Despite being the third and fourth entries of the Star Wars saga, Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope are two extremely different blockbusters. They released in 2005 and 1977 respectively, and are both held in high regard by fans, many of which deem them to be two of the best movies the entire franchise has to offer.
However, what if they were to be remade today? With technology evolving in the years since they hit theaters, we’ll now take a look at five changes that could be made for each film to make them better.
Revenge Of The Sith: Count Dooku Alive Longer
Count Dooku is introduced as the villain in Attack of the Clones. He appears towards the end of the 2002 picture, imprisoning Obi-Wan Kenobi on Geonosis and engaging Master Yoda in lightsaber combat. He also cuts off the hand of Anakin Skywalker, fueling the Jedi Knight’s hatred for the Sith Lord in the process.
However, Dooku is barely in Revenge of the Sith. He seems to show up just to die, with Anakin getting his revenge in the very first act. This villain deserved better, especially given he was played by Christopher Lee, who surely ranks as one of the best actors in modern times.
A New Hope: The Special Effects
This is an obvious one. While A New Hope has aged well considering it was released a staggering 43 years ago, it would definitely get some nice new juicy effects if it were to be remade.
That said, there’s nothing bad about how it is now. It’s still a feast for the eyes, and the grainy feel only adds to its charm. Disney has done a fantastic job at altering things for it’s streaming service, but even they don’t have the resources to give it a massive revamp.
Revenge Of The Sith: More General Grievous
Count Dooku isn’t the only individual that deserved more screen time in Revenge of the Sith. General Grievous was introduced in that blockbuster for the very first time and instantly won fans, many of which were impressed by his ability to wield four lightsabers against the likes of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.
We got plenty more of Grievous in The Clone Wars, but he should have been more prominent in his only movie appearance. Like Dooku, it seems he was only in the movie to die – perishing at the hands of Kenobi during an epic confrontation on Utapau. Now, all these years on, he’s an iconic Star Wars character.
A New Hope: More Rogue One Character References
Obviously, A New Hope came way before Rogue One. A huge 39 years separate the two movies, but they are supposed to take place chronologically immediately after one another. Yet given how they’re intrinsically linked, more references would be required if a remake was to happen.
Younger viewers must find it slightly odd that Leia Organa doesn’t reference the likes of Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor, given how they’re the reason she got hold of the Death Star plans in the first place.
Revenge Of The Sith: More Order 66
Revenge of the Sith certainly isn’t stingy when it comes to Order 66. However, given it’s perhaps the biggest moment in the entire Star Wars saga, more of it should be shown if the movies are ever redone.
The video game actually does a perfect job at doing this. It lets the player play as Anakin Skywalker, cutting down younglings and other Jedi Knights in the Jedi Temple. Players are also able to take on Cin Drallig, who was head of security on Coruscant. The Clone Wars’ finale admittedly gave the audience more of the Order 66 everyone has been craving, but the fact remains, more ground should have been covered on the big screen.
A New Hope: Speedier Lightsaber Action
The Star Wars lightsaber action in A New Hope leaves much to be desired when compared to similar action sequences throughout the rest of the franchise. The battle between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi is slow and sluggish, with George Lucas then making adjustments to make fight scenes considerably more enthralling in the years that followed.
The prequels are a perfect example of this, with showdowns involving Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul, Yoda, Count Dooku and Anakin Skywalker particularly entertaining. The sequels also did a good job, with fights between Rey and Kylo Ren often flying by in a haze.
Revenge Of The Sith: The Team Up Scene
Initially, Revenge of the Sith was going to include a sequence that would see Anakin and Obi-Wan team up during their adrenaline-fueled fight on Mustafar. The pair would have briefly put their differences aside to take down a local beast – before locking horns again in a duel to the death.
This was ultimately cut, but maybe it shouldn’t have been, especially given how impressive the concept art looked. It would have made Anakin’s defeat even more emotional towards the end of the movie, and shown that, while they’re enemies, a deep connection still existed there.
A New Hope: Grand Moff Tarkin Alive
A New Hope was never meant to be the start of something more. It was only after the movie was released that Lucas then pressed ahead with a trilogy. And if he’d known he’d have had more room to maneuver at the time then it seems likely that he’d have kept Grand Moff Tarkin around for a little while longer.
Tarkin is a magnificent villain, portrayed excellently by the late Peter Cushing. Other secondary villains to Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine lacked his same aura, with Boba Fett, Jabba the Hutt and Admiral Piett all in Tarkin’s shadow. He’s killed off when Luke Skywalker is able to destroy the first Death Star, forcing the Empire to retreat.
Revenge Of The Sith: Padme’s Death
Padme Amidala was always doomed to die in Revenge of the Sith, as she was the one closest to Anakin Skywalker during his fall to the dark side. But the reasoning behind her passing is bad, to say the least.
A broken heart? Like, really? It would have made far more sense for the medical droids to tell Obi-Wan Kenobi she was dying as a result of the force-choke performed by Anakin on Mustafar. Or dying due to pregnancy health complications. Instead, Lucas just pulled something out of thin air. The theory Emperor Palpatine drained her life force to keep Anakin alive following his defeat to Obi-Wan is a great one, and would have been a much better explanation. Alas, a broken heart it is.
A New Hope: Chewbacca Getting His Medal
This was a mistake eventually rectified in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. But Chewbacca should have got a medal after the destruction of the Death Star in A New Hope, period.
It doesn’t matter that wookiees were looked down on as fierce and rogue beasts by the galaxy. His actions were brave and deserved recognition. He was equally as vital as Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi when it came to saving Leia Organa from certain death. Thankfully he got a medal in the end, with Maz Kanata handing him one following Emperor Palpatine’s defeat many years later.
