CT Rewriting the originals

Boba Fett didn't need to be sprinkled throughout the movie's storyline as it was anymore than he needed to be reinserted into Docking Bay 94.

 

ANH:

* Padme (or rather "Leia's mother") and Bail are implied to be alive and to be destroyed by the Death Star. (Padme doesn't die in III)
* Leia is more mopey about the destruction of Alderaan and she isn't comforting Luke on the Millenium Falcon (her planet blew up for The Force's sake)
* No Jabba.
* Lightsaber battle is more paced.

 

The only thing I would have liked is making Jedi a bit more like the rough drafts- Imperial Capitol, etc. Except the everyone lives ending- I like that Luke, Han, Leia etc survive, but Yoda and Obi-Wan had good deaths and Anakin magically getting all better and being alive again is kinda lame.

 

The first two are perfection. I wouldn't change a thing. Although Jedi is my personal favorite, it's the only one I could think up some changes for:

-First, no Slave Leia. Seriously. It's what she's most remembered for today, sadly enough, and it's just pointless fan service. Her killing Jabba is awesome, but I'd gladly trade that for a less slutty Leia. I just hate that her legacy is mostly confined to that few minutes of screen time where she's chained up and half naked. I'd still want her present for the rescue, so maybe she could be the disguised guard instead of Lando.
- A better Boba Fett death scene. I love the fact that Han kills him, but he should have gone out better than that.
- More of the space battle. My favorite part of the movie, I would have loved more shots of that in the special edition.
- Wookies instead of Ewoks. I love the Ewoks, but I would have used Wookies. Just would have fit better IMO. They could have been slaves working on the surface, and our heroes would free them to help attack the bunker.
- Finally, a more ESB like Vader. The closest he comes is the scene where he's taunting Luke to come out of hiding. It would have been nice to get just a couple more scenes of him plotting behind the Emporer's back, although it might have undermined his redemption a bit.

I know that's quite a bit, but I think it all would have led to a much better received film. I still love the current version though! I just wish a few things were different.

 

I would have the conceit that the Emperor would have the Death Star plans sent to Jabba so that they would fall into the Rebels hands. It is logical that Luke and Leia would go to save Han and the Emperor wanted the Rebels to have the plans as bait for his trap. By doing this it would connect the first third of the movie with the rest of the of the film. As it stands the whole rescue of Han is like the longest James Bond prologue ever.

I would also have had Han and Lando reversed in the final battle over Endor.

Han has been in battle against the Death Star already as only one of five beings (Luke/Wedge/Han/Chewie/Y Wing pilot) with that experience so I'd keep him in space. Also I think that you could develop the theme of trust. Who would the Rebels doubt the most on the moon of Endor- Han who has been with them for over three years or Lando who has only recently joined. It could also play on Landos' ambiguous character portrayal from Empire. We know for certain that Han is going to go and blow the shield up but is Lando going to follow through. I also think it's more dramatic for Han to say the line 'We've got to give him more time!'. It would also mean that it was Han who has to blow the Death Star with his future brother in law on board. Leia could have been conducting the attack 'You've got to give Luke more time. He's my brother!' Then Han has to chose the greater good and risk his relationship with Leia by potentially killing her brother. Han shows greater character development because he trusts a man who betrayed him in the previous film showing abslute forgives and trust that Lando will come through. Han also shows that he is no longer selfish given up his interests for the greater good of the galaxy.

I believe that they had Han on Endor to keep the gang together for longer but they still could have done this by having Han leave to join up with the fleet as they arrive at the Death Star. The Millennium Falcon hidden in the hold of a larger shuttle that blasts it way from Endor to meet up with the first waves of the attack.

 

Wouldn't that be too obvious of a trap though? I mean, why would Jabba ever have any reason to be in possession of those plans? Besides, Palpatine hates Bothans, so they'd have to die to bring the rebels the information. And I consider the beginning of ROTJ to just be a bridge between ESB and ROTJ. If you really wanted to connect it with the rest of the film, I'd have Vader set this up as a trap, but Luke and company escape the trap and ROTJ would continue as normal.

 

That was kind of the point though. Before he met Luke he just wanted to use him even when they first met he was just a guy to him but the more contact he got with Luke the more he started to fight himself just a bit and he even admitted that he was his father Anakin Skywalker an identity that he had loathed to face. It was unexpected that he would admit that he was Anakin to Luke even though it was more about a lure to bring him onside than an admission through wanting to connect.

It wasn't a departure but an development.

In terms of rewrites obviously IV is the sore point as the Anakin is Vader was only created in ESB and Leia as sister in ROTJ. To better follow on from the PT IV and lesser so V would need to be reworked a bit.

The term Sith would have to be worked into the stories as well as things like the Rule of Two and various bits of Jedi lore Master-Apprentice, Padawan, Midi-chlorians and the like also the duel of Vader and Obi-Wan would need to be strengthened but the more important thing is that it should be acknowledged between them that Vader is Anakin (since that is already known) simply because it'd be a bit weird that it doesn't come up when they meet for the first time in 20 years.

 

I would not rewrite any of Star Wars, prequesl or originals.

 

You could get way with eliminating the character of Yoda all together. Instead of Obi-Wan dying during the battle with Darth Vader, he instead simply teleports himself away and does not become a ghost. He can speak to Luke across the galaxy with the Force who tells him to come to the planet where he is in hiding. He trains Luke in much the same way Yoda does and promises to tell him more of his father when he is ready. He still has the visions of Han and Leia in pain at Cloud City and rushes away to help them and goes through much the same suffering as in ESB. While being angry with Obi-Wan for not telling him his father is Vader and not going with him to save Han and Leia, Obi-Wan reveals that he has been slowly dying for years due to injuries to his lungs from when he fought Vader on the volcanic planet years before and will soon become one with the Force. He would not have been able to help him even if he went. This would also explain why Obi-Wan ages so much afterwards. Obi-Wan dies having trained Luke and passes the same way Yoda does. His Force ghost appears after the Battle of Endor alongside Anakin as well.

 

-Get rid of both of Luke and Leia's kisses and his comment on how beautiful she is
-Put Mon Mothma and Ackbar (or at least mention them) in both ANH and ESB, always seemed kinda weird to me that the rebel leaders seem to change in every movie with no explanation
-Reference Coruscant
-Put references in ANH that would pay off in ESB, such as Yoda, Han tricking someone out of the Falcon, hints that Obi Wan was lying to Luke
-Replace Red Squadron with Rogue Squadron, and show AT-ATs in the background or referenced

 

What the? I'm not even sure how to respond to that, no Yoda?! Teleporting Jedi, what is this Star Trek

 

I can understanding removing the kiss if you're against incest, but just referring to her beauty doesn't exactly imply incest. Leia refers to her memories of Padme as her being "very beautiful."

 

I'm not saying it implies incest. It's still creepy. Combined with the look on his face, it seems like he is lusting after his sister(I realize he is unaware but it is creepy anyways).

 

It can be justified and explained away, but it just feels very creepy. It's seat squirming, go and make a cup of tea time.

 

I gave Vader being Luke's father a pass and rolled with it. Sure it somewhat cliched but was done well and became an iconic moment. It also set up the incredibly dramatic throne room scenes in the following film. Leia being Luke's sister just made me cringe.

 

Ditch Obi-Wan's "a thousand generations" line. 25,000 years of civilization is absurd.

 

It makes Sidious' 20-something year Empire seem a bit pathetic doesn't it?

 

Ah but which is it? 1000 years or 1000 generations?

 

Who knows? I prefer the 1000 generations myself.

 

If it's only a thousand years, then Yoda could have been friends with some of the founders. I prefer a heritage that stretches into the dim mists of history, so I'm sticking with a thousand generations.

 

I prefer 1000 years because I find 1000 generations absurd.

 

Both get used in the Younglings arc of TCW Season 5:

"If I may, sir, I have instructed younglings for over a thousand generations, and these are among the best I have ever seen."

"I've lived on this ship a thousand years and never lost a fight. I'm not about to start today!"

 

1000 generations is what you find absurd? There are 1000 things in each movie more absurd than an ancient regime.

 

It explains why the Jedi were so stagnant. Yoda was probably among the first generation of new Jedi after the Sith were defeated. They were too cautious then, and since Yoda lived all that time there was never new blood to force the Jedi to adapt and change.

 

It makes you wonder if the rigid, centralized, "no-attachent" nature of the prequel Jedi was influenced by the war with the Sith.