From Russia with Love: Excess Excised

For me, "From Russia With Love" is almost perfect and probably my favorite Bond film, since it's so close to the book and feels like a real cold-war espionage film instead of the flashy spy popcorn action films the series evolved to.
BUT, it had a somewhat embarrassing gypsy-fight scene (and day after) and a rather dull boat chase near the end, that was unneeded since a final confrontation was soon to occur anyway.
ParanoidAndroid does away with all that and also adds a really nice mislead in the beginning so that the audience isn't aware of all the plot from the start of the movie.... Which gave me an idea... what if Robert Shaw's character wasn't introduced from the start and his motives and loyalties weren't explained up until the final part? That would certainly be interesting!
But I digress, ParanoidAndroid's cuts seemed to me pretty seamless, the narrative works perfectly and the only thing I'd like to be improved is the file's bitrate. The version I watched had a somewhat low bitrate. Anyway, this fanedit is definitely recommended!

This makes an already great Bond film even better. I loved the new structure at the begining which creats a bit more mystery and intrigue as to what is going on. The boat chase towards the end is not missed at all as the helicopter fight works as a better final battle. I loved the moment when the door opens without her knocking and Klebb is standing there, very creepy. And taking out the following day in the gypsy camp made perfect sense, providing much more urgency to Bonds mission.
What did not work perfectly for me was Bond enterogating Tatiana on the train. I get the editor wanted to make Bond less brutal but cutting straight to her all disheveld felt off. I could tell there was a cut their. Also the first two scenes the characters are speaking Russian and I wonder if we could have subtitles for this.
Overall it is a great edit that improves on the original.

Good movie edit. I liked the beginning scenes of the movie. That was good you took out unnecessary scenes & dialogue. The beginning of the movie was a little slow and you made it speed up a little. The silly 2 girIs fight at the camp you cut looked better. I like trim the part when Bond was questioning Tatiana and you took out the slap. That's not cool to do that especially today. The boat chase at the end I liked it, I got a kick out of it how Bond got them and burnt them up. I don't know why you don't like it, I guess the movie is better to make it a little shorter. The audio & visual had no problems. Thanks for the movie Paranoid Android.

Most of the changes this edit makes are small, but add up over time to create a great alternative.
Two of the bigger changes feel like they were made for me specifically, as trimming the gypsy camp and cutting the boat chase entirely fix the two areas of the movie I felt dragged the most and help to keep up the energy and pace of the film.
One change that was made that I'm mixed about is Bond's rough handling of Tania on the train. I can understand why the change was made, but I also feel like it helped to inform Bond's depth as a character after the loss of a friend and one of the more memorable sidekicks of the series.
There were some occasions that I could tell a cut was made or a transition was inserted, but these issues are so minor overall enjoyment won't be impacted.
If you enjoyed the original movie, give this edit a watch, does exactly what it says on the tin.

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.