Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise Of Skywalker: Ascendant

The Rise of Skywalker was a disappointing and flawed film. The knee jerk reaction to try and “fix” the flaws fans had with its predecessor created an uneven and disappointing finale. While no fan edit can fully fix the final film, Hal and co. have done a tremendous job is salvaging it.

So do I recommend this edit? Yes. Yes, yes, yes.

This edit packs a serious punch and will be my definitive edition for the foreseeable future. No noticeable audio or picture problems, no editing issues I could spot, and the pacing of this cut is very good. If you think TROS is unfixable definitely give this edit a try. It's 1000x better than the theatrical cut.

The only thing I wish we saw more of were more force ghosts at the end. Considering “a thousand generations of Jedi” now live within Rey, it would have been nice to see some other ghosts of Jedi we saw in the prequels. But that’s nitpicking, and one can only work with the footage they have.

A well earned 10 out of 10.

Fantastic edit with some brilliant additions and tweaks... This is top-tier artistry at its finest.

The three juggernauts of Star Wars edits for me are; Adywan, Harmy & Hal. These three editors are the standard I try to hold my own editing. Their edits are pristine, crisp, and always at the highest quality and technical skill. Hal's final instalment of the sequel trilogy continues that tradition. I haven't cared to watch any edits of this movie as I felt more disappointed after watching it than I did TLJ. The theatrical cut of TRoS felt like a cluster of telegraphed exposition and visuals that introduced new ideas and characters at a whiplash inducing pace. Character sacrifices were remedied by inserting a metaphorical quarter into the video game approach to this movie. This cheapens the characters and removes any suspense or risk. Watching Hal's project thread grow over the span of this project at OT, I became excited for the possibility that Hal and all of the other amazing collaborating editors could pull something amazing off with this edit.
As a side note, If you haven't seen the incredible work editors are doing at OT to create new scenes or augment preexisting scenes you are missing out on seeing what is truly possibly as a faneditor.

And here we go,

Audio/Video Quality: 10
When I look at this rating section I instantly see Han Solo looking at me saying with a grin, "Hey, it's me."
This is Hal, you know it's 10/10

Visual Editing: 10
See the above comment.

Audio Editing: 9
I'm being nitpicky here. The audio is flawless throughout, but there are two instances that I noticed. One was earlier in the film when a new musical piece was used that had a different energy that lead into the pre-existing piece that was noticeable, but ultimately not an issue. BUT, the very last scene with the falcon jumping to hyperspace with Rey's theme playing didn't work for me. The music choice was fine, but there is an abrupt jump from her theme to the Star Wars credits theme. Is there a way to let Rey's theme approach its conclusion more before that transition?
Other than those two moments the audio editing is flawless.

Narrative: 8
I'm trying not to have this be based on the movie itself, as I didn't care for the theatrical cut. The narrative shifts were executed well and were rarely noticed. I like that you took the focus off of those planet killing cannons on the star destroyers, but we're reminded of that plot point when Poe yells out, "We've got to take out those cannons!" after Rey stops Palpatine's lightning strike on the ships. I also take a point away for leaving in that kiss.......:P This narrative is essentially a less eye rolling version of the theatrical My favorite narrative changes are jonh's Force Ghosts (this is hollywood quality level stuff) and moving the holochess scene to the end :)
I will admit that this time around I was more ok with Ben Solo's character continuing after the death star scenes, though I think inserting DonKamillo's Ben Solo death scene from the Anti-Cringe cut would strengthen the narrative of this edit. Han and Ben's scene in this movie is probably my favorite moment in all of Star Wars. It was fresh, unexpected, and beautifully filmed and acted. Anyway, back to the review.
I give this an 8 as I liked the changes that were made, but still feel it has room to change things up more. I believe that is Hal's intention though. To create a base that the majority like and can be used to create something more.

Quick question, is there enough vapor in the air for their to be rainbows on Tatooine?

Enjoyment: 7
Ok I feel a bit mixed in giving this a 7, but I do so because it isn't terribly different than the movie it is derived from, and I didn't care for the movie itself. Let me be clear, I LOVE Hal's work and consider it to be a gold standard of fanediting. If you want to know how to make an outstanding edit, watch Hal's edits. If you want to know how to collaborate with fellow editors, read Hal's project threads. If you want to know how to be a good human being, PM Hal and realize how nice of a person he is. This is a near perfectly executed edit that makes the base material more accessible. That's always been the goal of these sequel trilogy edits. Hal never disappoints in that regard. This edit gave me some new ideas and provided hope that perhaps one day I could use this fantastic edit as a base or collaborate with fellow editors to create a new vision for this film/trilogy.

Overall Score: 44/50 or 8.8/10

With Star Wars, the challenge presented to you will often allow the mists of hardship to clear with experience. A film like Rise of Skywalker had a lot of fog surrounding it, but experiance is what has enabled HAL and his friends to clear that fog. Minor touches cover up redundant or otherwise brutal moments of the film, lighter scenes have been moved around, and the Jedi before are given a major role towards the end of the feature, truly emphasising their power and presence within the force. Rise of Skywalker has many scenes that create the illusion of a worthy climax, but it is the heart and skill of HAL and friends that gives the illusion substance