Synopsis:

This is a streamlined, fast-paced, and hopefully more believable version of Anakin Skywalker’s transformation to Darth Vader.

Intentions:

I like the prequels. I like “Revenge of the Sith”. It does, however, have a few shortcomings, the biggest of which I think is that it doesn’t make the audience sympathize with Anakin. Between Anakin and Obi-Wan, the audience is more aligned with the latter, while it should have been the other way around, at least until Anakin’s turn. One of the goals of this edit is thus to realign the audience’s sympathies. This has been done by presenting Anakin and Palpatine as the only (apparently) truthful and honest characters. I’ve also altered the scene where Anakin “turns” to make the turn less sudden. Instead of having him fully embrace the dark side in this scene, I’ve tried to reedit it so that Anakin only joins Palpatine because he’s left with no other choice. As such, there’s no longer any one point where Anakin turns to the dark side — it’s a more gradual descent into darkness beginning with the killing of Mace Windu and ending with Anakin being locked in the suit. Other changes have been made to improve pacing, while some have been made just for fun.

Change List:

Cuts removed/added/extended: - New opening crawl - Cut Anakin’s lines about Grievous’ ship and Vulture Droids, as well as Obi-Wan’s response - Cut Anakin’s “This is where the fun begins” - Cut the missiles and buzz droids - Moved “Oh, I have a bad feeling about this” so it comes in response to Anakin’s “General Grievous’ ship is dead ahead” - Cut the lines about the ship’s shields still being up - Cut Anakin unbuckling his seatbelts - Cut the battle droid’s “There they are! - Cut Anakin’s “I sense Count Dooku” - Cut directly from “Spring the trap” to Grievous’ introduction - Cut the elevator sequence - Added music to the duel with Dooku - Cut Palpatine’s “Get help” etc. and Obi-Wan’s response - Cut Dooku’s jump from the balcony - Cut Anakin’s “My powers have doubled” and Dooku’s response - Cut the balcony falling on Obi-Wan - Cut Palpatine urging Anakin to kill Dooku - Cut from Palpatine’s “You did well, Anakin” to the Star Destroyer attacking Grievous’ ship - Cut Anakin’s “We’re in a bit of a situation here” - Cut Anakin’s “Oops!” - Trimmed the falling elevator scene - Cut Grievous’ “Activate ray shields!” - Cut the “We’re smarter than this” dialogue - Cut bits of the dialogue of the Grievous confrontation - Trimmed the fight on the bridge - Replaced Grievous’ “You lose, General Kenobi!” with “Time to abandon ship, jedi scum!” - Cut Grievous launching the escape pods - Cut Anakin’s “The ability to pilot this thing is irrelevant” - Trimmed the destruction and descent of Grievous’ ship - Cut Obi-Wan’s “We’re still flying half a ship” - Shortened the shuttle landing sequence - Trimmed the conversation between Anakin and Obi-Wan - Cut reference to Grievous being a coward - Cut Anakin’s “Spare parts” line - Cut bits of Anakin and Padme’s reuinion - Replaced venetian blinds transition with a straight cut - Shortened the landing on Utapau - Cut Sidious telling Grievous to send the separatists to Mustafar - Cut balcony scene and Anakin’s nightmare, going directly from Sidious’ closeup to Anakin waking up - Trimmed the conversation between Anakin and Padme - Trimmed the conversation between Anakin and Yoda - Trimmed the conversation between Anakin and Obi-Wan - Replaced the strange transition used after the scene in Palpatine’s office with a linear wipe - Reinserted the “A Plot to Destroy the Jedi?” deleted scenes, with a few cuts and alterations - Cut Anakin’s whining to the Jedi Council when he’s not made a master - Trimmed Anakin and Obi-Wan’s conversation in the hallway of the temple - The scene in the gunship ends with Mace Windu’s “So the prophecy says.” - Trimmed the balcony scene with Anakin and Padme, and ending it after “What is it?” “Nothing” - Reinserted a trimmed version of the “Stirring in the Senate” deleted scene - Shortened the opera scene, removing mention of midichlorians among other things - Cut Yoda’s “Quickly and decisively we must act” - Trimmed the Anakin/Obi-Wan talk before Obi-Wan leaves for Utapau - Reinserted the final “Birth of the Rebellion” deleted scene - Obi-Wan’s adventure on Utapau has been shortened, recut and altered quite extensively - Cut the scene in the Jedi war room - Tightened the scene in Palpatine’s office - Cut Anakin’s “I wish I knew. I know there are things about the Force that they’re not telling me.” - Shortened and reordered Palpatine’s revelation, making Anakin catch on a bit quicker and removing the “Jedi are evil” subplot and Anakin wanting to kill Palpatine - Cut from Grievous’ death to Mace Windu’s “A Sith Lord?” - Changed the “venetian blinds” wipe to an iris - Cut C-3PO walking up to Padme - Cut Palpatine’s “I take it General Grievous has been destroyed, then” - Palpatine’s attack and killing the three Jedi has been made faster - Trimmed Palpatine vs. Windu - Shortened and changed the Anakin/Palpatine/Windu confrontation, removing Palpatine’s first lightning attack among other things - Cut Palpatine’s first “Good” - Cut Palpatine’s “To cheat death” etc. - Cut Anakin’s “Thank you, my master” - Cut Palpatine’s “along with all the senators” and replaced Anakin’s reply with “I understand, Master” - Cut Palpatine’s “including your friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi” - Cut Palpatine’s “We must move quickly” etc. - Reordered some reaction shots of Anakin - The scene ends with Palpatine’s “to save Padme”. - Cut the scene with Padme watching the burning Jedi Temple - Cut the scene with Bail at the Jedi Temple - Cut the scene with Obi-Wan swimming - Cut the scene with AT-STs searching for Wookiees - Cu t the scene with Yoda leaving Kashyyyk - Replaced the “venetian blinds” transition from Obi-Wan’s ship to Padme’s apartment with a wipe - Cut Anakin’s “I’m fine. I’m fine. I came to see if you and the baby are safe.” - Cut Anakin’s “I will not betray the Republic” - Cut Anakin’s “and with the Senate, and with you.” - Cut the dialogue between C-3PO and Padme - Cut Yoda’s “Hmm. Suggest dismantling the coded signal, do you?” and Obi-Wan’s response - Cut the scene with the separatists.

Additional Notes:

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Other Sources:

Special Thanks: