User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
No
Owner's reply
April 07, 2013
Thank you for your your well written review. Not many people defend their opinions as well as you do. That said, I do take issue with a few points.
Your comment about preserving who Vader is until Empire is is exactly what my prequel trilogy set out to do and more. It was to preserve all surprises and revelations of the OT, and not spoil those for first time viewers. Fall of the Jedi trilogy is all about preserving those moments so that a person can watch I - VI, in order, without having key moments spoiled.
I also disagree with your comment of the defeat of evil. While Anakin may or may not be defeated, the Emperor is still alive and kicking, the Jedi have been defeated, and the Empire has been born. It actually ends on a sour note.
Anakin's line "I hate you!" is too in your face. I think the audience gets it already, not only from the battle but from the sheer hatred in his expression. Film is all about showing over telling, and I felt the look Anakin gives Obi-Wan was enough to express his hatred.
Padme can't die at the end of this film for one simple fact: in ROTJ Luke asks Leia "Do you remember your mother, your real mother?" and she responds: "Just a little bit. She died when I was very young." How sould Leia remember her mother if Padme died in childbirth or immediately after?
I also wanted to keep the twins a surprise. We know at the end of the thid film there are twins, but the idea is most people will think identical twins. (If you hear "twins" I suspect most people will go in that direction.) So when it's revealed in ROTJ that it is in fact fraternal twins it's more of a surprise. And with the lines "The children should be split up..." I think its enough for the audience to understand that Padme had twins and that they're being split up. (But perhaps I over estimated the audience putting two-and-two together.)
So, again, thank you for the thoughtful review and defending your position. Hopefully my comments will help you, and others, understand my choices a bit better.