Review Detail

So, the elephant in the room on this edit is the quality of the scenes added back in: it's pretty awful. Even though the editor warns about this and makes it clear in the description, it's still a bit of a shock. I've seen other edits that caution the deleted footage doesn't look nearly as good, but sometimes they manage to clean it up enough that it's barely noticeable. Not so, here.

Adding to this is the fact that some of the deleted footage is just a shot or a line, only a second or two here or there in a scene. The end result is that parts of the edit feel kind of choppy and jumpy as you move between different A/V sources. It can really make it tough to get immersed in the film.

But the question is if that ruins the edit? I don't think it does. You should definitely know it going in, so that you can set your expectations and move on. Then hopefully you'll just be able to enjoy how the characters are more fleshed out here. The awesome monologue by Carl the Janitor is the real star of this edit, a lengthy piece that almost halts the pace of the movie but is such a great scene it's hard to leave out. Other bits with Carl and Mr. Vernon are great too, and there are added character moments for everyone.

My thoughts on the film overall are here: https://boxd.it/2RnIVz but the question is how does this extended version alter the viewing experience? Well, I think it makes the film feel considerably slower and almost more serious than a comedy. The original film feels like a mood, a hangout film, but this becomes almost a character study. The added bits I think made me dislike Bender even more, which I already struggled with. It's very cool to watch as a fan of the film though. I'd still choose the original for any future rewatches, but this makes for a great alternative viewing experience.