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Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace: Reborn:

MCP

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Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace: Reborn:


I watched this for May 4th and it warmed my heart. Whatever else I may say or you may read, know this: TM2YC has made a this into a much better movie than the theatrical version, and one that every Star Wars fan should watch! (detailed comments for hardcore fans follow)

This is really a fanedit for the Star Wars fan. And I mean unqualified fans, not people who worship the original trilogy and s**t on the prequels. If someone is just determined to hate the prequels, there isn't anything that can change their mind. But if you view them as imperfect films with very enjoyable parts, then this is a very smart and thoughtful edit which will greatly improve your enjoyment.

Firstly, some technical details. I used Handbrake to shrink the size of this file, and I applied some filters as well so that there's less of a difference in the footage between scenes. However, the audio is only available in 2 channels, which is disappointing since the audio for this film is some of the most intricate and robust I've ever heard. In terms of editing though, TM2YC did a phenomenal job editing around a very dense score, so I found the audio to be quite enjoyable. The visual editing was top drawer as well, though a trifle quick on some of the wipes. Not a big deal, as it makes the film really move, but it's a stylistic point I would've slowed down by a 1/2 second.

Okay: narrative. It should be said that the deleted scenes for the prequels are almost all great, so I'm happy for their inclusion here. They would've made the films too long though, but thankfully other bits are deleted instead. The only deleted scene I felt added nothing was the "dawn before the podrace" scene, but it's like 25 seconds, so not a big deal. Of the scenes that were eliminated from the theatrical cut, most were excellent calls. I could've done with a bit more of Padme/Amidala, a fuller Darth Maul/Qui-Gon fight (which somehow lost impact for me), and I actually liked the 3 stooges droids. I understand leaving them out, though.

The effect of the deleted material is to reshape the portrayal of several key characters, which is the real genius of this edit....

Jar Jar: the elephant in the room. What you do with Jar Jar defines TPM, and it's the greatest strength of this edit. Using the Portuguese voice performance not only allows for rewriting the bad dialogue for him, but it highlights how ridiculous Ahmed Best's performance was. Honestly, credit should be given to the Portuguese actor in the end titles, because he saves Jar Jar. There are notes of strength and pride in his voice that don't come out in the original, which combined with the new subs allow him to be a bit naive, a bit scared, but ultimately a worthy ally, and dare I say it....likeable?

Anakin: poor Jake Lloyd. This movie both made and ruined his life. Lucas' philosophy was basically to cast the right actors and then let them do their thing, giving them minimal direction. That may've worked for actors like Harrison Ford, James Earl Jones, Liam Neeson, Frank Oz, or Ian McDiarmid, who have all given iconic performances in Star Wars films. But for younger actors like Mark Hamill, Hayden Christensen, or Jake Lloyd, it has always left their performances feeling weaker by comparison. Lloyd could just not pull off the ridiculous dialogue thrown at him in many scenes, but thankfully: they're almost all removed here! The line-by-line dialogue editing leaves us with an Anakin that's kind of an adorable little kid: brave, talented, and earnest. With the deleted scenes and keeping C3PO in, it paints a picture of him as a loner, a bit of an outsider who feels a lot of social pressure, and also the jealousy and mistrust of others. It's nearly perfect for a young Vader. My only quibble is that just after Qui-Gon tells him to "keep close" at the end, Anakin runs off with Padme in the palace and immediately jumps into a starfighter. It feels a bit TOO bold in this edit (though I appreciate cutting the ridiculous coincidences..."What does THIS do?"). Perhaps a simple line of Padme yelling "ANAKIN!" from a later film would at least lend context to him running off (whereas now it FEELS like an edit).

Padme/Amidala: okay, as I mentioned, I could've done with more of her scenes in the film. Portman is a great actress, and always a pleasure to watch. Anakin's responses were often cheesy though, so I can forgive the deletions. The big hang-up is the reveal with the Gungans. If you've seen the film even one time, that's clearly Portman in plain clothes talking to Boss Nass in that scene, with her double as the Queen behind. Then you rewatch and notice that yes, Keira Knightly and Natalie Portman are two different people, and Knightly is often playing the Queen with Portman at the side. With no explanation, this just makes little sense. I always thought this aspect of TPM was quite clever really, and it's touching when the double is killed in the assassination attempt at the start of AotC. Without the reveal to Boss Nass here, that later scene will lose impact. I really don't understand the editor's insistence of the two being one person, as the film loses nothing by having the plot, and arguably gains a lot. The little hints along the way are unnecessary, but the ending scene where Padme talks to Noss really needs the full reveal.

The other trims are all very good choices that remove 100% of the slapstick from the film, and 97% of the silliness. There are still a couple yelps from Jar Jar and whoops from Anakin, and the droids are often a source of levity. However, those parts are mostly consistent with the original trilogy. This edit does a great job of trimming the most over-the-top bits of the theatrical cut, while keeping it essentially the same. For example, the Republic does have science that can test people medically...the Force isn't all magic. But specifics are left out. (I could've dealt with cutting out the "virgin birth" explanation by Anakin's mom, too, preferring her to simply look aside and then ask if Qui Gon could help...) All the rigamarole with the Gungans is cut out, allowing them to appear simply as a proud nativistic warrior race. The pod race, the 2nd best part of the film, is given its full due. The final fight with Maul flows better as well, with trims to the cross cuts away from it being much shorter, so it keeps momentum. Personally, I liked the original ending to the fight, as the symbolism of Obi Wan taking his master's lightsaber was great, and it seemed more realistic that he struggled more to fight the man who beat his master. But I can forgive the edit, because it's done so well.

All in all, there are a few quibbles I have with the edit, but it's far and away the best edit of the film I've seen (out of MANY), and a much superior version of the film to the original. You're doing God's work, TM2YC.


https://ifdb.fanedit.org/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace-reborn/discussions/10950/
 
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