Howard the Duck: RePlucked

So much fun that I dug out my Steve Gerber/Gene Colan Howard the Duck comics and re-read them after screening this edit. While the movie's light on the subversive satire of the comics, the characters of Howard and Bev were always the biggest selling point of the comics anyway, and the reconstruction (along with the impressively modernized FX) on display here allow them to shine through. Get down, Fan Editors! I hope we see a lot more edits from 1stBilled -- a fix-up job on the Man-Thing movie would sit very comfortably on the shelf next to this one... hint hint!

I have been a fan of Howard the Duck unironically since I was a child. That being said I know it wasn't a perfect film. The pacing was strange and there were a lot of scenes of bad effects and weird cringey jokes. This edit helps the movie spread its wings and fly!

The effects are crisper and the story is smoother. There are no jarring edits, nothing of importance missing, and I am extremely impressed with the work of making this movie that was a flop when it was released come out of its shell.

The fact remains that this edit is still Howard the Duck. If you weren't a fan before, this won't likely change your mind. If you *were* a fan (like me!), this is the version of the movie you've been waiting for!

Much of the over-the-top cringe has been removed, leaving the essence of the movie to shine through. That, plus the removal/repair of some truly execrable green screen work in the original makes this a treat to watch.

If you're a fan of the original, or a fan of 80s cheese in general, this is definitely the version to see :)

Just completed watching this and I want to really give credit to the fabulous improvement on the special effects. This is perhaps the most significant renovation on this version of the film, and it greatly enhances the overall movie.

It's always been an odd movie; I never really hated it when it came out, like many do, but I also never really loved it either. I own a copy, and every few years I watch it.

It always felt like two movies. The first half deals with Howard coming to Earth and trying to fit in. The second half deals with the Dark Overlord inhabiting Dr. Jenning (Jeffrey Jones) and the threat to the world. In many ways, the film felt overlong with too much going on after the gears switch in the middle. I fault the film for this, as the Dark Overlord makes NO appearance in the first half, so his arrival in the second is like the start of something entirely new.

Fortunately, this fanedit tightens the pace and keeps the storyline clipping along at a reasonable speed. There is no narrative change (moving pieces around to introduce the second half into the first half), but the improved pace does keep the film from feeling over-long. This makes it a better film overall.

Editing is seamless and I noticed no audio faults or issues. I don't miss anything that has been cut. So, for a film that keeps the original structure of the film but improves special effects and pacing, it succeeds 100%.

CAN THE FILM BE IMPROVED FROM HERE? That is a good question. Rather than debate "cut this scene, it's pointless," or "put this back in, I like it," I think the only discussion at this point should be, "Is there a narrative change that could improve this film?" That is a reasonable question. Perhaps dividing the movie into two parts would be one approach. Instead of one movie, we have two individual episodes (for example, Episode 1: Duck out of Water, Episode 2: A Fowl Fate). This might reinforce the comic book origin of the material while providing a reason for the drastic gear shift mid-film. This is in NO WAY a criticism of this fanedit, but the original film.

So, once again, this is a fantastic Fanedit in improving the original film in both pacing and special effects. Great Job! I loved it! If the Faneditor chooses to revisit this film in the future, you might consider the above idea.

This is going to be short and sweet. I wish this was the version released to theatres. Thanks for your work and effort