Review Detail

I only watched the roadshow version in the theater before seeing this cut, so I am comparing this to a 3+ hour version of the movie, with an intermission, shot in 2.76:1 ratio on Ultra Panavision 70mm film. (film snob much?) The point is it was purposely edited to be slower and more artistic than even the theatrical cut, so I may be a bit biased when it comes to visuals and what was cut out.

As far as cuts go, pacing of the dialogue was on point. For someone who doesn't care about what's missing, it was perfect. What I missed was a lot of the beautiful shots that were cut (like the long intro shot). The cuts themselves were a bit jarring only a few times throughout, but mostly unnoticeable. I have to say this was a great job regardless for taking on such an epic movie to trim. and making it look this good.

The biggest problem for me was the chronological edit choice. Most of what made sitting through 3 hours so engaging was being in the same mindset as the "good guys." When we start the movie out with the knowledge that ALL the eventual suspects are the "bad guys," there is no mystery, no tension, no guessing... really just no fun. There's no "how many are in on it?" "who's lying about who they are?" It's just waiting for them to figure out what you already know instead of going along for the ride with them. As a result, the climax was flat and the end was not nearly as intense.

If you keep all the same cuts, and switch back to Tarantino timeline, this would rival the original.