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Return of the Jedi: Dan Edit

stretch009

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If you have any links to your latest version of the RotJ: Dan Edit I would definitely like to have them. I couldn't find them on Fanedit.info. Thanks in advance.

- Dave


yads said:
While I'm waiting for the edit to be accepted/denied by FE, if anyone wants the RS links directly send me a PM.
 

yads

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The edit has been approved, and after discussing it with L8wrtr I decided I'd create a NTSC DVD to go alongside the PAL xvid. However in order to do this I need to ask the fanedit community for two big favours:

1) I need some cover artwork for the release. I have no skills at all in this area - so I'd MASSIVELY appreciate it if someone could cook something up!

2) My internet at home is rubbish (like, 5kbs per second rubbish), so I can't realistically upload the NSTS DVD. If someone in the UK would be willing to, I'll send the DVD to them - and I'll throw in a few of my other fanedits, as a thank you.

Again, thanks for any replies and assistance offered!

Dan.
 

Gaith

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So, Fett can really be cut from the Sarlaac sequence? He's not lurking around the edges of too many establishing shots of the skiff? Interesting!
 

yads

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Yeah he's been cut; cutting him from the Sarlacc sequence wasn't too hard, the tricky part was cutting him from Jabba's palace.
 

L8wrtr

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Return of the Jedi - The bastard-child of the Original Trilogy franchise. There is so much right with Jedi, yet it is tarnished by what many see as the foreshadowing of Lucas' declining vision and abilities as a filmmaker; needless jokes that fall flat, childish pandering which yes, even I liked as a kid but have soured on over the years. As if a precursor to The Phantom Menace, many good scenes are sidetracked with injected humor that has no purpose.

With his first fanedit, Yads has taken on the challenge of making Return of the Jedi the deserving conclusion to the best space saga of all-time.

This review is intended as an unbiased review of the edit, any comments should be taken as constructive and not personal attacks on the editor.

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Video Quality
Yads yas at the time of this review supplied only a 25fps avi so I could only watch this on my 24" monitor. The video quality was in-line with an AVI so it is difficult to evaluate.
No score.

Audio Quality
While I don't have a full 5.1 sound system on my computer, I have a decent audio set-up and the audio sounded good. No harsh or abrupt audio transitions, no omg adjust the volume jumps or drops, but again because of the AVI I can't offer a specific score except to say there were no jarring deficiencies beyond what you'd expect from an AVI.
No score

Editing
Out the gate, this firstling shows great promise. There are no flash-frames, and the edits throughout are fairly seamless. He has made good use of classic Star Wars wipes where appropriate. But more importantly, the edits he has made make sense. There is a visual inconsistency when 3PO suddenly has green slime on his face because the scene of Jabba smacking him is removed. This may be a bit difficult for me to judge because I know this movie back and forth, but there were certain sequences where the audio is technically acceptable with no hard edits and properly timed cross-fades, but a few sequences, the Sarlaac Pit in particular, the audio work would have benefited from work in 5.1 which allows for more continuity in audio. The result is that it feels just a tad choppy, but it still works well and a casual movie-goer may not notice the changes. 8/10

Story
Here is what really matters, how did this edit compare against the original?

Spoilers
Yads is merciless with the failed humor that permeates and Jedi and drags the film down. Some may feel he has gone too far in this particular aspect, but I enjoyed the more serious tone. Gone are trite scenes such as R2 zapping Salacious Crumb and Wicket, Han's constantly interrupting 3PO and other gags that are permeate the movie designed for quick laughs but a) don't help the story and b) don't pay off.

More importantly, Yads has trimmed this down and removed many of the WTF? moments such as Leia going off to the Ewok day-spa on the biggest day of the Rebellion. It creates a minor wtf because you have to conclude she was captured by the Ewoks, but I think more is gained than lost.

Where it really worked:
-No droid torture, not missed at all.
-No sly snootles music interlude, Original flavor or SE. Not missed at all, transition is a tiny bit bumpy, but not jarring.
-Slimmed down Chewbacca sequence, and the music used to overlay the conclusion/transition is particularly well done.
-No 'Dilusions of grandure' scene between Chewie and Han. Useless exposition that I didn't even notice was gone until I started writing the review.
-No Boba Fett. He brings nothing to the movie and he is not missed in terms of story.
-The Rebel briefing. Cut out some of the more inane and silly moments (no "Look at you, a General!" exchange)
-No awkward exchange between Han and Lando in front of the horrible matte of the Falcon.
- A wonderful piece of editing is the approach of the strike team to the Death Star and Endor on the Imperial Shuttle. By removing Han's dismissal of Luke sensing Vader as well as Han's failed attempts at light humor, the scene now plays tightly between Luke and Vader. It's very subtle but it hugely improves the dynamic between Luke and his father and helps reinforce what the real story of Episode 6 is, or at least should have been.
-Ewoks. I'm jealous here because I have (perhaps had) my own edit of Jedi planned, and it almost directly mirrors Yad's work here. Rather than try and delete the Ewoks all together, Yads has made them simply realistic. Gone are almost all of the Ewok's miraculously staged traps to take down AT-ST's. For the most part, outside of being the distraction that frees the Han and company, the Ewoks are over-run and outmatched by the Storm Troopers. The Ewoks are a vital component of the story and cannot be cut out, but here they are made to be realistic, and the Emperor's finest legion not a bunch of idiots (well, less idiotic at least, they still leave the front door unguarded in the mayhem, defense FAIL)

Where it doesn't quite work for me:
-Losing Bib Fortuna's attempt to get R2 to give him the gift. For me little is gained from cutting it, and it feels like an edit.
-Rancor scene. Yads has shuffled this a bit to make it tighter and to eliminate Boba. While technically sound, it just feels a little choppy. This was one of only sequences where I felt the presence of the editor.
-Barge/Sarlaac Pit. This is a hard one because the changes to this sequence do work overall. Removing Boba Fett forces some structural changes in the sequence, but Yads didn't settle for only removing the Fett. He has tightened the pacing and removed the flat jokes. The result from a pacing standpoint is a tighter, better battle. Most of the edits are paced nicely with only a few feeling a little rushed.
Where it looses points is the inconsistency of the musical score. The music of this sequence is some of my favorite that John Williams has ever scored, and that perhaps is part of the problem for me. Despite proper cross-fading, many changes stand out like a sore thumb to me. This is the only other sequence were I can definitely feel the editor. Ultimately even though I list this in the doesn't quite work section, it can still be seen as an improvement in how Boba has been removed.
-Then we have the finale/conclusion. I greatly admire Yad's intention here, the climax of Return of the Jedi just doesn't have the emotional crecendo that it deserves, and the music, whether Original Flavor or Special Edition is a let-down (though between the two I prefer Nub Nub). Yad's solution is a great idea and in fact comes close, but by mixing two different scores prior to the concluding fanfare, it highlights that this is an edit rather than feeling that this was the natural ending.
-Yads does not mention himself anywhere in the credits, come on man, give yourself some credit!!

So from a story standpoint the overall improvement is high in my opinion. The editor's intentions and designs are great, only held back by some technical limitations. 9/10 for story improvement


Overall:
This edit is held back by a few technical bumps , but more-so by the limited release of a 25fps avi. If this were an NTSC DVD, this would be my go-to version of Return of the Jedi and would cause me to consider abandoning my own plans for an edit.

I hope that Yads returns to this edit, provides some polish and makes the DVD release that this edit deserves. As it stands, looking at the quality of the editing job here I would rate the movie a strong 8.5, but the technical aspects (both avi and some of the rougher edges) pull this down to a 7.5 which for me rounds up to 8/10.

That makes this....

approved.png


This thread will be locked and a new thread started in True Fanedits, movie page and .info updated next week. Links will be in their usual haunts ASAP.
 

yads

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I've got a 23 fps (which as far as I know counts as NTSC) AVI, and a real bare-bones DVD in PAL - but so far this only has one so-called special feature, the original ending: the Luke funeral pyre with flashbacks to key moments in the trilogy, and ewok party with BSG music. And of course a 4 gig copy of the flick.

So my question is, mainly to the mods but anyone else can chip in, is this enough for a release?
 

L8wrtr

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Hey Yads. There are no 'minimum' requirements for a DVD, it's just how much you want to put into it. I think minimal expectations from users are a menu with a play button, chapter selections are considered nice. Some include an 'about this edit' text slide that explains what the intention for the edit is. But really, at the end of the day, its whatever you want people to see/experience with your edit. I've seen some elaborate menus (Jorge/elbarto1) and some really simple ones that is just a picture and a play button.

As long as they work and you are satisfied, then it sounds like you're good to go.
 

TV's Frink

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L8wrtr said:
...chapter selections are considered nice...
Does thunderclap read this thread?
;-)
 

yads

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Hey fellas. Thanks for the info, appreciate it. My menu right now is as simple as it gets - just a picture from the battle of Endor with play and special features links - but that's about all I can do. I'll see if I can get chapters included.

Thanks again.
 

Dwight Fry

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What a greatly improved version of ROTJ! While still not at ANH/ESB level, this version is a lot less embarrassing and is actually quite enjoyable. Technically the cuts were admirably done, and artistically I agree with everything that was removed… but my criticisms come from what was kept. For my tastes, some further silliness should have been excised (C3PO’s storytelling, or as much of it as possible), as well as some obviousness (“R2, look! Captain Solo! And he’s still frozen in carbonite!” No s–t, Sherlock), some problematic lines (“It is too late for me, son” is a dead giveaway of Vader turning good in the end, and the Emperor’s shooting of his own foot by constantly reminding Luke that his behavioral suggestions are intended to turn him to the Dark Side, no matter he doesn’t! Would you trust me if I told you “Show me your wallet *so I can steal your money*”?), and some ill-fitting character behavior (I think only Jedi knights should use the “May the force be with you/us/whoever” line, and last time I checked Admiral Ackbar wasn’t one) . Still, this cut totally pwns either official one.
And speaking of either official version, here’s my other criticism: this edit is sadly based on the SE rather than the original. I do know that the 2004 SE DVD has better video quality than the GOUT, but I think at least the fugly CGI should have been replaced by the original FX, particularly those cheesy Nintendo desert graphics at the beginning of the Sarlaac sequence. They’re way more dated now that any physical FX in the whole saga. And I still can not believe you left in the PT celebra-toon landscapes in the end! Why oh WHY??? I’d forgive anything else you left in but that! Speaking of the end, the new music kind of works, but you should have removed all shots showing people dancing, incluiding the last one, and end the movie with the shot of the force ghosts. That music just doesn’t invite one to dance.
Overall, despite the flaws, so far this would be my to-go version of ROTJ. 8/10.
 

yads

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Hi, thanks for the review. Some quick comments:

A few people have criticised the inclusion of Threepio's storytelling scene. I kept it because I feel it's an essential scene for the narrative; without it we'd go from the ewoks trying to eat Luke, Han and Chewie, to them being scared by Threepio's powers, to the ewoks fighting with them against the stormtroopers. It's not a good scene but it shows the ewoks and rebels becoming allies. I did make some cuts in the scene, of cutesy ewok reaction shots and some dodgy Han moments.

Threepio's "Look, it's Captain Solo" doesn't bother me as a line, it's a serial, and occasional moments of crude exposition are all part of the serial. At one point, after I showed a few folks an early cut and got the same feedback, I did try that scene without the line and I thought it made the scene ended too abruptly.

I quite like Vader's "It is too late for me, son", I didn't cut anything at all related to Vader, Luke or the Emperor; for me it's the one part of the film that works.

I also like the round-the-galaxy montage, it's about the only SE change I like - the end of GOUT Jedi was so sudden, and so, so bad - it brings a little gravitas, albeit with 90's CGI.

I tried ending it with the force ghosts, but in the end I decided that the force ghosts make a good ending for the saga as a whole, but for the OT the better ending is with the OT characters.

There will be a PAL DVD, it's being uploaded right now, and after that I'll upload a NTSC AVI - and then I'm done with this edit.
 

Dwight Fry

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yads said:
A few people have criticised the inclusion of Threepio's storytelling scene. I kept it because I feel it's an essential scene for the narrative; without it we'd go from the ewoks trying to eat Luke, Han and Chewie, to them being scared by Threepio's powers, to the ewoks fighting with them against the stormtroopers. It's not a good scene but it shows the ewoks and rebels becoming allies. I did make some cuts in the scene, of cutesy ewok reaction shots and some dodgy Han moments.
Yep, I do know you did some (very welcome) cuts. However, I'd like to see it much more trimmed, maybe keeping only the initial establishing shot, then the very end of the tale, just the needed minimal for understanding.

yads said:
Threepio's "Look, it's Captain Solo" doesn't bother me as a line, it's a serial, and occasional moments of crude exposition are all part of the serial. At one point, after I showed a few folks an early cut and got the same feedback, I did try that scene without the line and I thought it made the scene ended too abruptly.
Maybe keeping the "Look, R2!" part and discarding the rest of the line? At least the audio of it?

yads said:
I quite like Vader's "It is too late for me, son", I didn't cut anything at all related to Vader, Luke or the Emperor; for me it's the one part of the film that works.
Oh, I totally agree, that part is the saving grace of the movie. However, I do think it can be made to work even better. The insistence on the Dark Side in the Emperor's dialogue may be somewhat iconic, but it's dreadfully unsubtle.

yads said:
I also like the round-the-galaxy montage, it's about the only SE change I like - the end of GOUT Jedi was so sudden, and so, so bad - it brings a little gravitas, albeit with 90's CGI.
That sudden intruding from the PT totally takes me out of the movie. Those shots are very characteristic of the PT and look nothing like anything in the OT, which has a very different look and feel. To me it's like inserting shots from Nolan's Batman into Burton's Batman. And then there's the plot hole about the news immediately reaching all points of the galaxy while our heroes are still partying...
 

Sunarep

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well it does not immediately reach it - if the death star explodes around afternoon on endor, let's say 5 hours pass, enough time for the pilots to land, hang their helmets and progress to the ewok town (which takes a while I'm sure even if they directly land next to it they have to move between the trees and stuff) - so 4-5 hours in a galaxy where in one day you can easily travel from hoth to dagobah or drive to kamino from coruscant and from there to geonosis in an afternoon, should be enough time to bring across the news of the empire's defeat. Star wars is not star trek, so information can safely travel faster than the speed of light

also it's a common narrative technique to show future events and then return to the past to end the story with the heroes - it's like saying harvey dent's funeral happens before Batman runs away from gordon because it is cut between the two sequences
 

yads

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DwightFry78 said:
Maybe keeping the "Look, R2!" part and discarding the rest of the line? At least the audio of it?

Last night I did a quick edit of that moment. I kept "Look, R2, it's Captain Solo" and ditched the rest of the line, and it turned out ok. So maybe if I do a version 2 edit I'll include it, although as I said before, it's not something that bothers me particularly. I can't realistically do it now though - the internet speed where I'm living ATM is shockingly slow; it took all weekend to upload half the PAL DVD.
 

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I am thinking about doing a cover for this. Yads, is there an initial direction you would like to see this go? Classic?
 

yads

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Awesome! Thanks a lot! As for the style, I agree that classic is the way to go - it's a fairly conservative edit.

Slightly off topic, after reading and occasionally posting in Possessed's ROTJ edit thread at OT, I've spent all day putting together a much less conservative edit, with Luke on Dagobah at the start and major re-ordering of the first twenty minutes. I'll render it and watch it tomorrow. If it works I may take it forward and do it properly, we'll see.
 

yads

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It's bare bones, with chapters and an alternate ending. The film's good though :p

I'll be uploading the NTSC AVI in a few days, along with my Apocalypse Now: DeKurtzified AVI.
 

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I'm still tinkering with a cover. Im thinking about something like this.
Daneditcover.jpg

Classic, but a bit new.
 

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Hey Yads, have you seen my cutlist for my new ROJ cut? I do a lot of reordering at the beginning. If you'd like to borrow some ideas feel free. I probably have some of your cuts in my version, so it's only fair. :p
 

Rogue-theX

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Sluggo said:
I'm still tinkering with a cover. Im thinking about something like this.
Daneditcover.jpg

Classic, but a bit new.

I didn't get it at first, but looking again, that is something awesome sluggo!
 
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