I finally got to watch the edit, having previously only seen the first half of the series. I really liked it.
A number of things stand out to me though:
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The pre-title intro is incredibly short. Because I got the editing itch myself, I tried moving the title later, right after he sits up at night trying to contact QuiGon. From the title, I transitioned to the first Alderaan scene. It works really well.
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The underline in the title is still odd. I know it’s minor, but it’s very random and puzzling once your eye sees it.
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Not necessarily an issue with your edit as much as with the original, but those inquisitors hang out for a long time on Tatooine doing nothing. I tried rearranging their scenes into a tighter sequence, and it flows pretty well. In my version, Owen confronts ObiWan, then the inquisitors land. Instead of walking to the bar, they give their anti-Jedi speech and interrogate Owen. They then proceed to the bar, where we discover that it’s not actually ObiWan they were looking for.
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On a related note, in the edit, it’s hard to tell why the Jedi has been hung/hung himself. The inquisitors left already and he never showed up again after the bar scene. The TikTok guy’s version implies that he got killed at the bar, and while that’s abrupt, it makes more sense, especially if the street interrogation gets moved up like I suggested.
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I’m fond of the new merged rescue scene, but after watching the whole film, I wonder if it’s really necessary or the best choice. It’s odd that there is such a high-tech and expansive base hidden under the city. It introduces tiny consistency issues, the most significant of which you have needed to address via extra digital manipulation. It is a cooler sequence than the original, but it’s kind of puzzling how easy it is for ObiWan to get in and out, why he is able to use the force slightly without alerting Vader, and why there’s not an instant alert throughout the city as soon as he emerges from the sewers. I get that it’s a setup, so that can explain some of the ease. It just seems maybe too elaborate just to get him outside where he has to be caught again. It’s also a bit incongruous as the rest of the edited movie takes place on the fringes of the galaxy. By making this a major shiny base, it sticks out as the only “civilized” location in the film, and it’s only a sub-location.
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It’s a sweet moment when ObiWan repairs Lola, but in the edit, we don’t get the scene where she gets broken by the mercenary leader. It’s not a great scene, so I understand why it was cut, but it raises questions.
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Since you drop the plotline with Reva recapturing Leia, why do you still show her looking in doors and finding the escape tunnel? Once again, I was able to tighten this sequence up by rearranging nearby scenes. I merged a couple of the early dual scenes and then went from the inquisitors in the streets to Tala leading Leia through the tunnel, then immediately to Tala leaving to rescue ObiWan, before cutting back to the conclusion of the dual. It flows well and cuts the momentum of events much less.
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The spacing and amount of scenes where we see Vader’s ship coming and the pre-rebels prepping for the attack is awkward. I made some efforts to tighten it up, but the original really drags this out while also including enough solid character stuff that it’s hard to trim. And how long is Leia working on that door???
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I wish that the Order 66 shots of Anakin had also been de-aged.
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The call from Organa is awkward. I was able to trim it by cutting straight from Leia agreeing to enter the vent to her opening the hatch. Then I had the Empire land and start shooting the door. Then we see ObiWan quietly thinking (after his phone call that didn’t happen).
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I moved the shot of the transport flying out the atmosphere so that it’s a quick cutaway near the start of Reva’s attack on Vader. In the original, I barely understood what had happened with the second transport escaping, and then it took way too long to reach space.
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I love most of your music choices throughout the edit, but when Vader lands for the final dual, isn’t that a mix of the Separatist march and the Imperial march? The Separatist part just seems random.
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What is the purpose of the final Mustafar scene?
I think that’s it for feedback. Overall, I really enjoyed your work and think it’s very well done. Your editing choices are sometimes bold, and I think that really pays off. Your transitions are polished, and your story has a lot of heart with minimal distraction.
I’m not sure about posting my own “edit,” since over 90% is directly derived from your own, but I’d be happy to share it with you if you want to see any of my changes in action. I made quite a few tiny adjustments as well just to tighten up dialogue etc. Let me know if you’re interested.
Thanks again for sharing your work.
