Tack said:
If we're allowed to make our own lists of preferences...
Opening:
1. Make a new crawl. The current ROTJ crawl is underwhelming. Agreed.
2. The Executor should be the first shot, and the shuttle should slowly grow and fly past the camera. A reverse angle of it flying toward the Death Star II show be our first glimpse of the new Death Star. Rest of the opening normally. That sounds pretty good.
3. Reinsert the deleted footage of Vader contacting Luke telepathically. A very chilling scene for a much darker opening. I like this too.
4. Recolor the footage of Luke in the cave to make it look like he's on Dagobah. Which cave?
5. Cut to a few exterior shots of Dagobah, then the Yoda's Twilight scene, recut to make it seem like Luke has been there since the end of ESB, making him more mature. I like this character dynamic of him having been separated from his friends for a long time. I think this is a good idea. Otherwise it seems like he didn't spend nearly enough time training.
6. After Luke's conversation with Ben, cross-wipe to a newly constructed shot of C-3PO outside the cave with the deleted matte painting of the X-wing and Falcon. Cut to the 3P0 and R2 segment of the deleted opening. The implication of this new opening is that Luke was recording his message for Jabba in the cave. This may not be necessary, but I wouldn't mind seeing it in the movie.
7. Replace the "this awful place" line with "that awful place" from the Story OF album. I'll have to re-watch the scene it appears in to give an opinion on that one.
8. 3PO's redundant dialogue should be removed. You know 'He's still frozen in carbonite'. I think redundant dialogue is part of C-3PO's character, so I think most of it should be left in. The laughing after that line should be cut down though.
9. Still keep the droids being lead to the torture chamber, but remove the EV-9D9 torture scene itself. I think everything in that scene should be kept except for the shots of droids actually being tortured.
10. Cut down the musical number, make it a mix of both the SE and Original. My idea, background singers from SE, puppet from OT, music from the music video. Struggle from the OT. Make it shorter, though. Reintegrate the Oola in the pit scene from the SE. I would love it done this way!
Jabba's Palace Battle:
1. Bantha Scene from SE should be in there. Yup.
2. Original Saarlac. Only if it's given more life. The sounds from the new Saarlac should definitely be replaced though
3. The original music cue for the barge battle should be used. I don't remember the original cue so I can't comment on this. Most of the original music was better though.
4. Remove Boba's final line. Ridiculous. Which final line? The scream? If so, the scream should be replaced with a manly grunt :)
5. Redit the music so that the cue ends when the skiif flies off screen. Sounds good.
6. Reintegrate the Sandstorm scene. Use soundalikes to do ADR, and also remove Luke's allusion to going to Dagobah. Create a new shot when Luke looks back, showing the Falcon taking off through the Sandstorm. Compose new music. I don't think this would work well or be necessary, but if it can be done...
7. New FX to show Falcon going to lightspeed and Luke following after them. Sounds good.
Endor:
1. Recut shuttle taking off to leave out Han's line about not seeing the Falcon again. I've already voiced my opinion on this one.
2. Recut shuttle to show Luke having a silent conversation with Vader. Luke says nothing through the whole scene. Perhaps, if it would work.
3. New shot showing the shuttle landing. Sure.
4. Chewie roars to alert the Scout Trooper, Han steps on no twig. I could go either way on this one.
5. Remove Wicket finding Leia scene. I think it should be kept. It explains how Leia ended up with the Ewoks and why she isn't being eaten like the rest were supposed to be, and the only reason to take it out would be to make the Ewoks less cute, but Wicket is supposed to be a young Ewok anyway.
6. The Ewok pokes Han only once before he freaks out. Yes, Han doesn't have the patience to allow someone to poke him even once.
7. Han does not get jealous at Leia and Luke. I think it adds to the romantic side of the story which is much, much, much better done than the one in AotR.
Epic Battle:
1. Reinstate General Madine's footage. Some of it. If it can be done, then do it.
2. The Ewok does not survive. A lot of the Ewoks shouldn't survive.
3. Reinstate a newly edited version of the bunker battle. Edited how? If you mean it needs more, and fiercer Ewoks, more Ewok deaths, Chewie should take over the AT-ST sooner, some rebels should die, the Imperials shouldn't die so easily and should have better aim, etc.
4. Show a new shot of the TIEs taking off from the Star Destroyers. They could be improved.
5. New scenes of the battle showing some of the deleted pilots. +1
6. New scenes aboard the Falcon, showing the gunner ports. It would add to the battle for sure, so do it.
7. More Ewoks should die. As I said above a couple times, YES, YES, YES, YES!
8. Chewie should get into the action earlier, so it's more believable that they win. I thought you had mentioned this somewhere. I vote for this as well.
9. Show some footage of Ewok's with friggin' lazer beams from Battle for Endor. I could go with this too.
10. New shot of Vader's severed arm, with more mechanical parts than wires. Make it match up to Anakin's mechanical arm in Episode III.
11. Wedge could possibly not make it out of the Death Star. Possibly, but only if you could make it so that he is missed, since he was a valued pilot.
Ending:
There's two ways this could go...
1. Just have Luke at the pyre. As soon as Vader's on fire, Sebastian Shaw fades in and Ben, Yoda, and he look on. The camera pans up, credits. I can't remember if it already ends when Leia brings Luke away from the force ghosts, but it should end there.
2. Basically a cross between the OT ending and the SE ending. No planetary celebrations. Victory Celebration (soundtrack version) as the music. Have some of the shots from the '97 version, but most of the longer shots from the OT version. Sebastian Shaw with the ghosts, with the longer shot from the '97 version. I like that, but maybe the celebration should just be kept in the background.
