Alright, so in my Reshoots Required Review, I gave The Last Jedi a very official score of “Major Reshoots Required” — and I stand by it. But today, we’re going further.
We’re not just going to complain. We’re going to fix it – hypothetically.
This is how I’d rewrite The Last Jedi while keeping the good bits, ditching the pointless detours, and finally delivering the payoffs fans like me — who grew up rewinding the gold-boxed VHS tapes until they squeaked — actually deserved.
Bare in mind that this hypothetical reshoot keeps The Force Awakens intact. Now, I’d change some of that film too, but this is about The Last Jedi.
Step 1: Give Us the Reunion We Deserved
Let’s start with the most obvious change: Luke, Han, and Leia need at least one scene together. We all wanted just one, so we get it here.
In my reshoot, this happens right at the start. We open with Rey delivering Luke’s lightsaber on Ahch-To, just like in the original… but instead of tossing it away like a bad comedy gag, Luke stares at it in silence. You see the weight in his face. We cut to the saber and get some flashbacks. Luke, Han, Leia, and Ben, on the Falcon, with a training ball and the saber. Family. Home. More scenes follow, with R2, 3PO, Chewie, and even Lando. Force Ghosts. We could of had so much.
You see the gradual decline of Ben. You see Kylo and then… snap. We’re back to Luke on Ahch-To. Luke collapses, devastated, and we feel the impact. No weird milking scene. No Porgs.
We then get that lovely scene of Luke, R2, and the “Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope”, but slightly tweaked – he’s already going to come back, but this gives us more flashbacks with Han and Leia after the fall of Ben – Giving context to his flying off to Ahch-To and isolating himself.
Luke returns, later in the film, with Rey and Chewie. Leia senses him coming through the Force. When she walks out to greet him, John Williams’ score swells into a soft remix of Leia’s Theme. And boom — you’ve got an emotional reunion too. Nostalgia done right.
Rian Johnson subverted expectations. I’d have satisfied them first, then flipped the script later.
Step 2: Make Luke a Legend Again
Luke, in my version, isn’t a grumpy hermit waiting to die. He’s broken, yes — he failed Ben, and he’s haunted by it — but he’s still Luke Skywalker. The guy who stood alone against Vader and the Emperor wouldn’t just quit.
Instead of cutting himself off from the Force, he’s been training in isolation. Quietly. Patiently. When Rey shows up, he doesn’t dismiss her — he challenges her. Think Yoda in Empire, but without the slapstick. He pushes her limits, showing us Force powers we’ve never seen on-screen before.
Remember that “laser sword” line in the original version of The Last Jedi? I’d flip it completely. In my version, Luke actually does fight the First Order later… with his lightsaber. And guess what? It’s awesome.
Step 3: Finn Gets a Real Story
Finn deserved better. In my reshoot, he doesn’t get shuffled off to Canto Bight on a pointless side quest. Instead, Finn infiltrates the First Order as a double agent, using his stormtrooper past to his advantage.
We lean into his backstory: his training, his knowledge of their tactics, his lingering trauma. Give him emotional stakes, real agency, and meaningful contributions to the Resistance’s survival.
And yes — no forced romance with Rose. Rose stays. She’s great. But let’s keep her as Finn’s partner-in-rebellion rather than a shoehorned love interest. Their bond becomes platonic, respectful, and powerful.
Step 4: Keep Snoke Mysterious… For Now
In The Last Jedi, Snoke dies halfway through, and we learn nothing about him. In my version, he lives — at least until the next movie.
I wouldn’t overexplain him yet, but I’d give enough hints to make him terrifying: cryptic dialogue, hints at ancient Sith origins, maybe even connections to Palpatine’s contingency plans without outright showing our hand. Keep him looming as a massive, credible threat.
Kylo, meanwhile, still struggles with identity — but instead of smashing his mask, he embraces it. The mask stays because, well, it looks cool, and Star Wars needs cool masks.
Step 5: Upgrade the Throne Room Fight
That Praetorian Guard fight could’ve been iconic, but the editing and choreography killed it. In my reshoot, we go full Revenge of the Sith. I’m talking seamless, flowing lightsaber work — think Anakin vs. Obi-Wan. Kylo isn’t involved – forced to watch from a distance. Snoke is pulling the strings – Goading her into using that anger and hate.
No disappearing blades. No sloppy staging. Every strike, block, and parry choreographed to perfection. The stakes feel real because the danger is real. And at the end of it all? Snoke survives. Kylo fails to stop Rey, setting up an even bigger clash in the finale.
Step 6: The Leia Problem
Look, I adore Leia, but that “space witch” scene has to go. Instead, Leia’s survival comes from other people stepping up — Poe, Holdo, and Finn pulling off a daring rescue, showing the Resistance’s teamwork. Leia’s strength comes from her leadership, not Superman-ing through space like Mary Poppins.
Speaking of Poe — let’s fix that too. In my reshoot, Holdo actually tells Poe the plan. Imagine that. Conflict still exists, but it’s based on real, strategic disagreements, not forced miscommunication.
Step 7: Give Phasma the Spotlight
Phasma was hyped, teased, merchandised… and wasted. In my version, Phasma becomes Finn’s personal nemesis, hunting him throughout the movie like the T-1000 with chrome armour. She finally gets to show us why she’s the First Order’s elite.
Their duel — brutal, personal, and emotional — becomes one of the movie’s highlights. And yes, she survives into Episode IX, where we actually pay off her arc properly.
Step 8: Crait, Reimagined
I’ll give Rian Johnson credit here: visually, Crait was stunning. The salt-over-red aesthetic stays, but the battle changes. Instead of Luke projecting himself across the galaxy, he shows up in person.
This time, we get the scene we all wanted — Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master, taking on the First Order head-on. Not flipping around like a prequel CGI fest, but a controlled, powerful display of Force mastery. Deflecting blaster bolts with a wave of his hand. Disarming AT-ATs. Demonstrating why this is the man Vader feared.
And here’s the twist: he survives. Because Luke has more to teach. His death should mean something — and this isn’t the time.
Step 9: End with a Real Cliffhanger
Instead of wrapping up with a kid holding a broom, we end with the Resistance genuinely cornered. The First Order tightens its grip. Snoke’s looming. Kylo’s rise is inevitable. Rey’s unsure of her place. And Luke? He warns her of a greater darkness coming — something bigger than Snoke, hinting at Palpatine’s return without spoiling it.
We leave theaters desperate for Episode IX, not confused about what we just watched.
Final Thoughts
The frustrating thing about The Last Jedi isn’t that it tried something new — it’s that it wasted so much setup, so many characters, and so many emotional payoffs that were right there for the taking.
But with some reshoots, some restraint, and a bit more love for the legacy characters, this could’ve been an all-timer.
And hey, we’d still have a Yoda Force ghost scene too, because that’s one thing Rian actually got right – The master and apprentice. Can’t take that away from him.
For now, though, we’re left with what we have — a visually stunning, occasionally brilliant, but ultimately flawed middle chapter.
And yes, John Williams still saves the day. As always.
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