Star Wars - Episode VI: Return of the Jedi – A Q2 Fanedit

I must start by saying that Q2 has made something very refreshing by re-releasing his fanedit with superior video/audio quality. I wish some other faneditors would revisit their old projects and do the same. I never saw the original versions of this fanedits but the image quality of the HD edition is great. It's not perfect but still very good.

I liked the blu-ray release but I also must admit that it had some terrible moments like "Noooo!", Jedi Rocks and Sarlacc pit for example. I feel Q2 has addressed all the things that bothered me in the blu-ray release... he's done not too much and yet not too little. As I personally already love Return of the Jedi, I don't feel it needs more editing.

Out of all the Return of the Jedi fanedits this is the one I want to watch the most.

Technically, Q2 has yet again proven his skills with this edit. I couldn't fault any of the visual or audio transitions. Additionally, you'll get no complaints from me with regard to the BD source material.

My only comment is that I wish Q2 had been a bit more liberal with the scissors. Sure, all of the most offensive 'special edition' changes have been removed, from the new dance number, to the 'NOOO', and the Hayden ghost.

However, there a few things in the theatrical cut that I would also loved to have seen the back of. In particular, I am thinking of the awful (and unnecessary) droid slave/torture scene that has been like a thorn in my side for the past 30 years!

Even so, this is firmly in my line-up of 'go to' Star Wars fan edits. Thank you, Q2.

This is simply the best version of ROTJ out there. Everything wrong with the SE is fixed and it feels like the best balance of what was good about both versions. The victory fanfare at the end works well as it makes it feel like it belongs to the greater saga. Removing Jedi rocks is always welcome and while the quality drop is expected with the re adding of the original Jabba palace scene, it is as good as it could ever be. The removal of the Sarlaac beak is incredibly done.

Overall this fanedit is fantastic and Q2 is yet to be topped with this version.

This is my go-to version of RotJ. While Q2's edit doesn't replace the original, it's a fine complement. This surpasses other HD fan-edits to date.

Ladies and Gentlemen: Wesa Free of Hayden and Nooooooo!

Q2's Return of the Jedi edit is subtle, yet effective. I appreciated the minimalist approach to this edit, replacing only those things that really stood out negatively.

Video Quality: I personally disapprove of the Blu-Ray quality for this film. While some scenes look brilliant, others stand out for not having received the same treatment. I often found Harmy's footage preferable to the worst portions of the blu. This is not the editor's fault, though I do wish a few of the worst offenders could have been cleaned up slightly.

Visual editing: Everything transitioned smoothly. Nothing took me out of the edit at all.

Audio editing: Everything was crisp and clear. Certain portions MAY have had volume issues, but I watched it with kids running in and out of the room so I won't mark you down there :P

Narrative: The narrative really wasn't affected in this cut. It was nice to view the original musical number and the Shaw Anakin in such a high quality format, which are technically small narrative pieces. The only reason I mark this down at all is... after seeing Spence's cut placing Yoda at the beginning, it's how I want it to be.

Enjoyment: This was very enjoyable to watch and will be my go to version, especially for marathons. The only real reason for the point of is the same as narrative - I really think if done well, Spence's rearranging of the beginning is the way that it should be. However, that is outside the scope of this edit's intended purpose, and the original narrative track is still very enjoyable. Oh... and the herd of banthas is still awful...

In the end, this is a wonderful addition to the fanedit community, and I will go so far as to say this is a worthy placeholder for RotJ:Revisited, especially for purists.