The premise of the “JJCut” is that the overlords at Disney -- namely Producer Kathleen Kennedy and CEO Bob Iger -- restricted what director JJ Abrams could put into Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. This seems unlikely, as Abrams has brought back to close-out the trilogy, and was one of the few directors that wasn’t removed since Disney acquired Star Wars from Lucasfilm. After all, it was Abrams’ vision that launched the new trilogy, and as a producer, he helped hire most of the Star Wars team.
What fans think should be changed in a Director’s Cut probably numbers in the 100s -- we’ll focus on the 10 things we want to see most. (And no, we don’t want to add any more lens-flare).
10 Palpatine’s Resurrection
Darth Sidious, or former Emperor Palpatine, is the key villain in Rise of Skywalker and apparently the mastermind behind the last 2 (or maybe 8) movies - but how did he come back? Palpatine conveys all the antagonism of the story and centers the final eclectic climax of the film.
There are a few lines of dialogue on cloning and a quick shot of some vats in the basement that are supposed to make the audience accept that a major character has magically reappeared. True, the emperor didn’t appear in Episode IV: A New Hope (although he was referenced by Empire officers), and The Force moves in mysterious ways, but there’s next to nothing in Rise of Skywalker about his resurrection, his children (Rey’s parents), and his motivation other than being evil.
Maybe the “JJCut” could beef this up and add to the return of this villain.
9 The Second Transport
No one wanted to see Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) die -- least of all his colleagues in the new Rebellion. So when it turned out he was NOT aboard the First Order Transport ship that Rey unwittingly destroyed, we all breathed a sigh of relief.
But how did he get on “another Transport”, or more to the point, where was this other Transport? A careful viewing of Rise of Skywalker gives no indication that the Empire … er, Final Order is anywhere on the planet except this one ship. It looks like a grade-B movie bait-and-switch, so perhaps the “JJCut” could fill in that gap.
8 What did Finn Want to Say?
Finn’s (John Boyega) edge-of-death exclamation that he had “something I want to tell” Rey seems to be pretty important. Maybe not on the same level as Han Solo’s last words to Princess Leia in The Empire Strikes Back, but it has enough significance that Poe refers to it later in Rise of Skywalker. Most fans assumed it was some romantic declaration, an extension of Finn’s feelings for Rey in The Force Awakens.
The fact that this line of dialogue had to be explained by Rise of Skywalker scribes outside of the movie suggests it should have been resolved on-screen. Maybe the “JJCut” could add more useful detail here.
7 Where did the Final Order Crew Come From?
If you’re building a galaxy-wide fleet of Death Stardestroyers, you need materials, time, and above all a crew. When the Empire was stretched thin in Rogue One and vaguely exposed in other Star Wars films, it was seen as an opportunity for rebel forces to strike.
Where did the 10s of 1000s of engineers and crew come from? How did this universe threatening force get built up (and fed and berthed and robed) without anyone knowing? These instantly bad guys need an unwavering allegiance to the newly resurgent Emporer, and the Sith by proxy - could the “JJCut” explain how that happened?
6 Poe’s Love Interest
If the filmmakers wanted Poe Dameron (Oscar Issac) to have a girlfriend, it may have been better to introduce this person gradually, instead of jamming her into another action set-piece. Poe’s character has been interesting to the point of distraction among the main cast, and it was probably tempting to give him both a back-story and hope for the future with a like-minded companion.
The “JJCut” could give Zorii Bliss more of a history, perhaps a flashback, so the audience could better understand her appeal to Poe. Even when she opens her mask briefly at the end it doesn’t help the audience -- Bliss was better off being completely unknown at that point.
5 More Scenes with Rose
The absence of any significant screen-time for Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) has driven moviegoers to wonder why the character was introduced in The Last Jedi in the first place. Rose portrayed the feisty rebel mechanic who infiltrated the First Order with Finn, and seemed to be positioned as a potential love interest for him, so it is strange she so fully dropped off the map.
Whatever the reason for Rose to join the cast, it was forsaken in Rise of Skywalker, where many of her scenes with Princess Leia were cut (see below). The “JJCut” could add to her characterization, or give her more screen-time via the inconsequential lines that were delivered by miscellaneous rebel officers/flight-deck crew. Whatever her character arc was originally intended to be, it was removed in the current cut of Rise of Skywalker.
4 Less New Characters
We’ve covered many items we’d like to see added or expanded in Rise of Skywalker, but like JarJar Binks in The Phantom Menace, the “JJCut” could do with some trimming. The first to go would be new conehead droid “D-O”-- is this really the best time to be introducing another droid?
Abrams has “cute” covered with the unintelligible robot mechanic puppet who resets C3PO; and the endearing Porg make a cameo appearance. With dozens of characters across 10 movies, and 100s in the greater Star Wars Universe, a new cute toy doesn’t resonate with hard-core Star Wars fans.
3 Force Powers
A movie can struggle if it spends too much time explaining itself (e.g. Inception) -- but it would be good to know more about the parameters of The Force in Rise of Skywalker. Since the last Star Wars film we’ve discovered some can use the Force to communicate long distances, and in Rise of Skywalker we find it can be used to teleport physical items. Can someone use the Force to transport people?
And what can and can’t a Force Ghost do? In The Empire Strikes Back we’re told by Obi-Wan that he “cannot interfere” -- but now, in Rise of Skywalker, Force Ghost Luke can wield a lightsaber and maneuver a X-Wing. These trivial questions are best addressed in online forums and Twitter, but they’re important enough to the plot of Rise of Skywalker that they could be answered in the “JJCut”.
2 Kylo and Rey
The “JJCut” could shed some light on the relationship between Kylo and Rey. Many moviegoers already shipped Reylo and didn’t need any more screen-time to understand their romance, but the jarring kiss between Rey’s death and Ren’s was confusing and unwarranted. That they are rivals and potentially cousins has been obvious for 2 films - but to consider them lovers is awkward.
The “JJCut” could quantify the sexual tension established in The Last Jedi, and give more room for their relationship to breath in a non-confrontational manner.
1 More Princess Leia
The tragic death of Carrie Fisher threw a wrench into the story for Rise of Skywalker early on, as it was rumored that Princess Leia would play a major role in Episode IX -- much like Han did in The Force Awakens and Luke in The Last Jedi. So scenes in Rise of Skywalker featuring Princess Leia were cobbled together from previous footage and old audio recordings (including Star Wars), which restricted her character’s time on-screen.
Abrams probably thought it disrespectful to recast Leia with special-fx or a lookalike actor -- or both, as was done for Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One. But as fans of Leia and Fischer, any opportunity for her to shine again in the “JJCut” would be appreciated.
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/2ZSak1H
0 Comments