YOU're in charge of 45 extra minutes put into TFA

I think he might have meant if the film had 45 minutes of content already in it, what would we have liked to see...

 

I don't want trade negotiation levels of exposition but just a little more about the state of the galaxy/senate to flesh things out. Ultimately it didn't make it any less enjoyable for me but i'm sure the majority in my theater were not sure what the 1st Order/Resistance were in relation to the Empire/Rebellion.

 

Maybe just one flashback or scene explaining why/when/how Ben turned. Leia blamed Snoke (better explained in the book) and I would've like that info transferred over into the movie.

 

First, I must see it. Then, think about pacing and overall story. Maybe some extra scenes would be great, maybe not. Maybe movie is already done well.
But I doubt I will charge movie with all scenes anyway.

 

More Poe.
Less Ranthar.
More exposition.
Less extremely fast pace.

 

I will love to know more about REY childhood....

 

If Finn's sudden change isn't magical, I would show that he's had reservations from the start.

I'd show Rey actually doing Force stuff on Jakku without knowing what she's doing, so it didn't look like she pulled it out of her butt.

More time with Finn and Poe

More Time with Finn and Rey

More time to develop a threat other than 10 times bigger deathstar.

 

I doubt this would total to anywhere near 45 minutes of running time... but these are the things I'd add:

1) I'd add in a bit of content about the relationship between the New Republic and the Resistance. That isn't clear in the film, but is described in appropriate (and straightforward) detail in the visual dictionary. I don't know why this wasn't in the film.

2) I'd add in enough to slightly slow down the pace. I don't mind TFA's pacing, but it might be a little more Star Wars-y to have a few more carefully chosen slower sequences in the film.

3) More time at Maz Kanata's pirate castle.

4) More Maz Kanata.

5) More Ackbar. Someone with the genius and reputation of Ackbar should have been seen as having a more vocal/authoritative role in planning and strategy.

6) In TFA, there was no functional difference between Phasma and any other random Stormtrooper officer. I'd add specific Phasma scenes to distinguish her from everyone else.

7) I'd add a single sequence to give a better reason for R2 randomly powering himself up at the end to make it a little less of a "deus ex machina" moment

 

Absolutely agreed!! The length of the movie doesn't necessarily dictate pacing!
More doesn't equal better. I prefer my epic historical films under 3hrs and the
3-act Star Wars movies under 2:30hrs.

I wholeheartedly agree with you on points 1,2,5.

My main confusion was with how Disney marketed the film. In the trailer the "Knights Of Ren" along with "Phasma" got awesome hero shots. For most of the viewers it was pretty justified to assume those would be more prominent characters. I felt for the sake of the first film in the new trilogy Phasma was a complete waste. She might as well be another Stormtrooper. Knights Of Ren were also really hyped up so I imaged there would be a major standoff between them and Luke, or them trying to hunt down Rey and bring her to their leader.

1. The pacing of the film could definitely benefit from extended Han, Maz, Rey scene. The conversation felt rushed and got into the Force a bit quickly for my liking.
2. I didn't have as much problem with Starkiller base concept as the way it was portrayed.It's devastating power and the aftereffects of the attack on the planets should have been described more visually/narrative.

MY TAKE:

- I would have enjoyed more interaction between Rey, Finn, and Poe. See how they relate to one another in tight situations, slower scenes.
- More screen time with Poe detailing his motivations to be a part of the Resistance. Maybe some argument with chain of command/Leia, or after the reunion with Finn.
- This is the film that needed a bit of politics in my opinion. 30 years have passed and we, the audience, need to know where the galaxy stands. I didn't really care for the destroyed planets because I knew nothing about them.
- Max Von Sydow's character was such a missed opportunity, given the actor's legacy. The intro scene with Poe could've built the mystique around Luke's disappearance as well as the legend surrounding the last of the Jedi for the past 30 eyars. Also a great missed chance to build on the Resistance and its motivations.
- Interaction between Hux and Kylo were scarce. Gleeson is a hell of an actor but his role was so superficial, cartoonish. I wish there was more gravity to his posturing around the ship, commanding the troops, challenging Kylo's methods.
- I would develop the subplot of worshiping Vader a bit more, with several visits to the "shrine/vader's helmet" as Kylo get's emotionally unraveled with each visit.
- Han Solo's dealing with the underworld. The only scene I find a waste in TFA is the pirates in his cargo ship. I would have used a different location/scene to show Han in a tight spot, trying to talk his way out of a problem and blasting a few heads in the process.

 

Can't really find another thread that asks for our thoughts on changes/ additions to TFA so I'll put mine here. It's 'sort of' related.

My first thought is that I would of preferred Starkiller Base to be around for the whole trilogy. There were so many forces stationed there i think it would of been fine to have the x-wings destroy the regulator and just put it out of commission for a while. Look how BIG that thing was .... it would take a long time to just replace that.
There would also of been a prime opportunity to show more play between Hux and Kylo-

Hux tells them to fire on the Resistance base - Falcon malfunction-like noises woop woop woop groan
Hux looses face in front of Stoke, yells its not his fault, then Kylo sets off to stop the intruders etc.

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My other thought was this movie could of worked JUST as well if not better on a smaller scale... say if kidnapped Rey was brought back to the Star Destroyer flagship and the small group goes aboard THAT to save her before the Resistance plans to attack the fleet.. and then you have the maintenance guy get them around the ship through overlooked sub systems and its no stretch of the imagination... Hell the Star Destroyers could even be a newer bigger version using ion canons like the Malevolence arc from Clone Wars...

They help bring the ships shields down from within and/or cause the Ion Canon to malfunction (or have it target the rest of the FO fleet)- they rescue Rey and get off as the x-wings are attacking the fleet... and the final battle could of been the FO destroying the Republic fleet and planetary bombardment of the Hosnian Prime system. Stick in 5 minutes or less establishing a little more there- maybe a video communication between Leia and Maisie Richardson-Sellers' Korr Sella. Maybe a stressful communication between Mon Mothma and Leia where Mothma tells Leia her actions are forcing a vote in the senate to declare the Resistance terrorists... or accuse Leia of being on a damn foolish idealistic crusade and after the Republic fleet is destroyed its up to the ragtag Resistance to come to the rescue. Have Finn, Rey and Kylo duke it out in the landing bay and falling debris/ support structures/ scaffolding and fire separate them...

Finally - the main part of the map could of already been in the First Order's hands and Rey and Finn could of gotten it from the flagship or Kylo's meditation chamber (or whatever) and added BB8's part to it, completing it.. and the completed map could of been the signal that wakes up R2.

Sometimes less is more. It could of been just as riveting seeing a huge fleet battle. Although I thought it was over the top, the one in Revenge of the Sith almost worked..


Anyway... that's some of my thoughts.

The science part of my brain will just try and ignore what would of happened to a planet like Starkiller Base with its shields down as its primary star was drained away. I'm assuming it was the planetary shield that kept life intact as it moved through Hyperspace? It moves through hyperspace right? Because after 2 uses it drained the star. They had some way to move the planet right?

 

At the beginning, I would have added a better clarification to align with the prequel book to show that Jakku was Finn's first official combat mission.

And I'm aware everyone won't agree with this, so I'm not looking for a debate here, but also, if what I suspect is true, I would add clearer scenes regarding Finn's potential force sensitivity.

More Finn and Rey scenes to give Rey a bit more fleshing out.

More Poe scenes to give him, at least, a closer standing with Finn and Rey as one of the important characters of the new trilogy.

I would've let Finn win a few fights with the saber and potentially lose to Phasma in a melee combat confrontation instead of a random Storm Trooper.

 

I do not think that R2D2 did a magical awake. I really think that the scene they show us in Rey's vision (Luke's hand on R2) is not there by chance.

 

Well there is another thread about deleted scenes. A couple seemed like I would have wanted them back.

I did not mind the pacing I thought compared to Into Darkness he reigned it in. I would have kept the scene with Unkar Plunt following Rey to Maz's castle to get the Falcon back. To see Rey in danger and needing Chewie; 1- ends some of the complaints about Rey, 2- we would get to see Chewie rip someone's arm off. I would have kept the Snow Speeder chase with Rey and Finn it has some additional moments of chemistry and it gives Finn a win. The scene with Kylo in the Falcon might have been a great moment.

My own additions more Phasma in action.
- Maybe some more chase to the catching of Poe perhaps Phasma needs to get In it.
- An actual struggle to subdue her or after she is "subdued" she makes an attempt to turn the tables and Han, Chewie and Finn where they have to deal with her causing problems.

The politics is very much apart of the story they told there is a lot of detail missing but the general gist of things is there. I would like to know more about the Republic in general why there is some inaction and why the support of the Resistance is marginal.