PT Attack of the Clones: Director's Cut

I find this comment to be something of a head scratcher for me. Padme's family and backstory was relevant to the Prequel Trilogy, but Leia and Han's backstories were not? Especially Leia, whose home world was destroyed in "A New Hope" and discovered to be Luke's twin sister in "Return of the Jedi"? And it wasn't important that Leia and Han got to know each other "more intimately" on screen?

 

They switched some shots around when Anakin and Obi-Wan fly between the power couplings and when Dooku escapes after fighting Yoda.
The first one, I have no problem with. I can see why the change was made and it flows well. The second one, though, sticks out like a sore thumb. The theatrical edit of that scene is far superior.

If you ask me, GL should've payed more attention to the scene where Artoo rescues Padmé in the droid factory. The editing of that has always bugged me, because it looks like the machines stop to give Artoo time to save her.
Thinking about it now, though, I suppose there could be a fail-safe that halts the process when foreign objects are detected - or maybe a Geonosian just so happened to shut the place down at that exact moment.

Anyway, another thing that was done for the BD edition was the addition of Shmi's cries for help when Anakin dreams about her on Naboo.
A good addition that gives the scene a more eerie quality, if you ask me.

 

I would say the version released IS the director's cut. Lucas had full control over which scenes were cut and the version we know must be exactly the way he wanted it. Unlike ANH there were no studio restrictions, so Lucas was free to make the movie exactly as he wanted it.

 

What aspect of Han and Leia's relationship had anything to do with their own separate pasts? Their relationship was based on their shared history that first started on the Death Star in ANH. Even when Leia refers to Han as a "scoundrel" in TESB, she isn't referring to his history before they met, she's just speaking of how he acts all the time.

Leia loves Han because he's a natural leader. And it is apparent that Leia hates the fact that Han knows how much she loves him. And it is also apparent that Han loves how much Leia hates him for him knowing how much she loves him. None of this has anything to do with their own separate pasts BEFORE the events of ANH and has everything to do with their collective history around each other in the Rebellion AFTER the events of ANH.

Now, all that being said, I feel like since Lucas decided that Anakin and Padme didn't even see each other between the events of TPM and AOTC, that getting to know their own separate histories and having Anakin and Padme realize that they actually share a lot in common, even though they had wildly different upbringings, might have been a good idea.

 

They had the chance to do directors cuts when they released the PT in 4K - dam shame they didn't all they had to do was insert deleted scenes and it would have been so cool,

Anyway I know it's a cliché but the PT is definitely like fine wine they age beautifully and I can appreciate them far more now - they are great art......

 

Who is "they"? The director happens to be George Lucas, and he alone. When he released the movie that was already the director's cut, as I said before. For some reason he chose not to include the deleted scenes. Sure, some would have liked them back in the movie, including me, but in the end it's Lucas' story.

 

Disney now owns the rights to distribute AOTC and in consultation with Lucas they could have released a new cut in 4K.......

 

Which would NOT be a director's cut, since Lucas is satisfied with his cut.

 

Disney "owns" the rights so that means any of their hired "directors" gives them the right to make changes to the ACTUAL director's work AOTC, who happens to be George Lucas. I don't even know if that's legal. Disney had nothing whatsoever to do with the prequels, so they better leave them alone. They can mess with their own sequels all they like, but have no right to make changes to previous movies made by another director.
Yes, the key point here is "in consultation with" Lucas, NOT against his will. If Lucas agrees then fine. If not it would be a violation of another artist's work. I hope Lucas made sure that it was made clear by contract that Disney has no right to tamper with HIS movies without his consent.

 

Of course only if Lucas agrees and it was only to insert deleted scenes to give something extra for the 4K release......

 

I wouldn't like that. The fact that Lucas may "agree" to change something doesn't mean he wants it to be changed.
Lucas worked on his movies, and as far as he's concerned, they're finished. That's the final version. It's possible (however unlikely) that he may want to start tampering with them again himself. That would be fine, I guess.
But that's very different from Disney asking permission to alter the movies themselves a few years from now, and Lucas, not caring too much anymore, saying "yeah, do whatever you want, fine by me". That would NOT be OK.

Deleted scenes were deleted for a reason. Editing and deleting scenes is a key element of filmmaking. Lucas has never expressed any interest on adding deleted scenes back, except for the Jabba scene in E.IV (something that he wanted since 1981 at least), and extending the podrace scene (right after the movie coming out).