Star Wars - Episode VIII: The Last Jedi: Legendary
The following information and more can be found at FanEdit.org, home of the fan edits.
Running time is about 143 minutes.
This is the 720p iTunes-compatible mp4 version. Also available as a 1080p BluRay-compliant mkv and a DVD5.
Video specs:
H.264, 1280x544, 23.976 fps.
Audio specs:
5.1 AAC, 384kbps
5.1 AC3, 640 kbps
Tagline: It's time for the Jedi to end…
Synopsis: It’s the same Star Wars: The Last Jedi you pondered over, cleared of distractions. The trip to the casino of Canto Bight is truncated, the Caretakers of Ach-To are removed, and a few scenes are rearranged, allowing Rian Johnson’s story to shine. Strap in for a contemplative journey not experienced since The Empire Strikes Back.
Intention: To address a few standout issues about the film which distract from its focus. This is a fairly conservative edit, doing what is possible to streamline the film without radically altering it.
This is intended as constructive; I enjoy TLJ quite a bit and, given my history with producing fan edits, it was inevitable that I would attempt something like this. What this project is NOT intended as is an indictment of Disney or Rian Johnson. Rather, this is my way of engaging with the film and putting a slight spin on it.
This film subverts audience/fan expectation at many points. While this edit doesn't seek to reverse this, some instances of this were addressed in order to (hopefully) allow the film to do this while still feeling like part 8 of a 9-part story.
Regarding General Hux: It is not my intention to "rescue" this character, as he is rightfully played as a youthful, arrogant Neo-Nazi buffoon. The changes made to his character in this edit are intended to allow him to remain somewhat threatening, at least up until Kylo Ren takes over as Supreme Leader toward the end.
The humor in this film has been pruned, though a great deal of humor has been retained. Star Wars has always relied on humor, though has never strayed into Spaceballs territory. For example, as much as I enjoyed the "iron/spaceship" gag, it felt like something from a parody of Star Wars rather than something within it. This was my guideline. Humor is very subjective, so I attempted to thread the needle as best I could.
This edit does not attempt to alter Rey's character in any meaningful way. Her natural talent for using the Force and heroic escapades are necessary to get the film's story in motion. Her triple-TIE combo shot was removed from the battle of Crait in the conventional interest of "less is more," and is not intended as a commentary of Rey herself. Also, the removal of a single detail during Kylo Ren's conversation with her about her parents is not intended to in any way alter the fact that her parents were "nobody," but merely to address a potential continuity oddity when compared to TFA depicting her parents as leaving Jakku in the process of abandoning her.
All things considered, this fan edit is intended as a lightweight alternative to other edits which remove large swaths of the film. Similar to my edits of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, if you are hoping for a massive overhaul that fundamentally alters the movie, this isn't the edit for you.
Other sources: Various sound effects from the Star Wars franchise and elsewhere
Special Thanks:
Everyone at OriginalTrilogy.com who contributed, including:
Poppasketti (FX shots and ideas)
DarthRush (FX shot and ideas)
Pleasehello (FX shot)
Snooker (Fx shot)
ChainsawAsh (DTS audio)
MalàStrana (English and French subtitles)
Natedug (Cover artwork, style mimicking Sherman’s TFA:R artwork)
NeverarGreat
One69chev
Collipso
LordPlagueis
BMadden
Drakul
StrafeSawdoffe
TV’s Frink
HerekittykittyX
DominicCobb
Jarbear
LordRorek
Imadethisfortheanticheeseedit
Zachary VIII
OutboundFlight
TiMartyn
RogueLeader
Handman
Dr. Krogshöj
Nightstalkerpoet
EddieDean
DZ-330
Nd4spd
ChiefWamsutta
Valheru_84
TK-422
Possessed
CourtlyHades296
AbramPT
CarterStarkiller
Cheebo
Snoke&mirrors
Sir Ridley
Anjohan
Kaweebo
Oojason
TheLostJedi
Littlev87
Dat_SW_Guy
Toastedzen
Adywan
Tobar
Ziggyonice
Arosa1091
Chyron8472
TK251
Bop
Gimpy
LeonardoRamos
Octorox
Jrs81
Bromeo
Iryin01
Noodle_Finger (editor behind a prior edit of TLJ)
Special features:
Fan Editor’s Commentary track
Chapter stops
Subtitles (English and French)
Cuts and Additions:
⁃ Trimmed the opening ‘prank call’ joke to prevent it from venturing into SNL territory while retaining the core of the humor
- Trimmed Paige kicking the ladder slightly
- Removed Hux being berated by Snoke at the end of the opening sequence
- Reinstated the 'Luke Has a Moment' deleted scene
- Reinstated the deleted scene where Poe gives Finn back his jacket (with scene transition provided by OT.com user pleasehello)
⁃ At their first meeting, removed Finn telling Rose to breathe
⁃ Removed Rose repeating, “They can track us through lightspeed.“
⁃ Removed both appearances from the ‘Caretakers’ on Ach-to (with a visual effects shot courtesy of OT.com user snooker)
⁃ Trimmed away the lone porg who gives Chewie the doughy eyes, though leaving the joke intact otherwise
⁃ Removed Luke’s line to R2, “Nothing can make me change my mind.”
⁃ Cut down the first sequence at Canto Bight to focus solely on finding the master codebreaker (also removing sounds of coins rattling around inside BB8 in two shots)
- Blended the original Anakin lightsaber ignition sound with the existing different sounds for two shots
- Made it appear as though Finn and Rose follow DJ out of the cell, briefly elude the guards, and the scene ends. Next time we see the trio, they are already in hyperspace (also removing the implication in the later scene that BB8 helped steal the ship).
⁃ Removed Rey asking Kylo Ren is he has a cowl to put on
- Added a center wipe transition from the scene with Finn, Rose, and DJ in hyperspace to the fleet losing their medical frigate
- Used a few shots from a deleted scene to remove the iron/spaceship gag, which borrowed from an old spoof which laughed at Star Wars rather than along with Star Wars (film speck removed by OT.com user poppasketti)
⁃ Trimmed some of the comedy with BB8 being placed under a basket
⁃ Trimmed the heavy, direct hinting before Snoke’s death, using musical score from TFA (courtesy of OT.com user poppasketti)
⁃ Removed the detail from Kylo Ren that Rey’s parents are buried in the Jakku desert, as this seems at odds with the vision we saw in The Force Awakens.
⁃ Moved the scene with Luke and Yoda to immediately prior to Leia looking out over Crait (using audio and video provided by OT.com user Darthrush)
⁃ Removed Finn’s line about the battering ram canon being “old Death Star tech.”
⁃ The crate Luke sits on as he talks with Leia is now stationary and motionless, unaffected by him (effect provided by OT.com user poppasketti)
⁃ Removed Rey’s triple-TIE combo shot, with the Falcon’s involvement in the battle being first revealed with its shadow sweeping by and a single TIE being shot down
⁃ Trimmed Hux ordering fighters to follow the Falcon, leaving this poor tactical move to be attributed to Kylo Ren’s emotional priorities
⁃ Removed Finn’s line, “Oh, they hate that ship!”
⁃ Abbreviated Finn’s suicide run, so that the audience hasn’t had enough time to accept it and get totally on board with it (toward the end of a film that relishes jerking its audience around)
⁃ After Rose saves Finn, removed her line about not “fighting what we hate” and “saving what we love.”
- Removed spot on the sun as Luke gazes out after collapsing, which caused some presumably inadvertent misdirection for some upon first viewing (courtesy of OT.com user poppasketti)
- Snuck in a Wilhelm scream... somewhere in the movie.