Review Detail

I was sceptical initially on watching this fan edit. I am a massive James Bond fan, and I know it is impossible to choose which one is best, but if I had to choose, it would in fact be From Russia With Love, a masterpiece in my opinion. One of the greatest films of the 1960s, arguably the best James Bond film, and one of the best thrillers ever made. I will not go into why since it is quite obvious. I personally did not think it needed a fan edit. It is not a film for most modern audiences or teenagers with short attention spans who expect an explosion every 10 mins. It is aimed at a more mature and sophisticated audience who value an interesting plot, innovative storytelling, a magnetic screenplay, gripping suspense and tension, and phenomenal acting.

There is one primary reason to watch this fan edit, the unexpectedly good reworked opening 15 minutes after the title sequence. I feel it tells the story here more coherently and more clearly than the theatrical release, I found it easier to understand exactly what was going on. I think it also grabs the viewer's attention in a more effective manner. Since almost 10 minutes are removed, the pace is faster. Really, the only scenes noticeably missing include, the extra day with gypsies, slap/interrogation scene, and, of course, the boat chase. In the original, I enjoyed the boat chase and I think Bond interrogating Tanya is a fantastic dramatic scene.

DISCLAIMER: A man should never EVER under no circumstances hit a woman, unfortunately this was common back then, and is still common in many countries today. It is a good scene which has not aged well or one that never should have been filmed with the inclusion of the physical strike in the first place. I would watch this fan edit for the opening, and I would recommend fans of the original film to see the opening 15 minutes after titles. I would also recommend this version to people who prefer a faster pace, the original is still extremely well paced in my opinion. This edit accomplishes the goals it set off to accomplish. It is subjective at the end of the day, all depending on the type of viewer.