Empire Begins, The

I really enjoyed this edit. As a disclaimer, I'm not a massive Star Wars fan. I like the original trilogy and have probably watched the prequels once since I picked them up years ago. I've watched a few edits over the years but that's about it. I watched this hoping it could be a really good concise version and that's exactly what it was. The visual editing was really well done. I thought the wipes were very well done. Despite being pretty rusty on the nuances of the story, I got it just fine. Actually, better than I remember since Anakin makes a lot more sense. There are problems (such as Hayden Christiansen being horrible at conveying emotion and downright laughably bad dialogue) but they are pretty much with the films themselves. Most of my problems with them are minimized here. There was a weird black frame as Dooku approached around 58 minutes and at 1:08 the music swells then dies super quickly. These are the only things I noticed and they are very minor in the grand scheme of things. The editing was really well done and this is my preferred version of the prequels now.

This is the best 3-in-1 edit I've seen. The transition from the Episode 2 to Episode 3 material is a revelation. As is the elimination of Greivous. There are areas I still feel have been done better elsewhere. The confrontation between Windu and Sidious has worked better in other edits where the screen has darkened to hide the transformation from Palpatine to Sidious.

I was really disappointed to see Yoda with a lightsaber in this edit. Maybe it's warranted on Kashyyk, but I don't like that the Yoda/Sidious duel was left in this edit.

Also in the Anakin/Obi-Wan duel, I've seen edits that show Anakin and Obi Wan leaping from the tower to the "shore" for the final confrontation. That works better, IMO, as I hate them dueling on those stupid lava-surfing bots.

This works as a single movie, though it lacks a strong sense of three distinct acts.
There are still many issues that keep it from being a great film, not the least of which is the poorly realized villians. At least there is one less in that Greivous is gone, but Dooku is now a throwaway as well. One might say this keeps the focus on Sidious as the villian, but he is unknown through a majority of the film. This isn't necessarily bad, but it doesn't feel Star Wars-y to not have a clear baddie throughout.

Overall I'd rather watch this than any version of the trilogy I've seen so far. Sadly that's in large part because it's relatively brief. That isn't a criticism of the editor, but rather a feeling that the prequels are mostly a lost cause. It could be better by making some of the changes mentioned above., but it is still recommended for anyone that wants a prequel, but really hates the original prequels.

This is the first Star Wars fanedit, besides 'Revisited', that I have seen and it did not disappoint! You certainly achieved what you set out to do; Anakin is a MUCH more likable character, the love story is not frustrating or too long, and the trimming down on dialog has definitely helped the pace and tone of the film.
The plot flows a lot more smoothly and the transition between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith is flawlessly edited, and shows amazing talent. Apart from the deleted scenes (which can't be helped), the video and audio quality is perfect. The intro was amazing and the opening crawl was done very well.

A definite must-watch!

This is a technically (except for a sudden fade to black at minute 58:02 or so) well edited 3-in-1-edit of the Star Wars Prequels. But I felt like the narrative didn't convey well the story of a republic descending into an empire. And it felt like characters required a foreknowledge as they imho weren't introduced well to the viewer and to each other. But that is all subjective, maybe it just hit me the wrong way. I recommend people interested to watch for yourself and to make up your own mind.

P.S.: My wdhd-tv-mediaplayer had problems playing the edit back smoothly, maybe because of the LPCM used for sound. I converted it into a mkv with AC3 sound and then it played it smoothly. On my computer both versions played smoothly.

This is probably the best "3-in-1" prequel edit of Star Wars I've seen attempted. The idea to use the climatic lightsaber duel of the Phantom Menace as a pre-credits scene was a particular stand-out. The editor also achieved a means of conveying all of the important bullet points of Episode II without any of the fandango that encircled it, character motivations are more concise, the romance has no real muddles, and the relevant plot lines unfold without hinderance. The transistion from Clones to Sith is handled sublimeley via a nice music montage of the Clone armada's initial outing through to the battle that opens the third film. There are other nips and tucks I won't spoil but everything comes together more smoothly. Empire Begins is a great watch and I feel more at ease with the prequels now than I've been previously. Take away that old Jazz rift and you're left with a satisfactory song.