Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi: Legendary

The Last Jedi's Thematic expansion on the entire saga up to this point is incredible, and those who complain that it's "not in line with George's vision" are fooling themselves. The problem is, this theme of the past dying so the new can take hold isn't exactly noticed when there's these distractions that pull us away from it.

Thankfully, they're removed seamlessly here. I won't go into much detail, because I'd just basically be describing the same movie. I will say I never noticed the incredible arc of Poe's character before, or the incredible subtle aspects of Ren's arc, because the non-thematic nature of certain scenes Johnson didn't know how to cut distract us from them. (which I should say is more the fault of SCHEDULING DEADLINES for these kind of blockbuster films creating enough stress of management he might not have had time to perfect it to a Tee, so I don't blame him and I never will. This is very much still his film, if not moreso now thanks to HAL9000)

The only real issue I have with this edit, and it's only a nitpick but a symbolic one nonetheless, is that the last scene feels less meaningful now. I still get its purpose and strength, but by cutting the earlier scene that sets it up it just seems to have less pre-established weight. The basis for the Rebellion inspiring this kid is a bit lost without a scene to establish the hope they LITERALLY gave to him by giving him the ring. It still has thematic power and perfectly closes the thematic arc of the film, just with slightly less emotional weight than before.

But this is a nitpick... JUST LIKE EVERY COMPLAINT AGAINST THIS FILM:
Glorified Nitpicks.

Which is why you wisely chose not to take out the film so much as things Johnson didn't have time to take out of the film with artistic foresight himself. He had almost 4 hours of content to edit in a little less than 6 weeks, and when you can do better THEN you can criticize him. This cut is now closer to his vision.

Bravo, HAL9000
~Silver Screen Samurai~

i really liked it :)

I have watched the theatrical version 3 times now - once in theatres, twice on blu-ray - and not that I didn't love it, but I did have issues. This cut, however, fixes most, if not all, of my issues, and I do wish this was the cut in theatres. Thank you, Hal and the rest of the people involved from OT.com.

Exquisite work as always. I fully recommend this edit to any detractors of the original film. HAL9000 really showcases his mastery of video and audio editing. A must have for Fanedit collector's.

Hi, Hal.

I go:
Ep. 4 - Adywan
Ep. 5 - Adywan
Ep. 6 - (pending Adywan….)
Ep. 1 - L8wtr
Ep. 2 - L8wtr
Ep. 3 - Hal
Ep. 7 - Hal
Ep. 8 - Hal
Ep. 9 - no one, I can’t stand this movie.

Yeah, I have total faith in Rian Johnson’s vision here, and while it will never be ESB (what is?), it took a lot of chances, suffered more flak than Yossarian, and endured.

Hal’s edit is my go to for a few obvious and needed changes (it’s always the garish humor that goes first, isn’t it?) Some restructuring works (all that Canto) and that ending is just fantastic.

I’m a sucker for Mark Hamill, a great childhood hero, will always be so for me, so to see him in action here, til the bitter dual-sunset end, will always have a place close to the hermetically-sealed, open-by-lightsaber-only nerd-attic of my soul (dig that metaphor!).

What Hal’s two edits have done for me is give the first two sequels a home in my ever-expanding library of SW to gnaw on when the mood hits (or, as I see it for my daughter, when it’s time to go to school and learn some modern mythology).

The Dude just can’t abide Episode 9! I just don’t react well when I even think about how they tossed Anakin’s redemption arc into the gutter for the sake of Superdaisy needing something to do.

By the end of this episode the writing was already on the wall for Finn, as it was for Poe (that poor, emasculated bastard), but this film, warts and all, even post-fan edit, does conclude what i consider to be an intriguing epilogue ala “Death of Michael Corleone”, an asterisk, *not* a story arc with any intrinsic value that needed to be told, and certainly not an organic conclusion to the Skywalker story.

Begin and end your sequel experiences with Hal’s 7 and 8. The force is open to anyone, broom boy is where the epilogue should end (bringing it home!) RJ was daring and correct; Hal gets it.