Review Detail
9.6 4 10
Overall rating
9.0
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
9.0
Narrative
7.0
Enjoyment
9.0
It is interesting editing a movie that is very good as opposed to one with near unanimous dislike for certain parts like with Star Wars. Here is a movie that has many great scenes that were cut out, and I can’t help but feel a little sadness to see they are gone, but I also cannot deny that the movie works fine without them. It was almost the same feeling one gets when watching a book adapted into a movie. I missed the childhood scenes. I missed some of the King stuff with his gay prince. I really, really missed Sophie Marceau, whom I have the hots for. But I agree the movie really, really didn’t need any of it. The only question is whether the removal of these subplots increases or decreases the dramatic tension. In my opinion it is probably a mixed bag.
I was very fascinated with the idea of putting his death first. It is well executed, but left a few lingering issues for me personally. First, somehow the line of him yelling “Freedom” (while always a little hollywoody) now really stuck out as grating to me, whereas when the scene was at the end of the movie it didn’t bother me so much. I had heard his previous amazing monologues at that point and thus somehow it works better.
2nd, by not having the death scene at the end to break up the scenes before and after it, somehow the would-be King leading the troops at the end doesn’t sit as well with me. Though, come to think of it, I’m not sure that final scene ever sat right with me. I just can’t bring myself to forgive his earlier actions. His character is too repulsive, but even that aside the scene just comes off as cheesy in my opinion.
Here is a thought for an interesting alternative ending. Break the death scene into two pieces so that the audience knows he is going to be captured but his death is left open-ended. This increases the tension with the hope that he might get saved. Then have the “freedom” line and actual death back in its original place where it works better. Then we fade out with him seeing his wife and the axe coming down to music and then some text that describes historically what happened after that. Credits.
Technically everything looked and sounded good. I loved the HD action!. If it had been AVCHD instead of MKV I would have burned and put this on my bookshelf, but alas, I’ll take whatever HD I can get!
There was one edit early on that pulled me out of the story a bit when Robert the Bruce was talking to his father and you intercut some shots of the army. It sounds like a good idea on paper, but it didn’t work for me.
All in all, I would probably give the story a 7-10 but for good technical work and originality I will say 9/10.
I was very fascinated with the idea of putting his death first. It is well executed, but left a few lingering issues for me personally. First, somehow the line of him yelling “Freedom” (while always a little hollywoody) now really stuck out as grating to me, whereas when the scene was at the end of the movie it didn’t bother me so much. I had heard his previous amazing monologues at that point and thus somehow it works better.
2nd, by not having the death scene at the end to break up the scenes before and after it, somehow the would-be King leading the troops at the end doesn’t sit as well with me. Though, come to think of it, I’m not sure that final scene ever sat right with me. I just can’t bring myself to forgive his earlier actions. His character is too repulsive, but even that aside the scene just comes off as cheesy in my opinion.
Here is a thought for an interesting alternative ending. Break the death scene into two pieces so that the audience knows he is going to be captured but his death is left open-ended. This increases the tension with the hope that he might get saved. Then have the “freedom” line and actual death back in its original place where it works better. Then we fade out with him seeing his wife and the axe coming down to music and then some text that describes historically what happened after that. Credits.
Technically everything looked and sounded good. I loved the HD action!. If it had been AVCHD instead of MKV I would have burned and put this on my bookshelf, but alas, I’ll take whatever HD I can get!
There was one edit early on that pulled me out of the story a bit when Robert the Bruce was talking to his father and you intercut some shots of the army. It sounds like a good idea on paper, but it didn’t work for me.
All in all, I would probably give the story a 7-10 but for good technical work and originality I will say 9/10.
G