Review Detail
9.4 21 10
Overall rating
8.6
Audio/Video Quality
9.0
Audio Editing
9.0
Visual Editing
9.0
Narrative
8.0
Enjoyment
8.0
Let me preface by saying that Michael Dougherty's Godzilla King of the Monsters was the most fun I had at the movies in 2019 and is easily my favourite kaiju flick in the new Monsterverse. My only quibble with the original cut is it has too much humour at inappropriate moments that undermined tension or a character beat.
So when Inightmares announced his DRAMATIC CUT, I was delightfully curious, as his cut/goal list sounded very boldly ambitious. And now, having watched his final version (1080 stereo), I can safely say this First Time Fan Editor has achieved something special.
The new opening credits -- which have a very Kubrick/Nolan style/feel -- are BRILLIANT. It immediately sets a very intensely different tone from the original that completely mesmerized me. But I do have a nitpick with it. The editor artistically chose to have the credit play out backwards (starting with the Director credit first) which works great, and is very common in many movies now. However, the credits do not roll out in proper traditional order... from Director to production staff, writers, composers cinematographer and finally with the cast from bottom to top tier... instead, the credits start the director and some production names, then lists all the actors starting with the lead and then goes back to listing production names. I know this is a small thing, and a creative choice, but it did pull me out of the moment.
Pretty much all the ill timed humour (sorry, Whitford & Middleditch) is seamlessly and expertly cut. Strangely, for me, while this maintains, even ups the dramatic tension, some of the "fun popcorn" quality of the original is now gone. So depending where you are on the Monsterverse spectrum (Edwards to Wingard), your mileage may vary.
The character of Emma has been extensively reworked, and while I think it meets the editor's set out goal, I personally felt she was over edited. For me, Emma was one of the best characters out of all the Monsterverse movies -- a very complex, traumatized human being. While the facade of these elements remain, the character now plays a bit less three dimensional, and more standard villain fare. Which brings me to the infamous Evil Plan Power Point Presentation and the hard choices of fan editing. Inightmares has chosen to essentially truncate/cut off Emma's transmission. It is a hard, bold decision. As the perfectly timed, pre-recorded imagery exposition dump does push the bounds of acceptable reality, even in giant monster movie. However, at the same time, it is a vital scene that goes along way to explaining Emma's motivation and state of mind. So while even I cringe at this original scene, I think the narrative is stronger with it than without it.
The video quality is overall strong, with minor dips where the deleted scenes and 2014 footage were masterfully used. The editor does use slow motion a few times in the edit, which really jumps out and looks artificial. I understand why it was done, but it does stand out when watching, especially compared to the actual slo-mo that already exists in the movie.
The scenes with the new music, which again invoke a very Nolan vibe, is blended in very well. Though I did still notice a slight muffle at times, particularly where there was additional foley work. I think my main issue with the new Nolan sound is it is not carried through the whole movie. It is basically only in the first act, so it creates a slight narrative audio discontinuity to my ear.
This a Fantastic Edit! And while the new narrative is not quite for me, I can confidently say Inightmares has stayed true to his creative vision and made something I think all Kaiju Fans will appreciate.
Thumbs Up!!! :)
So when Inightmares announced his DRAMATIC CUT, I was delightfully curious, as his cut/goal list sounded very boldly ambitious. And now, having watched his final version (1080 stereo), I can safely say this First Time Fan Editor has achieved something special.
The new opening credits -- which have a very Kubrick/Nolan style/feel -- are BRILLIANT. It immediately sets a very intensely different tone from the original that completely mesmerized me. But I do have a nitpick with it. The editor artistically chose to have the credit play out backwards (starting with the Director credit first) which works great, and is very common in many movies now. However, the credits do not roll out in proper traditional order... from Director to production staff, writers, composers cinematographer and finally with the cast from bottom to top tier... instead, the credits start the director and some production names, then lists all the actors starting with the lead and then goes back to listing production names. I know this is a small thing, and a creative choice, but it did pull me out of the moment.
Pretty much all the ill timed humour (sorry, Whitford & Middleditch) is seamlessly and expertly cut. Strangely, for me, while this maintains, even ups the dramatic tension, some of the "fun popcorn" quality of the original is now gone. So depending where you are on the Monsterverse spectrum (Edwards to Wingard), your mileage may vary.
The character of Emma has been extensively reworked, and while I think it meets the editor's set out goal, I personally felt she was over edited. For me, Emma was one of the best characters out of all the Monsterverse movies -- a very complex, traumatized human being. While the facade of these elements remain, the character now plays a bit less three dimensional, and more standard villain fare. Which brings me to the infamous Evil Plan Power Point Presentation and the hard choices of fan editing. Inightmares has chosen to essentially truncate/cut off Emma's transmission. It is a hard, bold decision. As the perfectly timed, pre-recorded imagery exposition dump does push the bounds of acceptable reality, even in giant monster movie. However, at the same time, it is a vital scene that goes along way to explaining Emma's motivation and state of mind. So while even I cringe at this original scene, I think the narrative is stronger with it than without it.
The video quality is overall strong, with minor dips where the deleted scenes and 2014 footage were masterfully used. The editor does use slow motion a few times in the edit, which really jumps out and looks artificial. I understand why it was done, but it does stand out when watching, especially compared to the actual slo-mo that already exists in the movie.
The scenes with the new music, which again invoke a very Nolan vibe, is blended in very well. Though I did still notice a slight muffle at times, particularly where there was additional foley work. I think my main issue with the new Nolan sound is it is not carried through the whole movie. It is basically only in the first act, so it creates a slight narrative audio discontinuity to my ear.
This a Fantastic Edit! And while the new narrative is not quite for me, I can confidently say Inightmares has stayed true to his creative vision and made something I think all Kaiju Fans will appreciate.
Thumbs Up!!! :)
B