Review Detail

It's been a few years since I saw the original, but it's testament to how well TM2YC has edited this film that I didn't notice anything missing. In fact, I was nearly at the end when I suddenly remembered "oh yeah, the love triangle is gone." If that's not a statement on a) how well the Editor has structured this and b) how unnecessary that was in the original script, then nothing is.

The edit works excellently, with a stirring Indiana Jones-esque feel (especially with the title card overlaying a man painting a map), and the ending is much stronger. By removing certain elements (esp. the aforementioned love triangle; and Jack's "Black Spot" subplot at the start) the story gets going much more quickly, and the characters develop much more strongly here.

That being said... the film still isn't a patch on the original, even with TM2YC's excellent work. Unfortunately, this is due to the weaknesses of the script itself. The decision to make two sequels back-to-back means that this film essentially ends halfway through it's second act. There is no meaningful resolution for anyone, and if anything this kind of film might very nicely be turned into a four-part Mini-Series (something to consider...) I think the structure of the plot would suit that much more nicely. But this is a creative thought, nothing to do with TM2YC's edit, which improves on a flawed film as much as possible. As said, any flaws are with the source material, not the Editor's work.

I am excited to watch the third episode, which dragged horrifically in the theatrical version.
This would easily be a replacement on the original.