Captain America: The Steve Rogers Cut

I'm a big fan of the MCU, but the original film was just okay for me. I like the fast pace of this edit and it has replaced the original for me. Well done!

*This rating was given before reviews were required*

You really managed to insert some energy into this – it’s much more exciting and entertaining than the original.

Technical quality – 9/10 – video quality was sufficient. The audio levels fluctuated a bit, but were crisp.

Editing – 8/10 – most of the time, the video and audio editing was great. However, there were a few places where things could have been changed – the audio from the theater should have started a little earlier over a black screen before the Paramount logo showed up – as it is, it’s a bit sudden. It also would have been nice if the opening shot of Steve was longer. The removal of the “right partner” line was a bit awkward. I was kind of hoping you would keep “That was Penicillin,” but that’s only my opinion. I wish you had cut Peggy touching Steve after he gets out of the machine (kind of looked like you tried to cut it, but it’s ok). The audio crossfade to the Captain America show montage should have started a bit later, seems like it began in the middle of a line. I noticed a couple iffy audio transitions in the scene where the blonde kisses Steve (which I still wish you had cut, but I realize now how hard it would be). I found the new cutting of the war montage clever, but the line “That’s your cue” was cut off rather abruptly. You also should have added “The Steve Rogers Cut” to the credits. Sorry for all the complaining. Overall, the editing was professional.

Presentation – 9/10 – the menu was nice – I especially liked the shields on the scene selection. The Harry Potter trailer was cool too (made me want to watch the edit!). Cover art was simple, but it gets the job done.

Entertainment – 8/10 – I love the new pacing, it’s very fast and energetic. Introducing the Red Skull later works well for a while, especially with the foreboding discussion about the Nazis between Steve and the doctor. The first Red Skull scene is nicely cut to avoid showing him. I appreciated that you shortened that dancing montage. In fact, I pretty much love all the cuts in the whole edit. You have a good feel for what to cut – the dialogue scenes were more effective and the action sequences were more intense. Here’s my main problem with the edit: you toned down the plot way too much. The Red Skull only has a couple scenes, and we don’t have time to accept him as the villain. Then suddenly we’re already at the finale, without sufficient build-up, and we don’t have a good idea of what’s at stake or what the odds are. The film whizzes by well-paced, but the plot is severely under-developed. I enjoyed this edit, and in fact I might prefer it over the original, but I’m going to take off one point for the editing problems and another for toning down the plot too much. Fantastic job overall though, I think I’ll check out some of your other work.

Overall – 8/10

This was an extremely fun edit! Fast paced, action packed, compelling story. Very nicely done AEmovieguy!
9/10.

“Captain America: The Steve Rogers Cut” is an interesting edit. You have edited “Captain America: The First Avenger” into a shorter, faster-paced version that differs from the original in interesting ways. I say “differs” because I don't find it so much an improvement as an alternate version with its own strengths and weaknesses.

In the original movie, the second half felt a bit slow, but your edit makes the whole movie speed by. Unfortunately, while that is one of the main strengths of your edit, it’s also one of the weaknesses. For example, while the removal of Johann Schmidt’s scenes did make the first part of the movie flow better, it weakened it later on. When Schmidt finally takes of his mask to reveal himself as the Red Skull, it no longer has any impact, and the rivalry between Captain America and the Red Skull now seem almost like a footnote. I also felt that Schmidt had more presence when he was wearing the mask than as the Red Skull, so I missed seeing him with the mask on. I also felt that you removed/shortened some lines that should have stayed, such as “I have seen the future, Captain! It has no flags!”. However, a lot of your edits worked brilliantly. Most of the action scenes have a better flow to them, and parts of the movie that previously went slowly are now fast-paced. My overall opinion is mixed, but mostly positive. I feel that you cut out some fat, but took some of the meat with it.

The video quality on the DVD version is actually higher than on the official DVD of “Captain America: The First Avenger”. I haven't seen the HD versions, but I'm sure they are top-notch as well. Almost all of the cuts you made were seamless, although some did make scenes feel a little too abrupt.

Overall, I feel that you succeeded in your goal: to create a version of “Captain America: The First Avenger” that focuses more on Steve Rogers and speeds up the pacing, and that you have made some improvements in the overall flow of the movie. However, I also feel that you also removed a little too much at times.