Flash Gordon – Savior of the Earth Edition

dwight fry aug 31 2011

*This rating was given before reviews were required*

Review of Flash Gordon: Savior of the Earth Edition

Video
The video is acceptable. It has been encoded with every fourth frame duplicated, rather than with a 2:3 pulldown, so the quality could be better. Color correction has been applied, which is a nice touch. It is a bit much times at times, but overall the new look is successful. 7 out of 10

Audio
The audio is 5.1, and the editing was generally fine. 9 out of 10

Narrative and Enjoyment
I have no problems with the original, but found this to be a satisfying alternative version. The cuts are well though out, and the result is thoroughly enjoyable. I liked the menu. :) 9 out of 10

Overall 8 out of 10

Havok delivers a satisfying alternative version of Flash.

Overview - Flash Gordon was one of a fistful of films that emerged after the Star Wars phenomena. Many were rushed Hollywood SciFi scripts (eg: Black Hole, Meteor, Saturn 3, Battle Beyond The Stars). Flash took a different course, offering spoof over story. Camp more than special effects. The result was a mixed bag.
Havok1977 removed much of the stupidity, making this a sleeker, less dumb version. He also heavily tweaked the original colour design.

Video - Film played OK throughout. I did notice omissions, such as the football sequence, and the cut was abrupt. Maybe one or two others, but they flicked by with little splash. The red shift was noticeable for the whole film. Struck me as a mistake, especially for Earth parts. Also, the whole Mongo world was a glittering, technicolour extravaganza. Here, monochrome ruled.

Note: Other editors forego menus. Had there been a separate award for menu design, this would have won easily. Great go-to example.

Audio - Excellent here.

Narrative - The plot holds. Pacing was quicker, to be sure. This edit is more intelligent than the original. The overall story remains childrens fare, but this child has a brain.

Enjoyment - Acting splits between non-Americans who seriously seem to be having fun with the story, and Yanks who are clumsy and amateurish. In my book, Williams, playing Gordon back in 1974, was less wooden than Jones. Von Sydow is an unforgettable Ming.
Havok’s version was a fun romp, delivering on the promise of what the original ought to have been. By all means, fans should hunt this down.

Based on Havok's introduction, it sounds like we have kindred love affair with Flash Gordon. I was 10 when I saw the original, there was only one other person in the theatre besides my parents. It was like having my own private screening. And I loved every minute of it! At that age, I did not really notice the "cheese". To me, it was the ultimate in Space Opera Spectacle! Over the years, Flash Gordon has remained my all time favorite Guilty Pleasure Movie and I watch it repeatedly.

But I have always wondered if there was a way to tone the movie down a bit and bring it more in line with its comic strip origins or the Buster Crabbe serials?

And now I have my answer. And it is a definitive YES!

The movie is still silly and loaded with bad acting but the extreme camp is mercifully toned down or completely removed. The core plot remains intact and still plays well.

I love the menu design!

The cutting of Ming from the beginning is very smart, adds bit more drama and mystery. Though the cut from the starfield to opening credits is very abrupt, it should have been crossed faded or transitioned smoother.

Sometimes when you know a film so intimately, it is hard judge if all the cuts are seamless or not. Unfortunately for me, there are many such scenes throughout -- Ming's Palace and football sequence is an example of one of them for me.

As others have noted, there are a few audio dips and fades that are noticeable.

I was not a fan of the colour correction. Too much red for my tastes, particularly during the Earth scenes.

I think Havok successfully achieved his goals and has created a solid edit. I still prefer the original but this is a fast paced, entertaining alternate cut that I think Flash Gordon fans should definitely check out.

rogue-thex aug 9 2011

This review is based on my opinions and my personal veiwing experience, nothing is meant as an attack. Spoiler warning.

I Think Havok has achieved what he set out to do, wich is make a leaner, meaner, Flash Gordon edit! I noticed one audio glitch but nothing that ruined the experience. I REALLY wish that the opening starfield shot (from superman?) would have blended in smoother with the opening credits because the combination of the movies score/starfield image is just PERFECT, and i think it is more than possible to achive this with some AVIsynth trickery.

8/10

SIDE NOTES: Right on Havok, keep it up!