Star Wars - Episode I: Return of the Sith: Revisited Edition

Finally...A version of TPM that I actually enjoyed and I mean, I actually really enjoyed this.

I noted the kinda quick runtime of just under 85 mins and I was a bit dubious as to whether this would feel rushed. It doesn't.

Perhaps because the editing is spot on, there's nothing boring and ultimately is was (boringly)directed by George Lucas - this feels like a totally fresh film to me. When compared to the likes of Transformers or Man of Steel or even Avengers...this feels engaging, but never OTT.

I think the removal of Sidious in this edit is genius. I was also very impressed with the removal of Gungan City and going through..the planet core. Even Jar Jar didn't annoy me. He said what he needed to say and it felt like what he was saying was important to understand the later plot.

Relegating the Trade Federation to simply a separatist Federation works spectacularly well. The pod race felt like such great fun now - not too short or too long.

I was really keen to see the end battle and once again, this really impressed. All that stupidity is gone.

Technically, it was utterly seemless and I noticed not one single thing out of place. So I've given this 10/10 in all aspects. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Talk about taking a turd and turning it into a diamond....wow.

Wow. Just wow. Episode 1 is still ridiculously over-complicated with no clear baddies and goodies (my kids kept asking me) and the Padme/Queen thing (my kids kept asking me) - BUT, it was an enjoyable story with enough flash-bangs and pace to ensure we weren't bored.
The film rollicks along at a great pace without feeling rushed, and never gets too bogged down in the frankly boring story.
Taking out Darth Sidious was a stroke of genius - he is completely unnecessary. Knowing that the Sith have arrived is enough.
And I LOVED the edit of the pod race. Not too long, not too short, and just enough of the announcers and stadium reactions to keep you up to date with what's going on.
The edit was seamless, the quality was excellent, audio without a hitch. Seriously impressive.
Flawless.

This is my favorite Episode I edit by far. Seciors has managed to achieve that delicate balance of improving the pacing greatly without making the movie feel rushed. Also, technically the editing is superb. Everything fits together seamlessly and it really does seem like an original movie, not an edit!

Plot points that were improved: Hiding Palpatine's identity which helps put more of the focus on Darth Maul which is never a bad thing, also no midichlorians and no virgin birth.

In the end this movie achieves what the original missed, a fun fast paced adventure that hints at plot twists and dark turns up ahead without actually giving it away.

My ratings pretty much some up my review. The edits great and it is the Star Wars Saga intro that we deserved :) Great Job!

Last year I attempted to make my own edit of the Star Wars prequels, albeit with limited skill and very basic software. I eventually disregarded my own efforts and began a search for a more professional edit, eventually settling on Q2’s ‘Fall of the Jedi’ trilogy, which was very skilfully edited. However, what Seciors has done here is a lot closer to what I originally imagined for my own edit.

Despite the fact that I hold Q2’s work in high regard, I struggled with a couple of the bigger editing choices – mainly the concept of an un-named background extra destroying the Federation ship at the end of the movie. On the other hand, I agree with all of Secior’s major choices here.

Additionally, the re-integration of up-rezzed versions of my favourite deleted scenes (Greedo, farewell to Jira) and very clever removal of Jar Jar from a couple of scenes (balcony fall, Anakin/Padme heart-to-heart) brought a smile to my face! Although, there is a (slight and unavoidable) noticeable difference in picture quality between the up-rezzed deleted scenes and the rest of the movie.

I really appreciate the fact that a number of the less desirable characters (Jar Jar, C-3PO, etc) are minimised, rather than eliminated. I’ve seen a number of edits which have attempted to remove them completely from the movie, with varying degrees of success. Instead, Seciors has managed to reduce (rather than remove) their impact on the movie, whilst still allowing them have a proper introduction and moment to shine.

The only character who falls foul of the editing process is Boss Nass. With the removal of the underwater city scene and editing of his initial conversation with Padme, he fails to get a proper introduction. Instead, he unceremoniously pops up from nowhere. But this is a minor issue, and is not enough to pull me out of the movie.

The overall effect of this edit is to provide a much faster paced version of the movie, with a more comprehensible story (no more taxes, treaties, midichlorians, etc) and understandable villain (the Federation). At the same time, Seciors has managed to improve on the mystery of the Sith, by removing Sidious and the unsubtle hints that Palpatine is the master dark lord - including the horrendous close-up during Qui Gon’s pyre scene.

All-in-all, this is my favourite edit of TPM and is now my ‘go to’ version. I’m greatly looking forward to Seciors’s take on RotS!

NOTE: This review is based on a pre-release MKV version of the edit that Seciors kindly made available to me prior to its official release. I believe the only difference between the two was an issue that was resolved with the surround sound.