Star Wars: Episode I - Cloak Of Deception

This is my favorite of the Episode I edits with the exception of the pod race sequence. I think it works much better without the added score. Much of the Death Star battle in ANH is scoreless as is the speeder chase in ROTJ, so the lack of music is totally in line with the OT. Other than that I'm glad to see some of the whimsy kept and keeping JarJar as an anchor for the audience while subduing his insanity rather than just axing him altogether.

Showed to my friends as their first exposure to fan edits. They were really impressed.

I was shocked to find myself liking Anakin, his mom (maybe she feels better now that her son isn't annoying), and even Jar Jar. This edit did a great job of fixing these characters.

The only issues my friends had were:
1: Jedi super speed should be removed from the start since Obi Wan fails to use it later when it would have really helped.
2: Scene with kid showing up to tow the Pod Racer looks like unfinished effects and felt out of place.
3: Friend noticed one cut when the combat was going on outside in the city with the droids.

One friend had seen Ep1 last year and was noticing dialogue bits removed and found it much smoother. I asked him if he noticed a large piece missing but he didn't notice the Gungan city missing until 2/3rds of the way through, "guess it was really important... ;) "

The other friend still felt Ep1 was pointless in that not much happens (Sidious gets a bit more power). But with the Anakin changes it is a much better intro to his character, he feels more like a main character.

I had to decide between this, seciors, and L8wrtr Star Wars edits. If anyone else is considering this, here was my reasoning:

Removing Sidious is good idea but I feared it would be too jarring to my friends. This edit does not do that.

This edit removed the idea of the "too old to train" and removed younglings. This is a great edit to make the Jedi not a creepy cult. Also when they talk about fear in this edit you get a sense that it is unreasonable fear / obsessiveness and not just that caring about your family that is wrong.
This edit changed the ending so destroying the drone ship was important.

HAL 9000 has finished edits of Ep2 and Ep3, so that is a benefit of having a continuation of the same ideas.

The currently best edit of the new trilogy. I hated the original version so much as I love this edit. I've been waiting for this version all these years. Thank you HAL 9000.

Ok, where to begin. I like many other children of the seventies i grew up on star wars. Then we waited years for a continuation and got prequels. Then we had to watch in horror as all was lost from our childhoods with Lucas intent on drafting terrible scripts, with dreadful direction coupled with actors - Lloyd & Christensen, who couldn't act!!

**Rant over**

Hal9000 has done what i considered impossible - make me like and enjoy ep 1. I read the prior reviews, considered other versions but liked the points made that the pacing was about spot on. The thought of a rushed edit was not for me, so i watched with an open mind and about half way through realised i hadn't made my tea. Oh my god i actually felt connected and sympathetic towards Anakin and thought Hals version nailed it. Jar Jar? Unobtrusive yet he almost ground the film in his 'everyman' role - being swept up in some grand adventure.

I'm blown away and frankly chuffed that i can actually watch TPM without forwarding to certain scenes or watching the clock - amazing work.

Criticisms - none. The pod race was awesome and i loved the new mix of music which i felt fitted and linked it soooo nicely to the original trilogy. The AV was perfect, the cuts were seamless and and i really liked the insertions of alternate scenes - very clever and illuminating.

10/10 for the lot - i owe Hal9000 a pint :)

After watching some of the other Prequel edits around (with L8Wrtr's being among my favorites), I decided to give this edit a chance. I wanted to see what else could be done to make TPM a better film. The pacing for this edit is really well balanced. Like others have said some of these edits are pretty seamless (even to the point where I had to check the checklist to see what had been edited). Solid job.

I'd recommend this edit for sure.