Synopsis:

After 15+ years of noodling, I've finally landed on a version of the prequels that I prefer. The main concept is to fix AOTC, the weakest link that brings down the other two, and make TPM lead into it, and ROTS build from it. The biggest problem I have with these movies isn’t necessarily the content. There’s some stuff I’m not crazy about, such as midichlorians and some of Anakin’s whiney, creepy behavior, sure. However, the biggest problem to me is in the minute to minute pacing. They just feel… weird? Off? Something’s not quite right in every single scene. The most egregious example is AOTC, where seemingly nobody talks like a human being, characters stand around clearly waiting for their cue, and much of the action mostly falls flat. Even worse, the love story doesn’t work, partly because I think they focused on it way too much. The dialogue between Anakin and Padme is shockingly strange, but the chemistry between the two actors is definitely there. Just letting them spend time together would have sold it enough. So I’m taking another crack at the Prequels, but I’m starting with AOTC, the biggest problem with the trilogy. Once I get that working, I can build up to it with TPM, and off of it with ROTS. The idea here is to go into every scene and remove that disjointed, stagey, unnatural feeling that permeates the film. Action will be pumped up and pacey, conversations will have that zing that they’re lacking, and the movie will move along at a steady pace.

Intentions:

Improve the pacing of all three films to feel more in-line with the originals. Flesh out the story and characters with deleted scenes and content from other Star Wars projects.

Change List:

- Tons of micro-cuts throughout for pacing. They will not all be noted here. - Added classic Fox fanfare and Lucasiflm logo. - Cut a lot of dialogue in the space battle and removed the buzz droids sequence. - Kept the shot of Obi-Wan leaping out of his cruiser. Never got why people cut that. It's very cool. - Cut shot of Anakin in the cockpit removing his seatbelt. - Added some score over the hanger scene. - Cut most of the business with them reaching Palpatine, keeping just the destroyer droids/droids on the elevator. - Cut Dooku leaping over the railing. - Cut some dialogue throughout this sequence. - Cut a few of Palpatine's silly reaction shots. - Obi-Wan no longer has a giant scaffold dropped on top of him. - Cut Anakin's hesitation in killing Dooku. - Cut Palpatine's line about the sand people. - Cut Obi-Wan being retrieved. - Cut some dialogue when the ships are firing their batteries at each other. - I used HAL's editing as a blueprint for them getting captured in the elevator shaft, removing the ray shields sequence. - Cut Anakin's "I thought you'd be taller" - Added music over the battle on the bridge. - Cut some little bits of dialogue as they pilot the ship down to Coruscant. - Trimmed up Anakin and Obi-Wan's banter when they arrive to meet Mace. - Added the "plot to destroy the Jedi" deleted scene after Grievous contacts Palpatine. - Cut the balcony scene with Anakin and Padme. - Cut Anakin saying "I'm honored" - Trimmed Anakin's reaction to not becoming a master so it's less whiny, but still angry. - Added the first Senate deleted scene after Obi-Wan and Anakin speak at the temple. - Anakin does not tell Padme she's "starting to sound like a Separatist" - Cut mention of Midichlorians. - Added second Senate scene after the Opera - Added third Senate scene after Obi-Wan arrives on Utapau - Cut Obi-Wan getting the lizard-horse, go straight to Grievous addressing the Separatists. - Cut Grievous' "You fool! I'm trained in the blah blah blah" - Trimmed up the fight sequence for pacing. - Trimmed Anakin realizing Palpatine is the Sith lord so he catches on a bit quicker. - Trimmed the second Grievous fight for pacing. - Trimmed Anakin and Mace discussing Palpatine so Anakin doesn't sound so much like he is trying to save Palpatine. - Removed 3PO from a shot where Padme is staring out the window. - Darkened Palpatine's office slightly when he's confronted. - Trimmed the scene where Palpatine attacks so it's a little more violent and sudden. - Cut some of the sillier shots of their fight. - Used Hal's version of the Palpatine reveal and Mace's death. - Removed a large chunk of the dialogue in the naming scene. Added a slight camera shake to Anakin's shots to make him feel more unbalanced. - Order 66 has been completely reworked. Yoda's scene is now the cap on the sequence, and footage from Book of Boba Fett and Mandalorian are included to open the scene up. Anakin no longer personally kills the Younglings. - Cut some of the Padawan's acrobatics when Bail goes to the temple. - Combined two of Obi-Wan's scenes when he swims up and escapes. - Changed the music when Obi-Wan arrives at Bail's ship to feel less triumphant. - Cut Anakin's yellow eyes and some of his acrobatics when he kills the Separatist leaders. - Cut Yoda deciding to fight Palpatine. - Obi-Wan doesn't say he saw Anakin "Killing Younglings" - Obi-Wan does not verbally respond to "You're going to kill him?" - Cut the shot of Obi-Wan hiding in the toilet, we just see him get onboard the ship in the wide shot. - Trimmed Anakin and Padme's dialogue on Mustafar for pacing. - A few Obi-Wan lines are cut when he speaks to Anakin, so it's more of Anakin going on an unhinged rant. - Yoda vs. Palpatine is cut, we stay with the Battle of the Heroes the whole time. - All dialogue is cut after they start fighting until Anakin is beaten. - Medical droid dialogue replaced (by me, it's my voice) - Cut everything with Vader after the helmet closes. - Cut discussion of Qui-Gon and training for Obi-Wan. - Changed the transition from 3PO to Padme's funeral so it's not that silly looking circle-in on his face.

Additional Notes:

The intention here is to build off of a significantly improved AOTC, paying off character arcs in an exciting, intense way. Footage from various Star Wars TV series was used to bolster the Order 66 sequence.

Other Sources:

Star Wars Soundtracks Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi The Mandalorian The Book of Boba Fett

Special Thanks:

Artisdead