Star Wars - Episode II: Attack of the Clones: The Super 8 Cut

Review by Ripplin — March 11, 2011 @ 9:10 pm

I saw all the rave reviews and had to check it out for myself. This is definitely one to see! It emulates the old Super 8 “Ken Films” very well. The lessened color, rougher image quality and boosted contrast/brightness look good. Even the menus are done in a way that doesn’t distract from the look of the movies themselves. The trailers also show that he did his research and they emulate old style trailers perfectly. (I especially like the fonts and effects used in the Flash Gordon one).

Very solid effort overall that shouldn’t be missed. I’m giving it a 9/10.

Review by bionicbob — March 1, 2011 @ 10:52 pm

So let me just get it out of the way, and say up front,
this Fan Edit is EXCELLENT! I was thoroughly engaged and entertained.
Thumbs up from me!

Let’s get into specifics…

The Trailers….

All excellent vintage choices. Many of them childhood favorites.
I nearly pissed my pants with laughter when I saw the title Rogue gave the Bruce Lee movie! Awesomeness!!! (though maybe there should be a RESTRICTED WARNING for that one…)
It would have been really funny if the Flash Gordon trailer was presented in MONGO-vision…
One thing is clear from these trailers, Rogue loves to manipulate music, and he really shows his diverse tastes and talent. It definitely piqued my interest and left me wanting to see more.

When I was a little kid (this would be the mid/late 70s), we lived in a small town with a small independant movie theatre, and every Saturday they would have a double bill matinee of slightly older/poor print movies. I used to love going, it is where I saw the old Tarzan movies, Sinbad, tons of westerns and other B and C movies. Your trailers totally transported me back to that time.
Well done!

The Movie….

Okay, the very fact Rogue managed to cut Attack of the Clones down to less than 40 minutes and that it totally works, is brilliant in itself! He smartly built the story around 3 big action pieces, kept the mystery and key character moments, and it all blends together marvellously.

I love that Rogue totally cut the Emperor out of the movie except for the closing shot. I think this is fantastic choice. All the Naboo stuff is gone and not even missed. As I said, storywise, the edit completely works! Well done.

The Look/Tech…

I am no expert, and my old brain has trouble remembering what actual Super 8 footage looks like, but I do like what Rogue has done here. Whether it is truly a Super 8 Look or not doesn’t matter to me. What matters is he has taken something we have all seen more times than me like to admit and given it a fresh new look which I found to be very enjoyable.

I like that each reel has it’s own distinct look. I love the smudges and hairs that show up.
The audio is great with all the hiss and pops!
I found all the cuts to be clean and smooth, all the transistions worked well for me. The Full Screen format worked really well for this type of edit and enhances the illusion.

Technically, I think Rogue should be very happy with his acheivement.

i never knew what a super 8 film was until rogue-thex started to fanedit films into this format, and i've enjoyed all the super 8 edits thus far. i'm not what you would call a die hard star wars fan i couldn't tell you anything that happens beyond the film series. wasn't a fan of the prequels but i wouldn't go as far as saying they ruined my childhood. this version cuts an awful lot that was bad regarding the original film and while i feel this effected the narrative it keeps things simple.

as i mentioned the narrative at times doesn't introduce who's who for instance count dooku appears without knowing what his motives are. but at the heart of the star wars films the story is about good guys fighting the bad guys which is the general essence the edit carries forward. the tint is very effected and with the cgi adds a strange mix of modern film making mixed with nostalgia. the edit doesn't have a lot of effects i've seen in other super 8 cuts done by rogue and to be honest i wish more was included

overall i find this a much more enjoyable way to re-watch the prequel films and look forward to future instalments

Review by Captain Khajiit — March 6, 2011 @ 1:27 am

Review by Captain Khajiit

Video
The treatment that was given to the video gives this edit a vintage feel, whether it is a true representation of how Super 8 footage degrades over time or not. I found the new look to be the perfect antidote to the digital look and excessively-used CGI of the original. 10 out of 10

Audio
There were no hard cuts. The audio was perfect — and 5.1 for those that want it. 10 out of 10

Entertainment
TMBTM has said more-or-less exactly what I feel about the plot; this is a highly entertaining edit and the feeling that there are a few missing points fits with the Super 8 feel. Some irritating aspects of AOTC are ineradicable, but their impact is effectively minimised. 8 out of 10 (original 5 out of 10)

Editing
Rogue’s editing is accomplished. The editing choices were excellent. There is little that I would have had the editor do differently. 9 out of 10

Presentation
The DVD menus look great. There are extra trailers that really are worth watching–that’s high praise from me. The choice of cover art is extensive, and it all looks fantastic. 10 out of 10

Overall
The faneditor has a vision for the edit that he sees through to completion. This is a must-see edit for everyone; Star Wars fans, casual fanedit viewers and people like me who never thought that they would enjoy watching AOTC again.

This is the best firstling I have ever seen — 10 out of 10.

Review by TMBTM — March 4, 2011 @ 1:52 am

It was a very nice way to revisit the movie although I feel that, for someone not knowing the movie, there are some little plot holes (well the original movie also have some: syfo dias anyone?).
How exactly Obi knows where is the planet to look for in the archive and the name of it? (a simple “a bounty hunter from Kamino…” line by Zam just before she dies would have make sens here). And who exactly is that Dooku vilain that every characters seems to know, but the audience not?
That said, those kind of missing things ARE parts of super 8 cuts of movies anyway, and they did not break the flow of the story at all.
The look of the edit is “gorgeous”, maybe a bit too beautiful, but it’s not a complain at all, I loved it. From the picture I saw before I was worried that it would be just a tinted black and white version, but no, it’s very smartly done.
The pace felt a bit like a “long” episode of the CG Clone Wars show and this is also a compliment.
I also liked the added music from the OT at times. Nice touch.

I’m also very pleased that some of the trailers that are on the DVD will maybe turn into future releases, because they looked great!

This is a solid first fanedit that shows a lot of work and passion. Congratulations.