.

“Just for once let me look on you with my own eyes. You were right. You were right aboot me…"

On this particular, and sad, day I’d also throw in my tuppence on the unmasking of Vader in ROTJ and Dave Prowse.

He may not have had the right voice (thankfully James Earl Jones did) but imho he certainly had the right look and could have and should have been the face of Vader at the finale of Jedi.

Even as a child the ‘kindly grandfather’ appearance and English thespian vocal delivery of Sebastian Shaw didn’t fit my expectation of what Vader should look or sound like. With the Prequel Trilogy casting an American actor ‘the English gent’ vocal delivery seems even more incongruous.

As we know from the documentary ‘I Am Your Father’ Dave Prowse filmed the unmasking sequence, I think if Adywan could get the blessing from the filmmakers to use it then it would be a massive coup for ROTJ Revisited, and perhaps… right a wrong for an actor that really deserved his moment without the mask.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbExdNBjOfQ