I wouldn’t put anything past this community in terms of realizing a crazy idea like this!
JEDIT: The super special awesome version of this idea is that the Sith fleet is part of the illusion as well, and it’s all a ploy to use the power of the dyad to destroy the Resistance.
Episode IX: Phantom of the Sith. That’s my final offer.
Here’s a question (from the color blind guy)
As for Palps getting electrocuted (again) but this time explodes … I was thinking, what if the lighting going BACK to him is a different color, maybe purple? White?
Why?
Though it is still kinda lame, in a sense, that Palps AGAIN gets defeated by his own lighting. But what if it was more “special” … or maybe Jedi-powered. Using Jonh’s force ghosts being introduced, the view COULD assume it was being returned with more of a Jedi Ghost finisher. I don’t know if that sounds lame or anything … but it would be neat to try and add some more depth to this final battle then Palps getting zapped by his own lighting. Again.
I like it. Or the room could go dark and then reveal he was nonexistent the whole time!
Well… no.
Well, yes, actually. This is actually a really interesting idea!
Consider: We have via TLJ the fact that one can project an image with their mind, and the idea of the person as symbol which is more powerful than the person themselves. It follows rather naturally that a Sith cult with moderate ability would create an image of Palpatine to exist in opposition to the image of Luke, using some sort of focal point. Say the crane supporting Palpatine actually supports some blue crystal or something, a Sith artifact which looks a bit like the wayfinders and focuses the limited Force ability of each of the cultists into something stronger.
So what would the plan of such a cult be, exactly? Using the events of TROS, this plan could be to bring together the dyad of Rey and Kylo in order to turn them to the Dark Side or drain their power and destroy them.
How would this be implemented? There would need to be relatively few changes for such a large overall change, but in Kylo’s first visit to Palpatine he might see flashes of the crystal instead of Palpatine’s body, just single frames where the illusion starts to break down. Then there might be a few shots of the Cultists interacting in the final battle, such as the power of the dyad draining into the crystal and perhaps dispersing into the cultists. When ‘Palpatine’ shoots his lighting into the sky, there would be a shot where the crystal is absorbing the lighting of the Cultists, which might only be faint blue traces of light moving towards the center of the room.
Finally, when Rey is about to lose to the lightning barrage, her eyes are opened to the fact that it’s just a crystal and not Palpatine at all. She then redirects the lightning back using the Force for knowledge and defense. Perhaps the blue crystal is positioned slightly above Palpatine’s form so that if Rey were to ‘kill’ him as he wished it wouldn’t endanger the crystal.
The best part of this idea is that the Rey Palpatine angle actually works as a part of the illusion.
Episode IX: The Phantom Menace. Like poetry.
Tell that to the majority on this forum who for some reason insist on using Shaw.
Yeah it’s weird. Using Shaw or even weirder, a hybrid Christensen-Shaw is masturbatory fanboy fantasy that the average fan would be completely lost watching. As mediocre as the prequel trilogy was, if you want to include an Anakin force ghost it’s got to be Hayden. I want my edit to be for mainstream audiences, not people who took a Star Wars class in college (which I actually did).
Huh? Anyone over thirty probably remembers Shaw as Force Ghost Anakin, and there’s also the fact that Shaw is still Anakin in ROTJ’s unmasking scene so no fan of the series should have a hard time figuring it out anyway.
I’m not a fan of any Force Ghost appearing to someone that they didn’t know in life, but to suggest that an image of Anakin as he looked at his death (as all Force Ghosts appear) is a ‘masturbatory fanboy fantasy’ is a bit much.
We are very near the end now, as we dive headfirst into the final battle. Enjoy!
…
Hux stands in the Jedi council chamber on the tallest spire, surrounded by a mass of technicians and equipment monitoring the gathering below. He asks about the weather, a tech says that it might rain later but for now the sky is clear and conditions are good for the ceremony. The mother of Xindo arrives and whispers something in his ear. He perks up, looking pleased. ‘Just as Thrawn predicted’ he says. He announces that it’s time to begin, exiting into the turbolift followed by his flanking Death Troopers.
…
Rey and Finn sneak down the hallways, avoiding patrols. In the final hallway there is a captain in full silver armor on patrol. Rey grabs a tall metal pipe from an exposed access panel and knocks him unconscious. Finn asks Rey if she knew that he and Poe were a thing and she says everyone in the Resistance suspected it, adding that Finn seems to be the last to know.
At the end of the hall is the room with the cells holding the Knights of the Twelve Systems. They are guarded by half a dozen officers and troopers. Finn says they need a distraction. He says a mind trick would have been nice here, or any Force powers at all. Rey asks why, and he says that to the First Order, this Temple is basically one of the most sinister places in the galaxy, and the troopers constantly talk about how many Jedi ghosts must still haunt it. Rey looks back at the unconscious trooper, and Finn seems to get the same idea. They go over to the trooper and start to remove his armor. Finn takes a pouch from the trooper’s belt and pours the powder into a small thermos of liquid. Rey asks what he’s doing, and he says it’s a concentrated energy drink. He pours the liquid back into the pouch.
…
Hux and his entourage exits the turbolift on the way to the cells. Rose and Maz quickly hide themselves in a corner as the group passes. Rose points a blaster at Hux, but Maz shakes her head. It’s not in the mission. The troopers pass and the duo make for the turbolift.
…
Finn, dressed in the captain’s armor, stumbles into the room screaming and clutching at his throat. The other troopers leap to attention, weapons drawn. He shouts that the spirits of the Jedi are attacking him and tries to flee through the opposite doorway but collapses on the floor. The officers look around unsure of what to do. The lights start to flicker and Finn gasps, grabbing at his throat and rising back up to his feet as if being dragged by an invisible form. Horrible crunching sounds emanate from around his throat and a red liquid starts to trickle down his armor from his neck. His helmet twists 180 degrees with a resounding crack and he falls to the floor in a mangled heap. The troopers flee the scene, as well as one of the officers. The other officer shouts at them to come back or be executed for disobedience. Then the lights go off completely. There are several metallic thwacks and when the lights come on the knights see Rey standing over the officer, metal pole in hand. She congratulates Finn on that performance and he bows, throwing his backwards helmet to the floor. Several of the knights even clap quietly, and one says that they should probably get going.
…
Maz and Rose exit the turbolift using a small hatch and make their way through the ventilation tube above the main room. Maz sees that there are too many troops to take on her own. Rose asks if they can hack the broadcast from where they are and Maz sees the jumble of cables hanging down from the ceiling right before them. She says it might be possible, and they keep moving through the ducts. The furry creature looks up from its perch on the woman’s shoulder. She pets it absently.
…
Finn says nervously that this seems almost too easy. Rey says that she’s blind without the Force and doesn’t know whether or not to have a bad feeling about it. Just then they turn a corner on the way to the spire and run directly into Hux and his troops. Rey swings her pole at the Death Trooper in front of her and knocks him senseless. The others quickly surround her and cast away her weapon. Troops from all directions converge on their location, trapping the entire group.
Hux crows that this is all as Thrawn predicted. He scans the group, wondering where Rose has gone. He orders some of his men to search the temple until she is found. He says that regardless of her disappearance, he is more than happy to have Rey as a replacement. The group move through the main hallway of the Jedi Temple and its many columns into the light beyond.
The crowd roars as they emerge into the sunlight. Before them is the vast arena that Hux’s people have built, supported by colossal pillars resting on the administrative buildings below. The steps of the temple lead right to the start of this arena, and ranged around the perimeter are the siege weapons of the First Order. AT-AT’s, AT-ST’s, anti-personnel speeders, and thousands of troops in armor wielding blasters. A cage near the front of the arena holds Finn’s commando unit. There are what look like two stockades at the top of the stairs, and two troopers on either side wielding axes.
Hux strides out onto the platform at the top of the stairs, flanked by four of his Death Troopers. He greets the crowd, people from all across the city massed in the arena, and announces that this is a momentous day for the First Order, the galaxy, and the Force.
…
In the crawlspace above the comm center Maz taps a line from the main hub, saying that she’s almost through. They hear noises below them, the scraping of equipment and the whirring of motors. The floor collapses under them and they fall to the ground in the middle of the comm center. Two troopers advance on them with blasters while the Techs gather uncertainly in a circle. Xindo’s mother enters the circle with her pet and she orders the troopers to keep them alive. She wants them to watch as their friends are executed below, just as her son was killed for treason. Rose makes an impassioned plea, saying that the First Order isn’t just trying to rule the galaxy but to destroy the Force itself. One of the techs, a young man perhaps just out of training, looks particularly concerned. Rose directs her words directly at the young people in the room and Xindo’s mother, who says that this is impossible.
Hux proclaims the Force has disappeared from the galaxy with the end of the Jedi and the Sith. The cameras broadcast this message to a thousand astonished worlds. Hux brings forth the Knights of the Twelve systems, demanding that they swear fealty to him and the First Order, and that henceforth their worlds and people will work for the glory of this new order.
…
Poe’s destroyer emerges from Hyperspace, Red squadron emerging from underneath in practiced efficiency. Thrawn stands at the bridge of his command ship, flanked by a dozen Star Destroyers in formation. An officer informs the Grand Admiral that he is being hailed. He accepts the hail, opening conversation. “I don’t expect you are calling to surrender, Admiral.” Poe’s voice comes through, quipping that he will accept Thrawn’s surrender. Thrawn politely declines. Poe responds that he then has no choice. Thrawn reminds him that if Poe dares attack then he will have no choice but to sacrifice the hostage crews of Kylo’s fleet arrayed around him. He asks if Poe is willing to have that blood on his hands. As if in response Poe’s destroyer starts its approach, accelerating to full speed.
…
On the steps of the Jedi Temple, the knights of the Twelve Systems decline to swear to Hux. The Supreme Leader bristles with anger as they announce that their worlds follow Rey and the Force, and they will fight to the last against those who commit atrocities in the name of preserving order. Hux brings Finn and Rey out to the stockades, asking if these are the traitors whom the Knights serve. They assent, and he locks them in the stockades. The executioners activate their axes in preparation but Hux says for them to put their weapons away, he will do it himself, first killing Finn, then Rey. He activates Kylo’s saber and stands over Finn. Finn asks Rey that if she manages to escape, to tell Poe…She agrees, not needing to hear the rest.
…
Thrawn pulls the datapad out of his vest pocket, activating it. He informs Poe that this is his last chance before he commits the crews to their deaths. Poe says that this is a sacrifice he is willing to make for freedom.
…
In the comm center, Maz glances at the time and shakes her head at Rose. They have to act now if they are to save a million souls. But they are helpless to do anything now, and Rose’s plea doesn’t convince Xindo’s mother. Maz’s timer zeroes out.
…
Hux raises Kylo’s weapon, saying that here ends the original stain on the purity of the First Order.
…
Thrawn says that Poe has again defied his expectations. He presses the fatal button on his datapad.
…
Hux swings the saber at Finn’s neck with all his fury.
Nothing happens. Finn’s neck sizzles where the blade has shorted out a millimeter from his flesh and bone. Hux stares at the smoking hilt, then around at the gathering. All around the arena the electronic equipment has shorted out, including the weapons of his soldiers. AT-ST’s settle down onto their legs as the crews scramble to figure out what has just happened, and soldiers everywhere fuss uselessly with their blasters and their drained power cores.
In the comm center a tech shouts that there has been a massive ionic surge from below the complex which has knocked out their communications and in fact all equipment in the vicinity of the temple. Xindo’s mother rushes over to the window and looks down, eyes wide as she beholds what is emerging from all sides of the arena. Massive insectoid machines are clawing their way onto the platform, cobbled together from rusted machinery of bygone eras. Magnetic grips and mechanical claws clamp onto the legs of the First Order siege equipment, dragging it to the ground. The crews of the machines leap and struggle free as their vehicles are dragged inexorably off the side of the arena down into the bottomless alleys of the city below.
…
Thrawn eyes the nonfunctional datapad, asking for an update on the situation below. An officer says that all interplanetary communication has been knocked out and they are having trouble getting any information from the Temple area. Their scans reveal a massive EMP. The officer says that there is another hail from Poe, which Thrawn says to allow. Poe asks what has happened to Thrawn’s hostages, that surely interplanetary communication wasn’t necessary for his plan. Poe continues that he’s glad that the Grand Admiral has called his personal crews off of their stations into the forward sections of the destroyers, since this will give him at least two minutes of time with which to rip his fleet to shreds. Thrawn orders the crews to return to their posts immediately, but at that moment the fleets of the twelve systems fall out of Hyperspace around Poe’s destroyer. The comms crackle with activity as the fleets pick their targets.
…
The steps of the Jedi Temple are a scene of madness. Hux orders his men to bring fresh weapons to bear, but even as they struggle to regain order a massive jointed contraption lumbers up the steps, Jawas emerging from orifices in the behemoth with ion cannons to stun any troopers who come near. The Jawdi emerge from the contraption with their cobbled lightsaber replicas and offer them to the Knights of the Twelve Systems. They activate these weapons and a metal wand shoots from each which begins to spin and generate a strong energy field. They are improvised sabers, but functional. The knights thank the Jawdi for their help and move to Rey. She is already free however, the electronic restraints falling away.
Hux casts Kylo’s nonfunctional saber down the steps and activates Luke’s green saber. Finn scrambles down toward the enclosure holding the commando unit but Hux is in pursuit. Finn shouts for Rey’s help and she reaches into her pouch, throwing something at him. He catches it, wondering what it is. He sees Kylo’s saber on the ground and realizes that it must be a new power cell. Hux strikes at him again and again with Luke’s saber but Finn launches himself from the steps and rolls across the pavement, snatching up the saber as he rolls. Slamming the new power cell in place, he gets up and slashes the padlock on the gate, releasing his men and women. Roaring with newfound hope they charge Hux and his men. The First Order troops retreat up the steps and into the shaded safety of the Temple, Finn’s forces hot on their heels.
…
Poe’s destroyer moves at ramming speed toward the Grand Admiral’s ship as the fleets target the rest of his fleet. An officer reports on Poe’s destroyer, saying that life readings indicate that their crew is massed near the back of the ship. Thrawn narrows his eyes, saying that they must have planned a suicidal ramming maneuver while the fleets deal with his other ships. Foolish, he says. He launches TIE Interceptors from his main hangar, the full complement of his entire fleet. He orders them to concentrate their fire on a line down the center of Poe’s destroyer. Poe orders Red squadron not to engage as the barrage of missiles and blaster bolts eats through the metal of the destroyer. The fighters curve away to prepare for another run and Thrawn unleashes his ship’s full firepower on this same line. Poe’s destroyer begins to crack apart like an egg, explosions rippling along the surface of the tear.
Poe orders all ships to evacuate the doomed destroyer. Fighters and transports lift off of the engines and crevices where they have been hiding in the aft of the destroyer and fall back. Gasses begin to escape and engulf the ship in a giant fireball as it splits completely apart. The gas within the ship expands and Thrawn sees that it is gas from the nebula which has been stored within every cubic inch of the ship. It now covers a large area of space and approaches Thrawn’s ship due to momentum, filled with the twisted remnants of Poe’s destroyer. Thrawn finds it interesting that Poe has seen through his deception and wonders how he could have been this well prepared. The comm crackles to life. It is Ben, who asks if Thrawn remembers him. An officer says that there is a large pirate vessel on an intercept course from below.
Poe announces phase two. His ships disappear inside the ersatz nebula as it intersects Thrawn’s ship and they begin to rake his vessel, taking out weapons emplacements and shield generators. Poe’s X-wing blasts a hole in the garbage collection doors and the landing vessels make their way inside. Thrawn orders all vents open to clear the nebula’s gasses from around the ship. Poe leads Red squadron in their circuit of the destroyer, fighting off TIE fighters so that the invasion can continue. The vents start making clearings in the gas and Poe flies through them followed by several TIE Intercepters closing fast. Red leader follows the Intercepters, saying she can’t get a clean shot. Poe orders her to fire on him, and when she questions this he says ‘Just do it!’. She does it, the blasters igniting the oxygen-rich air exiting the destroyer and detonating the Interceptors as they fly through the superheated cloud of gas.
Ben orders his first mate to pull the pirate ship alongside Thrawn’s vessel and open the docking bay doors. The ship enters the nebula and finds the side of Thrawn’s ship, the doors opening directly into the side of the destroyer. Ben goes to the embarkation point and leads his crew through the opening torn in the side of Thrawn’s ship. The pirates roar a motley battle cry as they invade the ship. R2 follows, unfazed by the blaster fire. Outside the nebula, the fleets of the Twelve systems engage the rest of Thrawn’s fleet which is only now returning to battle-ready status.
I think there are good arguments for Shaw, but suffice to say that I actually wouldn’t feel right with either Hayden or Shaw (or even an aged up Hayden) since even at the time ROTJ came out many people were unimpressed with the Shaw Force ghost. It’s a no-win situation to include a visual representation of Anakin unless his face is somehow obscured.
I thought RLM hit the nail on the head when discussing how sexless TFA was in comparison to the first two trilogies, and this carried through the entire ST. I would have preferred some definite romantic relationships of any type instead of the vague platonic mess that was TROS.
I’ve probably mentioned this before but I always wanted the Jedi of the Old Republic era to only have blue lightsabers. That way Luke’s ROTJ one has more significance. A potential opening scene cold be Luke in his X-wing. Flying near Yavin trying to salvage a Kyber crystal from the debris cloud of the Death Star. As he reaches out with the Force. Vader telepathically tries to contact him but he shrugs it off. A crystal fragment is found. Luke pulls it to the ship and Artoo captures it with his claw arm. It is green because of its prior use in the super laser. Palestine turns the crystal sacred to the Jedi into super weapon. Luke restores it.
Since the Death Star presumably ejected material throughout the Yavin system, it stands to reason that there could be crystal fragments on Yavin 4. Luke could go there in search of one.
The shot where Ben Solo arrives on Exogol and the camera reveals an Imperial TIE next to a Rebel X-wing.
I guess I’m just a miserable killjoy who sees a short range fighter without a Hyperdrive and wonders how the hell it got halfway across the galaxy.
As for what I love, probably the scene where Rey loses control and ‘kills’ Chewie. That was genuinely shocking…until they showed him alive five minutes later.
One idea - There’s a new version of the main theme in the Rise of Skywalker end credits, it might be worth using that for the beginning of TFA’s crawl in place of the anemic one currently there.
JEDIT: It’s lacking the opening sting which is the main issue with TFA’s fanfare, but the Rise of Skywalker’s fanfare sting is quite strong in comparison to TFA and TLJ (which I think they just copied?). Anyway, I spliced that opening note into the TFA fanfare and I think it’s an improvement:
https://mega.nz/file/2EsXGLjS#7Ve8Pdy2i_SGdpjCkAVKs2ATJ9FqbuKxl2GZefzLYAk
Terminator 2: The Dark Future
Terminator 2: No Fate
Terminator 2: Machine Boogaloo
Hal, I remember you or someone else here thought of changing the music that plays over the ending Rey Skywalker/Binary Sunset scene, as to avoid repeating the Force theme across three movies. Have you though of putting some version of Rey’s theme instead? I believe it might be the most fitting, because it reaffirms Rey’s identity above all else, and is very much the central musical theme of the sequel trilogy. I personally like this track (originally from TFA end credits): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bJpmMwrabo.
Not the full theme, but some snippets of it, like that transition between the Force and Rey’s motifs. If you plan to end the scene with a fade to black, maybe the peaceful version of the SW main theme that plays at the end of the track could could fit better instead of a more bombastic piece, as it has much of a “final farewell” feel to it.I had the opposite idea: I rearranged tRoS’ final scene to better fit the music, and put Rey’s line at the very end, as if it’s what the music was building towards:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10HInO4Ox36-rbOv2ef1WAfN7Uxfw77mi/view?usp=sharing
I feel like it would be better if we didn’t even get the final line, just a shot of the sunset instead. Since the title is Rise of Skywalker that name is implied, and it prevents the awkwardness of her actually saying it.
Not actually saying the last name could also be a way of acknowledging all of the names, Solo, Organa, heck even Palps.
I don’t think many people would disagree that First Contact is the best TNG movie. It’s not like it has a lot of competition.
There’s also a concert ending version of this theme in case anyone was unaware, though I am partial to the peaceful version.
I had a lot of fun writing this section, since it’s a whole bundle of scenes full of Pirate Politics and Jawa Jedi. Enjoy!
…
Connix relays this latest development from Coruscant to Poe and Maz. Poe muses that they have the ships to challenge Thrawn, but if Hux goes through with the broadcast their attack will be in vain since he will have gained a propaganda victory even Palpatine never had; the First Order will have a Dark Jedi Order. They need to take control of the broadcast and transmit their own message to the galaxy. He asks Ben if he could do this, since he is still technically the Supreme Leader by right. Ben refuses to be known by this title any longer, instead saying Rey should do it. He says that he would rather aid in the attack on Thrawn. Poe asks why and he says it’s personal. Connix says that they will need some sort of master codebreaker to hack into the holonet relay at the Jedi Temple, and Poe says that it sounds like a job for a certain pirate captain.
…
From the bridge of the pirate vessel Maz announces the change of leadership. She is stepping down and promoting her first officer to captain so that she can accompany Rey on her mission. The crew loudly disagrees, saying that only trial by combat decides the leadership. Maz narrows her eyes, asking if anyone dares question her ability to deal death and they all shrink back. The first officer, a massive alien who looks like he has a skull for a head, takes the throne. Rey entreats the new captain to help them in their attack but the new captain glowers at them, saying that pirates do not fight for lost causes. He points to Ben, saying that they will take him as crew however. Ben merely turns away. Maz has already left for the hangar, and Ben and Rey follow.
In the lift with Rey and R2, Ben says that Rey should really tell Poe and the Resistance about their problem with the Force, but Rey says that she can’t, it’s all that is keeping the spark of hope alive in the galaxy. She tells R2 to keep an eye on Ben for her. Ben stares, saying that he’s with Rey to the end. She says that it’s too dangerous, especially with the danger of the Sith. She says for him to wait on the pirate ship until her return. R2 objects to being left behind, and Rey says that they don’t need a mechanic. R2 trills and Rey says that no, she doesn’t even need Jedi lessons from Yoda.
The lift opens onto the hangar and Rey rejoins Maz beside the rusty ship. Maz makes for it and Rey says that surely they aren’t going to take this marked ship to the Jedi Temple. Maz walks around it, saying that of course they aren’t taking it. She says that she has another ship which she captured and was holding for a friend, but now that the owner is no longer around she doesn’t feel too bad commandeering it. It’s Xindo’s ship, formerly stolen by DJ. Maz says that an upshot of this ship is that it’s already got code clearance for the First Order so they should have no problem infiltrating the planet.
Ben and R2 stand before the sea of stars watching the ship disappear into Hyperspace. Ben turns towards the rusted ship and opens the hatch. R2 follows, burbling a question. Ben sits in the pilot’s seat and says that he doesn’t speak droid. R2 plugs himself into the ship and scrolls some helpful text onto the screen. Ben says that he’s following Rey to Coruscant. R2 notes that the ship is marked, and furthermore doesn’t even know if this rust bucket can get them all the way to the core. Ben turns off the startup sequence and sits in silence. A voice seems to echo through the ship and Ben turns in his seat, asking who is there. R2 looks around confusedly. Ben searches the empty compartment with his eyes, seeing nothing. He storms out of the ship.
…
On the bridge, the captain is discussing their next move with his mates. They note that this period of unrest has turned many worlds into ripe targets, with rebellious worlds in particular devastated and defenseless. Just as they decide to set course for one of them Ben storms in. He asks to be made a member of the crew, and after sizing him up the captain consents. He tells him that there’s a spare bunk in the crew galley and a weapons locker he can choose from. The captain turns back to his mates to give the order for hyperspace when Ben challenges the captain to single combat. The captain turns slowly in his chair and stands to his full height, at least a head taller than Ben. He smiles, mates bringing forth a chest containing two swords seemingly made of metal and bone. They both take up a sword and the battle commences.
They activate the blades of the swords, blue energy crackling down the side of the bones. They circle each other, then in a swift flurry of action Ben attacks. The large alien is faster than he looks, parrying each blow. Ben becomes winded as the captain goes on the offensive, driving him up to the throne. A sound like laughter in a vast room fills Ben’s ears. Ben explodes with anger and rage, driving the captain back. The sword flies from his hand and it lands in Ben’s own hand. He crosses the swords before the captain, who has his head bowed. He hears a voice. ‘Why do you hesitate? Finish it!’ He obeys, decapitating the alien. The searches the crowd for the source of the voice, but no face matches that elderly rasp. He collapses onto the throne.
Ben makes his first pronouncement as captain. He says they will capture a new vessel for the pirates, a First Order Star Destroyer. He asks if there are any who will oppose him on this, raising his sword in menace. The first mate doffs his cap, saying that he is the captain.
…
Poe walks the hallways of the destroyer, officers handing him inventory lists and fuel calculations. Threepio reports that most of the guns are not functional and they lack the crew to man them anyway. Their fuel is almost gone, and supplies of any kind are running dangerously low since they haven’t had access to First Order supply lines.
A voice crackles on the radio, informing him of a transmission from Ben. He says to put it through down here. Ben reports on becoming captain of the pirates in exchange for a Star Destroyer. Poe says that they probably don’t want this one, since it’s about ready to fall apart. Poe says that they might be able to get a better one, and Ben says he has a bad feeling about their plan. Poe says that it’s almost like fate, these twelve fleets, and he says he has a good feeling about it. Ben says that this is why he mistrusts it. He says that whatever plan they have, Thrawn will have thought of it. The transmission ends.
Red leader joins them, saying that her squadron will be fighting exposed above Coruscant and won’t last long against Thrawn without cover. Poe looks out a window at the nebula, considering Ben’s misgivings. He sees the swirling gas beyond them and notes that it’s a shame they can’t bring some of it with them, since this is where they have trained. He stops and stares, as if an idea has just occurred to him. He snaps back into action, ordering everyone to main hangar for a new briefing, that there’s been a change of plan. Threepio and Red leader ask about the men making repairs and the flight crews but Poe just repeats ‘Everyone!’
…
Maz asks Rey to go over the plan one final time. Rey explains that they will infiltrate the Jedi Temple and they will free the Knights, Finn, and Rose. Together they will all take the broadcast center and hold it while Poe’s destroyer engages with Thrawn’s ship and the fleets of the twelve systems battle Thrawn’s fleet across the galaxy. While Poe is engaged with Thrawn, the last of their ground soldiers will board Kylo’s vessels over Coruscant and liberate the captive fleet. The battle should turn quickly with the recapture of this fleet and they will win Coruscant. The proximity indicator beeps.
Xindo’s ship falls out of Hyperspace above the ecumenopolis, sliding into a line of traffic entering the planet’s atmosphere. The voice on the comm asks for their clearance and Maz transmits DJ’s code. She is all self-confidence while Rey stares out the window at the sight of the city planet, wondering at how many trillions of people must live there. Maz says that she remembers when Coruscant still had green places, and Rey can’t imagine that.
As they get closer to the administrative sector of the planet, Rey sees the fleet of Star Destroyers massed in space. She notes how small they look next to the vastness of the planet and Maz says that this is the true scope of the First Order’s power; they need only be stronger than any with the will to oppose them.
They move into another line of traffic cutting closer to the temple, but Maz notes that it is being diverted long before they get near. A perimeter of First Order support ships and local police craft surrounds the temple complex. Rey says that there’s no way to get near the Temple now. Maz counters that they merely need to use the old roads.
…
Xindo’s mother stands in one of the temple spires overseeing the preparations down below. A flash of white catches her eye from the police perimeter, a familiar spaceship. She follows its progress as it descends beneath the building level on a beeline to the temple. She leaves the spire, suspicion etched on her features.
…
Maz takes the ship down between two massive apartment complexes, descending hundreds of stories to the older sections of the city. Here there are still checkpoints for the local traffic and Maz dives again. The sun seems to dim as they pass more industrial building fronts and areas that seem only partially lit by artificial light. Maz continues her descent. The sun disappears almost entirely and they turn on the exterior lights.
Around them lie massive empty shells of buildings riven through with the durasteel supports necessary to support thousands of levels of habitation above. Rust and dirt surround them, vehicles and trash from all eras lie scattered in mountainous heaps around the durasteel supports and through the gaps in these trash piles Rey can see that the true street level lies beyond her sight in the darkness below. Maz says that it certainly doesn’t look like she remembers, but Rey says that it feels like home. Dark figures scurry in the shadows, avoiding the ship’s light.
They pass into a vast durasteel shell of a building and Maz brings the ship to rest, saying they should be directly under the temple but they will need to climb thousands of stories to the top or find some smaller vehicle. Rey says she has plenty of experience with this. Maz warns that there will be no quick way of escape if their complicated plan doesn’t work, and Rey says that it must work.
They exit the ship wielding searchlights, Rey looking around for a way up. A shape moves in the beam of light, causing a clatter of metal around them. The two shift into a battle-ready stance back to back and move back toward the hatch. Rey asks what that could be, Maz says that it could be one of a thousand species from across the galaxy. There are more rustlings and clatters of metal in the darkness. Suddenly a burst of blue light blinds them and knocks them both out cold.
…
Rey comes to beside Maz. They are lying on the bed of a massive repulsorlift which also contains their ship. It is being pulled deeper into the vast structure. All around them are dim lights and flickers of movement, sparks and arc lights from welders glancing around the beams. A cloaked figure sits next to them, its ion blaster aimed menacingly at Rey’s heart. Maz gets up groggily, complaining about her head. ‘Jawas!’ She exclaims.
They reach a point where the industrial activity seems to stop. Before them is a set of steps made of scrap metal leading up to a doorway many stories high but clearly made by the creatures. The Jawa with the gun motions them off the repulsorlift and they follow it up the steps. As Rey looks back already they see the ship being stripped for parts. She shouts at them to knock it off but they ignore her. The gun-toting Jawa waves it menacingly at her again and she follows it into the great space.
Rey marvels at the space inside, for once appreciably illuminated. She says that the Jawas must be mimicking something, since they have never on Jakku shown a sense of architectural grandeur. Maz sees it first, and says ‘The Jedi Temple’. Indeed there are columns and buttresses and stained-glass windows made of plastic. The Jawas populating this temple also seem different, but she can’t at first identify why. Then she sees that below their ragged robes they are wearing what look like the cream-colored undergarments of the Jedi Knights, perhaps even the same ones only cut and ripped to size. Many also carry what look like lightsabers at their belts and in their hands, but crudely made of metal tubing.
They are taken up a turbolift into a tower within this structure, exiting out into a wide circular room in a rough imitation of the real Jedi council chambers. Sitting in plush vehicle seats and couch cushions are the most serene Jawas that Rey has ever seen. Their lightsabers look more convincing than the others, though Rey doubts that any of them actually work. Their leader, a Jawa even smaller than the rest, stands on his pillows and pronounces that there is a Jedi in their midst. Rey can understand enough Jawa to get by and plays along. She bows to the leader and thanks her fellow Jedi Masters for allowing them into their Temple. The Jawas seem to get a kick out of this, chittering screeching. Some even fall off their pillows. The leader says that she makes a good joke but they are clearly not Jedi. He shows her his cobbled-together lightsaber hilt, then throws it on the floor where it lands with a hollow clank. The others again roar with laughter. He says that a real Jedi doesn’t belong here, but rather belongs in the real Temple above. Rey replies that they must not get out much because there haven’t been Jedi in that temple for going on sixty years.
The demeanor of the Jawas becomes serious. The leader says that this is why Rey was brought before them. He says that for many power cycles the Jedi were the leaders of the big scrap heap, but now there are no Jedi. He says this is a problem for Jawas because without Jedi above to lead, the Jawdi below will not lead either. He says there’s talk that the Jedi are never coming back, especially now. This is a crisis for him. He asks if Rey is a Jedi, and if she will protect the Jawdi.
Rey takes the saber from her belt and breaks it, casting the pieces to the floor. The collected Jawdi stare. She says that she once believed that she was a Jedi, tasked with returning the galaxy to order, but now she is again nobody. She is merely a scavenger as they are. She has fallen, as have the Jedi. However, she says that the Jawdi might be able to help save the last of the Jedi Knights who are at this moment in the temple above. The Jawdi declare that they do not help, they merely replicate the existing order. Rey says in that case they had better redecorate down here. She says they can keep the saber, if they would but point them in the fastest way to the Jedi Temple basement.
…
Rose and Finn sit in the makeshift cell in the Jedi Temple awaiting the ceremony. Rose asks if Finn is afraid, and Finn says that he isn’t afraid of death. Rose says that it isn’t death she’s afraid of either, but of never getting to see the ones she loves ever again. She looks meaningfully at Finn and Finn draws her into a close embrace. He says that it’s been an honor to fight with her and says she taught him the value of his own life, something he wouldn’t trade for anything. Rose says she hopes that somehow Finn sees Rey again. Finn looks at Rose as if to confess something, but Rose continues that she could never measure up to Rey’s greatness and speculates that Rey could surely break them out of this prison single-handed without breaking a sweat.
The ventilation duct behind them swings open and Rey’s head appears, motioning at them to follow her.
Inside the maintenance room off the ventilation ducts the group is reunited. Finn asks how she managed their escape and she says she had a little help. He then asks about Rey’s scar and she introduces Rose to Maz. Rose says that they’ve met, sort of. Rey says the scar is from Hux, and Finn snarls in anger at that bastard. The wizened alien looks at Rose and Finn and tells Finn that she sees in his eyes a man who is far braver than the one she met those months ago in her castle, but even so there’s still something he fears. Rey looks at Finn, questioning. Before he can answer Rose remembers Thrawn’s plan and tells Rey that the fleet above them presents deadly peril for Poe. Rey looks stricken and Finn says that he has to warn him. Rey says that the only way to do that is by way of the communication center, but she has to free the knights first, and Finn’s commando unit. Finn says he doesn’t know where they are, and could still be on Thrawn’s ship. Rose says that they should split up, that she can help Maz and Finn can help Rey. Finn asks why he can’t help Maz with Rose helping Rey, and Rose looks at him as if trying to solve a trigonometry problem in her head. Light dawns and she laughs. She says for Finn to trust her, they will contact his boyfriend in time. Maz says they need to hurry. She and Rose take off for the comm center.
Rey and Finn stand in the hallway for a moment at a loss for what to do. Rey asks if Finn was really going to desert her for Poe and Finn starts to answer, but Rey interrupts him saying that this is a very important mission. He snaps back to the moment and they take off in the opposite direction to free the knights. Above them, sitting on the decorative molding of the temple hallway, sits the furry creature. It scurries off in pursuit of Maz and Rose.
Some early scenes in the Temple are improved by the CG Yoda but the ‘hate leads to anger’ bit I feel is more expressive in puppet form. Similarly, in the ‘your apprentice Skywalker will be’ scene, the puppet feels more lifelike and present in the scene. Note also in the final shot of that scene how the puppet’s face is illuminated by a soft cool light while the CG model has almost no definition. Finally, the CG in the funeral scene and the celebration scene looks egregiously bad. It almost feels like the animators got more and more pressed for time as the film went on because the first scene of CG Yoda actually looks great.
Guys. They’re both equally bad, just in different ways.
Here is my test track (music only): https://streamable.com/pwg1wp
I really like that change, and it actually makes more sense for this dramatic swell of music to accompany their connection. I never really bought Rey’s 180 insistence that Kylo could be turned since their moment of connection didn’t feel ‘big’ enough to drive the rest of the story, but here I finally buy it.
Personally, I thought Children was better than Messiah and rounds out the trilogy nicely. God Emperor jumps thousands of years into the future though, so it was too far removed to really engage me.
You could write a book about the wasted potential of Hux’s character.
…
Thrawn sits in the apartment office of Hux, holographic images of the Rebel worlds arrayed above the surface of his desk. Around each one is the image of a Star Destroyer. He zooms into one of the images and there is resolved a Resistance satellite in orbit. He marvels at the ingenuity of the Resistance operation to monitor these worlds while sabotaging Kylo’s battle fleet and commends Finn and Rose for their work. They sit before the desk. He goes on that the fruits of their long labor are about to be harvested, as these renegade ships are now delivered back to their worlds complete with their rebellious soldiers. All that the Resistance has accomplished is give the First Order a fleet full of hostages, which the Resistance falsely believes are part of Thrawn’s battle fleet.
He tells the duo that if the Resistance dares to interfere with the ceremony today that these hostages will be the first casualties they will incur. Rose says that the Resistance won’t throw their lives away on useless attacks, and Thrawn responds that they already did when they attacked the shipyards. He examines Rose’s medallion between his fingers, saying that it’s only half of a medallion from the Otomok system, a system blasted by the First Order. He knows that she, and many in the Resistance, are defined by those they’ve lost and would give their lives for even a chance of saving those they love. Finn bites back that Poe is smarter than that, and he will not only see through this deception, he will have a plan to save these crews. Thrawn says that he has given Poe a plan already, which he believes Poe will follow. Finn looks confused.
Thrawn seemingly changes the subject, pacing behind the table and musing about who will be sent to rescue Finn and Rose and the Knights of Ren. Surely they would send a few handpicked elites led by their champion in the Force, Rey. He half-turns, reconsidering. He says that perhaps this will not be so since their champion has lost all ability in the Force. Finn can’t help but look shocked, and Rose glances at him fearfully. It is too late. Thrawn smiles. He sees that this is news to Finn. He sees that if Rey didn’t deign to share this information with her closest friend, she would certainly not choose to share it with the rest of the Resistance. He thanks Finn for his help in this matter.
Finn demands to know what Rey’s abilities have to do with Thrawn’s little plan and the Grand Admiral responds that the Resistance is still caught up in the delusion of the Force. Those that cling to superstition and magic will see numerology as destiny, coincidence as fate. The Knights of the Twelve Systems will be lending their aid to the Resistance in their final hour, and with twelve rebellious planets at risk they will take the bait, dispersing these twelve fleets and shattering their strength before it is formed. These fleets may do the work of Thrawn for him, destroying the renegade soldiers in a devastating act of friendly fire. Furthermore, with the bulk of their strength wasted on these fronts, the Resistance will have only a single battered Star Destroyer and whatever squadrons they have managed to salvage with which to launch an attack on Thrawn’s entire battle fleet.
There is an alert from Hux telling Thrawn that they are bringing the Temple’s broadcast system online. He closes the holograms and moves to the door, Finn and Rose being taken by a squad of Death Troopers to their holding cells at the Temple. He says that he will eagerly await the final attack of the Resistance on board his ship, expressing sadness that he will not be present in Finn and Rose’s final moments. He returns the amulet to Rose, stating his sincere regret at her loss.
…
The interior of the Jedi Temple Archives has been turned into a massive communications hub, with satellite dishes and antennas welded to the graceful spires of the structure. People begin to gather on the colossal platform in front of the temple and to fill the stadium seats on the edges of the structure, ushered into place by legions of Stormtroopers in riot gear. At Hux’s command the generators rev into action and the broadcast system goes online, transmitting test signals to every civilized planet in the galaxy.
Maybe it would work better if you kept the line where it was originally but just zoomed in on her enough to crop out her mouth and/or added more flashes of light obscuring it. Then as she says ‘no one’ you pull back and match it up to the existing camera move in that shot, essentially making the entire shot a more dramatic zoom.
An interesting idea. I tested it and it doesn’t not work, but I’m also not entirely sold. I’d certainly need a 4K file for the shot too because you need to zoom in at least 200% to make it work.
Yep, this assumes 4K material. I think it would be more in keeping with something that would have actually been filmed.
I’m trying a new sun effect for Endor?
Thoughts?
I notice that the lighting on the Death star feels too Dark to be realistic. This isn’t a critique of your correction but more an issue that has been present since the film was released.
Here’s my attempt at fixing this issue using the overly dark 4K version as a base, brightening the Death Star highlights more than the rest of the image:
http://www.framecompare.com/image-compare/screenshotcomparison/7DK7PNNX
I also toned down the blue slightly and flipped the cruisers so that their highlights matched the lighting of the shot.
