StarkillerAG

snooker said:

Uh some main ideas are to remove any notion that Reys worth/abilities come from men. “I will earn your brothers’ saber” “You have his power.”

Didn’t get that implication at all. Angry fans on Twitter are constantly saying that this movie proves that JJ Abrams is a racist sexist homophobe, but I think many of them are reaching. The “You have his power” line does make me cringe, although more based on association to the whole Rey Palpatine mess.

Maybe have Rey use a new lightsaber throughout the whole movie? Or at least modify the Skywalker saber to be crackly like Ren’s.

The first option isn’t very likely, although I would want to see an edit where the blade is changed somewhat. Maybe the saber could be yellow the whole movie, implying that Rey had to get a new crystal? It could help set her apart from Luke and Anakin, reinforcing the novelty of a hero who isn’t special.

Remove everything that runs against thematic ideas presented in the prior movies. (Rey Nobody)

That’s kind of a given. Ever since the movie was released, Rey Nobody has been my top editing priority. I don’t think it would be hard to do, as long as you stick to a “less is more” approach.

Ben Solo lives.

That would also be interesting to see, although it’s not a top priority for me. And I know that if Ben lived, the other side of the fanbase would be complaining about a war criminal surviving without any sort of punishment. Grass is always greener on the other side of the field.

Remove implications that Finn has a crush on Rey and instead imply that he has a crush on Poe.

Not sure how a gay romance between Finn and Poe could be accomplished without rewriting the whole movie. If you just add a few passing references, it might seem shoehorned in for the sake of having a gay character. I do want to remove the “What were you going to say” subplot, although more because I don’t want to leave a dangling plot thread.

Make Palpatine less boring? Maybe he doesn’t appear until Rey sees him?

I didn’t think Palpatine was “boring” at all. He looked and sounded terrifying, and I love the mysterious feel of the Sith temple. However, I would want to postpone his reveal. Such a big twist in the 3rd act would probably seem too random, but I would like to delay the scene of Kylo meeting Palpatine. I was thinking something like the leaks:

-Rey trains with Leia, has visions
-Kylo goes to Mustafar, gets the Wayfinder
-Finn and Poe get secret info, escape the First Order
-Kylo goes to Exegol, meets Palpatine

SparkySywer said:

One example

That’s not really a changed skyline, more of an alternate camera angle. I think that’s the only example of the Coruscant CGI being changed in the DVD release.

I feel like those images are being taken out of context. The PT ships you used as examples were both used by the royal government of Naboo. Those are the only ships in the prequels that look shiny and new, the others have the same “used” aesthetic as the OT. It makes sense that the queen would be able to afford ships like that, so I really don’t consider it a plot hole.

Still better than having the entire trilogy in various shades of blue and magenta.

EddieDean said:

Whoah! How the hell did you pull together that audio?

The audio was like that in the original movie. Rey calls on the spirits of every Jedi to help defeat Palpatine. Whoever edited that just added subtle still images to match the voices.

DominicCobb said:

Broom Kid said:

I think it’s also worth remembering some people will want the best possible presentation of the Prequels, and even though the D+ versions aren’t as different - they’re still a better transfer than the 2011 blus, correct?

I believe they are the same.

No, they’re not. Disney thinks they are, which is why this 2011 mix-up happened, but the new Disney+ SE is a completely new transfer, based on the 1997 version. The color grading is different, the 2004-2011 changes have been recreated, and a few new changes have been added, including the infamous “Maclunkey”.

darklordoftech said:

StarkillerAG said:
Thrawn has no force sensitivity. The main villains of the saga, namely Palpatine and Snoke, have always been force sensitive, so it could be underwhelming to break the tradition for the final movie of the saga.

Tarkin isn’t Force-sensitive.

I know, but he wasn’t the main villain of the original movie. The unseen Emperor was, and although he wasn’t revealed to be force sensitive yet, he was clearly shown to be a Sith as early as Empire Strikes Back.

NeverarGreat said:

But that redemption was built up to for six movies, no Star Wars film has escaped that shadow. Of course there are villains who do not get redemption, like Tarkin or Palps or Dooku, but they are all acting basically of their own volition. Vader and to an extent Kylo are much more controlled and intentionally twisted by their masters into villains. You could argue that by the end of TLJ Kylo is now uncontrolled by his master, but we also see how destabilizing and weak this makes him. If he continues in this haunted, weakened vengeful state it is increasingly difficult to take him seriously as a villain, much less the ruler of the galaxy.

But what if he doesn’t stay in that weakened state? Trevorrow’s script set up a somewhat interesting character arc for Kylo. He gains more and more Force power, but in the process turns himself into a soulless machine. It reminds me of a classic tragedy, where the tragic character is destroyed by his excessive hubris. It could be a very emotional end for the character, if you don’t cop out at the last minute and have him redeemed anyway.

yotsuya said:

I think Palpatine was the best idea. It really ties in to the Flash Gordon origins of the saga. Ming seemed to die more than once and he always came back. In the 1980 film, it ends with someone picking up Ming’s ring and Mind laughing. Having Snoke be a Palpatine puppet and having Palpatine back feels similar, but more epic. In ROTJ we didn’t see him die, but here we did. I think they did a good job of finding an ending for the saga that tied things together and had that epic feel that Star Wars has always had. In 1977 it was a farmboy against the empire and the farm boy won against all odds. Starting things of that way really required something special. Had they laid the groundwork with a cohesive story instead of writing this in installments, they could have crafted a much better villain. Darth Plaugues the Wise for instance. But they didn’t. Without laying a better foundation in the previous two films, Palpatine was the best villain to come in and finish off with. It feels very mythic to me. And I like that about Star Wars. It is a modern myth and should be a bit larger than life without being campy like Flash Gordon was. I think TROS nailed it and the reason they did was because they brought Palpatine back.

You’ve made that point before, but I still disagree with it. Flash Gordon was the basis of Star Wars, but over the years it’s mostly moved beyond that. Bringing villains back from the dead is almost always cheesy as hell. And I’m pretty sure we did see Palpatine die in ROTJ, in a very similar way he died in the new movie.

I agree that Darth Plagueis would have been a much better villain though. I was one of the big believers in that theory after TFA came out, because it just makes so much sense. To bad the other two movies didn’t take that idea and run with it.

NeverarGreat said:

If done perfectly, in a decent movie, Palpatine could have worked. This was nowhere near that movie.

You’re probably right. I remember some of the early speculation, from after the teaser trailer was released, said that Palpatine would appear as a possessing spirit. The main villain would be a Sith loyalist, played by Matt Smith, who gets possessed by Palpatine’s spirit towards the end of the movie. That could have been a much better way to bring him back.

Kylo as a villain also has issues. He’s compelling, but nowhere near intimidating enough to be a ‘big bad’. Hux is a joke by the end of TLJ, so he can’t be the primary villain. Both characters are also far too hotheaded to be masterminds of the First Order. The only choice left is to create a new villain. In my rewrite I chose Thrawn since he is a perfect coolheaded mastermind with which to balance the fire of Hux, and Kylo is quickly redeemed. Yes, it is difficult to redeem such a character since he has rejected two calls so far, but it also feels wrong in a series so focused on the concept of saving conflicted characters to not have Kylo be redeemed.

I understand why you chose Thrawn as the villain in your rewrite, but for me it has two issues:

1. Thrawn has no force sensitivity. The main villains of the saga, namely Palpatine and Snoke, have always been force sensitive, so it could be underwhelming to break the tradition for the final movie of the saga.
2. Thrawn wasn’t established at all in the previous two movies. Just like what happened with Palpatine, randomly introducing a new main villain in the final movie of a trilogy is probably not a good idea.

Those are also the main reasons why I wish Kylo would have been the main villain. I disagree with the idea that Star Wars is all about redeeming villains, that has only happened once in the entire saga.

OutboundFlight said:

It’s a fine line to cross. Because on one hand, TFA and TLJ have done a really bad job setting up Kylo as the villain. He’s a joke, and shows little fear. In a perfect world, this would not have been the case (at least for TLJ).

I have to disagree with this. TFA may have showed Kylo as a joke villain and Darth Vader cosplayer, but TLJ did a great job setting up Kylo as the main villain of the third movie. He sheds his connection to the past, becomes a true Sith by killing his master, and basically becomes the new galactic emperor. I’m convinced Kylo would have made a great villain for the third movie. Trevorrow’s script almost got there, but then copped out by giving him a last minute deathbed redemption.

Gothamknight said:

The following video absolutely eviscerates ‘Rise of Skywalker’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0528-TlRODI&t=3617s

Makes me wonder if it’s worth even trying to reedit it.

I wouldn’t be too discouraged by that video. I’ve seen it already, it’s entertaining but it’s basically 5,000 nitpicks. I think this movie can still be salvageable, regardless of any potential plot holes.

On the other hand, I was already planning a mashup of TFA and TLJ. Would a mashup of all three be doable? I’m wondering if the map at the beginning of TFA could actually be a map to Exegol: both the First Order and the Resistance could be tracking rumors of a Sith world beyond the Outer Rim, and for obvious reasons trying to be the first to get there.

If that premise can work, then maybe such a mashup is doable. Any other suggestions???

That premise could potentially work, but you’d have to either remove or change a lot of dialogue. I don’t think a sequels 3-in-1 is doable. Unlike the prequels, the sequels actually have some sort of substance to their plot. You can’t just cut a bunch of footage without having no idea what’s going on.

The beam is missing throughout the movie. It’s not just that scene.

Thank you Neverar for making me remember why I hated this movie. I was actually beginning to like it for a minute.

Tantive3+1 said:

ChainsawAsh said:

Tantive3+1 said:

It is, but only during the flashback scenes in TLJ showing what happened between him and Kylo.

Exactly - the only time he’s using the saber that’s supposed to be green, it is green, therefore there’s no problem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=QwWrmSP65lM

I assume you didn’t pay attention to the hilt. This is the original scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdgxfH_nPIY&t=95

It’s clearly Anakin’s saber.

After rewatching The Rise of Skywalker for the digital release, I’m beginning to like it more than I did in theaters. Because of that, here’s an updated ranking:

1. Star Wars (1977)
   An absolute classic. I must have seen it 500 times already, and I’m still hooked every time.

2. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
   An almost perfect movie, but I still don’t get quite as much enjoyment out of it as I did with the original.

3. Return of the Jedi (1983)
   Still a great movie, but not really on the level of the other two. The endless wacky aliens really bring it down.

4. The Force Awakens (2015)
   Not very original, but it succeeded in making everyone interested in the franchise again. Too bad its sequels were so controversial.

5. The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
   A decent conclusion to the sequel trilogy. Some of the revelations are kind of lame, but it doesn’t deserve the constant hate it’s been getting.

6. The Last Jedi (2017)
   Some scenes are good in isolation, and I like the overall message, but the meandering subplots and cringeworthy humor don’t do it any favors.

7. Revenge of the Sith (2005)
   Much better than the other two prequels, but still not good. I like some scenes, but the movie as a whole ranges from stupid to bland.

8. Rogue One (2016)
   Basically just two hours of “Remember this?” The characters are as bland as the color grading, but at least the final battle sequence is pretty neat.

9. The Phantom Menace (1999)
   I don’t like the cartoonish humor or the boring plot, but it’s by far the most “filmic” prequel. The others feel like video games by comparison.

10. Solo (2018)
    Like Rogue One, but worse. Everything bad about that movie is turned up to 11 here. I can’t remember a single moment I liked.

11. Attack of the Clones (2002)
    The only Star Wars movie that’s completely unwatchable for me. The acting is atrocious, the plot makes no sense, and some scenes are just painful to watch.

Tantive3+1 said:

According to GL he always originally intended for the episode title to be added to the SW opening crawl back in '77 but the studio wouldn’t let him.

I wouldn’t put my faith into anything he says, especially concerning retroactive changes. Because his narrative is always “I wanted to make this change before, but I just couldn’t do it. Now, with DIGITAL MAGIC, I can make the movies the way I always wanted them to be!”

NeverarGreat said:

LIGHT OF THE KILLING MOON

Sounds like the title of a vampire romance novel.

Here’s my own stab at an opening crawl. I tried to get the same info across, but with a few tweaks:

A spark of hope! Waves of rebellion have engulfed the First Order.
Supreme Leader KYLO REN searches for the source of his master’s
dark power, hoping to bend the galaxy to his will.

As Resistance agents gain information from a secret First Order
spy, General LEIA ORGANA trains her apprentice REY in the ways
of the Force, with the help of ancient Jedi texts.

On the volcanic planet Mustafar, Kylo rages in search of an artifact
owned by his grandfather, which legend says will lead him to a secret
world in the Unknown Regions, home to a familiar dark influence…

That’s why I describe the 1977-1996 versions as “Star Wars”, and the 1997-today versions as “A New Hope”. When George added a bunch of CGI effects and bizarre comedy that make the movie feel like it was made in the 90’s, it stopped being the same movie to me.

NeverarGreat said:

StarkillerAG said:

I had the same idea you did about someone else helping Rey lift the rocks, except I wanted Leia to lift them. I think that could be a much better option. It would set up Leia training Rey in TROS, to make these movies seem more connected. It would show that although Rey has plenty of raw strength, as demonstrated in the rest of the movie, she still needs to learn to concentrate. And it would avoid deifing Luke’s character by having someone who hasn’t shown much Force sensitivity before performing such an enormous task.

That would be good, except that there’s really no footage that can be made to indicate this.

I was thinking about it, and I think it could be done. I was imagining something like this:

• Luke gives his “Everything you just said was wrong” speech, and says that he will not be the last Jedi.
• Cut to Kylo saying “I’ll destroy her, and you, and all of it!” Kylo tries to kill Luke, but realizes that he’s a Force projection. Luke collapses on the steps of the temple.
• Cut to Rey, eyes closed, trying to lift the rocks. She can’t do it.
• Cut to the shot of Leia looking up, from earlier, with a Force push sound effect added.
• Light fills the eyes of the Resistance members, and Rey opens her eyes in surprise to find the rocks lifted.

I had the same idea you did about someone else helping Rey lift the rocks, except I wanted Leia to lift them. I think that could be a much better option. It would set up Leia training Rey in TROS, to make these movies seem more connected. It would show that although Rey has plenty of raw strength, as demonstrated in the rest of the movie, she still needs to learn to concentrate. And it would avoid deifying Luke’s character, by having someone who hasn’t shown much Force sensitivity before performing such an enormous task.

ray_afraid said:

How do you pronounce Tantive IV?
I’ve always said “Tant-ev Four” but apparently it’s supposed to be “Tan-tee-vee Four”???

I always heard it as “Tan-teev Four”.

The link got deleted, what was it? Saltier Than Crait? Reylo Twitter? Because both of those places are toxic as hell.

RogueLeader said:

I think you would have to cut less than you think. If you never saw the movie before, you probably wouldn’t even notice the difference, pacing-wise. At the very least, you might want to insert dialogue here and there to replace some of the dialogue you remove.

I’ve thought about it, and you would have to cut a lot. Here’s everything you’d have to remove:

• The end of Palpatine’s conversation with Kylo (“She is not who you think she is”)
• Rey having flashes of her parents during the training scene
• Rey saying “I’ve seen that ship before”
• Rey hearing echoes of the TFA flashback when she touches Ochi’s knife
• Rey talking to Finn about her parents leaving on Ochi’s ship
• Almost all of the force bond lightsaber duel (it might have to be cut completely)
• Almost all of the hangar scene (might feel too abrupt without Kylo’s dialogue)
• Rey saying “He killed my mother, and my father”
• Finn telling Poe about Ochi killing Rey’s parents
• All lines where Luke directly addresses Rey’s heritage
• Most of Rey confronting Palpatine (he mentions their heritage a lot)

It’s a lot, and I’m worried it would make the film feel even more rushed than it already is. And like I said, Rey being worried about going evil is probably too generic of a conflict for the final movie of a saga.