Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker: Anti-Cringe-Cut

SO I really hated this movie originally.
I still don't like it too much, but the edit really helped the pacing and story. The Luke force ghost an Kylo's ship (after it originally had crashed but didn't in your edit) looked a bit whacky, but the best you can do with this kind of already finished product ig. I think you could have also destroyed the "every ship can destroy a planet" part. Other than these minor complains the edit is really almost perfect, thanks for the great work don!

I watched this back to back yesterday with the anti-cringe cut of TLJ, even though it was really late and I actually wanted to go to bed.
And considering how much I didn't like the original "Rise of Skywalker", this is quite the compliment for this fanedit.

It's still not a good movie, but it's far better than the original. Palpatine has been reduced to a minimum (I was kinda hoping for him to be removed completely and having him only as a mysterious voice, even though I know it's pretty much impossible.), Skywalker lives (even though he's a bit translucent every now and then. ;)) and then there were some other surprises that I really liked.

Great job.! This will be my go-to-version of the movie.

After watching this edit of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," I am pleased to say that many of the issues I had with the original film were addressed.

First and foremost, Palpatine's resurrection was completely removed, and the film's focus was shifted to the conflict between Kylo Ren and Rey. This change allowed for a more cohesive and focused narrative, without the need for convoluted explanations for Palpatine's survival.

Additionally, the forced kiss between Rey and Kylo Ren was removed, which felt out of place and unnecessary in the original film.

The fan edit also removed some of the more confusing and poorly explained Force powers, such as healing and Force teleportation. This helped to simplify the film's narrative and made the use of the Force more consistent with previous films in the franchise.

Furthermore, the fan edit gave Finn and Poe Dameron more screen time and a greater role in the film's plot. These characters were underused and mishandled in the original film, so it was refreshing to see them given more attention and development in the fan edit.

Finally, the fan edit improved the pacing and flow of the film's plot, making it feel more cohesive and satisfying. The loose ends from the previous two films were tied up in a way that felt organic and satisfying, without the rushed and disjointed feeling of the original film.

Overall, the fan edit of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" addressed many of the issues I had with the original film, resulting in a more focused, cohesive, and satisfying viewing experience.

I'll give credit where it's due. Like TLJ ACC, it's a massive step up in quality from the original, which (like many) I utterly despised. And I give major props to the editor for trying some ambitious changes to the original. Unfortunately, in some cases, it seems like the editor's reach may have exceeded their grasp.

First things first, the technical for the most part is top notch, and most of the edits are seamless as they were in the first fanedit. But there are some issues that stand out. The Kylo Ren parked fighter looks totally unconvincing, especially since the black smoke is still rising right behind it. The flashback to Luke and Rey's discussion when Kylo is dying is a really good idea, but the sound clashes with the sound in the present scene. I think a silent flashback to the same scene, possibly supplemented with other scenes of them connecting in TLJ, would have achieved the same effect and fit more naturally. Speaking of, it's still painfully apparent that Luke is a Force Ghost during his talk with Rey, and the edits of him coming to talk to Rey stick out like a sore thumb for how unconvincing it is; in fairness, that's mostly because the editing for the most part is really high quality, but even so it just feels unnatural.

As far as the movie watching experience, it was okay. Granted, again, that's a huge improvement from "I wanna throw a copy of this movie into the sun". It had a fast pace that cut out all of the pointless scenes and allowed it to be really entertaining for the most part. I actually wound up enjoying the character interactions between the main trio far more in this edit. Unlike the first two movies, this edit allowed them to actually shine not just as individuals, but also as a team the same way Luke, Han and Leia did.. It really felt like they were the close friends/found family the movie was insisting they were, and made their "curtain call" after the final battle far more satisfying. Also, Kylo Ren's new death is a massive change that works in the edit's favor, and I love that it forgoes the painfully predictable route of him getting a last minute redemption, and instead shows him finally letting go of his anger and finding peace in death.

With that said, the story is dragged down by things that simply don't make sense. The first is Palpatine being the ultimate villain; it never should have happened, it makes absolutely no sense, and it takes away the feeling of victory of the end. After all, if he came back once, who's to say he won't come back again? Granted, this is in no way the editor's fault, and there's really no way around it short of a full reshoot. And moving the reveal to the end of TLJ does at least help make it seem a bit more natural part of the story. However, there are other story decisions the editor made that also don't make sense.

The biggest is Luke hunting for Exegol/Palpatine. He's leaving notes on his search for Rey, but where is he leaving these notes? They said his trail went cold on that desert planet, but then it turns out he's just hanging out on Ahch-To for some reason? Why is his X-Wing all of a sudden in the water if he's been searching for Exegol across the galaxy? And then when Rey shows up, she now knows the way to Exegol, so did Luke figure it out? If he did, why didn't he tell the Resistance? And if he doesn't, how did Rey figure it out? It can't be from Ren's fighter since she just destroyed it. Then there's Leia's body being kept since her death. I get the idea is she becomes one with the Force when Luke does, and it is a nice moment, but since she died in TLJ ACC, has the Resistance just spent months or a year carrying her body around everywhere until it just ups and vanishes? Also, why does Luke die at the end? In the TLJ it seems at least he died from the exertion of projecting himself, here he just up and dies as soon as the Emperor does. Like "Well, my work is done, guess I'll die now." It would have made a lot more sense if the reason he stayed behind was to channel all of his power into Rey, which would also help explain why she's channeling all of the Jedi, and the exertion of that was what killed Luke.

I still enjoyed the edit. In the end, this edit, along with TFA and TLJ ACC, does form a decent trilogy with a far more focused story arc than the "canon" sequel trilogy. It highlights the strength of the story and its characters. It's clear a lot of work went into these edits, and for the most part they work rather well.

It's a lot better than the original, but I was still left a little disappointed.

+ The deaths are way better.
+ The climaxes are way better.
+ The cringe isn't there.
+ Excellent ending.
- No backflip and no reason for a crashed ship.
- Lightsaber color.

I liked the edit and it's my favorite version of the film. I was just disappointed that I pictured the missed backflip in my head anyway. Maybe it should have just been kept in.

This is my first fanedit experience and fanedit review. I skimmed through the Last Jedi Anti-Cringe before watching. I tried to stay spoiler free.