Review Detail

I didn't think it was possible, but editor TM2YC has created a version of Indy 4 that I actually enjoyed and look forward to watching again. I absolutely hated the theatrical version of the film, and while njvc's edit "Raiders of the Lost Skull" (a very good edit in it's own right) made the experience much less painful, it wasn't quite enough. I never expected to watch another version of KOTCS, and then I read TM2YC's intention and cut list for this one. Wow. The editor makes some bold and competently argued assertions, and, I'm delighted to say, every one of them was spot on. At last, this feels like an Indiana Jones movie!

By removing much of the old age humor, Dr. Jones retains his heroic persona; he no longer feels like a lovable has-been just trying to keep up. The removal of the huge chunks of exposition throughout the film is actually helpful in three different ways: 1. It improves the pacing considerably. 2. It streamlines the narrative, making it less convoluted. 3. By removing many of the scenes where Dr. Jones is seen merely walking around in daylight, you don't notice his bow-legged, stooped old man posture as much (I'm not trying to be cruel here; it happens to all of us eventually. Watch the deleted scenes compilation and you'll see what I mean). Not seeing this allows for easier suspension of disbelief when the stunts start happening; you don't have this crazy disconnect between the two images. Also helping the action feel more believable (and thus more in line with the other films), is the serious trimming away of many shots that either look phony/cartoony or make the scale of the danger look ridiculous. Essentially, it no longer looks like huge swaths of the movie were shot on a soundstage against a green screen. Well, the trimming gets us halfway there; the other half of that essential fix was achieved by recoloring and desaturating the picture. This alone, giving the film a more grounded appearance, bringing it more in line with the rest of the franchise, makes KOTCS 25% less depressing. Of course, the most egregious stuff has been removed as well (atomic bombs, gophers, flying saucers), with a truncated Mutt vine-swinging scene that is far less upsetting.

Is it a good movie now? No, not really. It is a lot more fun, though. I equate it with Jurassic Park 3; a minor entry in a major franchise. It's a let-down, of course, but it's not offensive. It merely feels like a smaller film. It zips along, hitting its beats, and then it's over in an hour and a half. There are a couple of little things that still bothered me, but I don't see how they could have been done better, so I'm not docking much. The only one really worth mentioning here is that it really does feel like something is missing between the rocket sled and the train station. The single shot from the excised "doom town" sequence is an inventive way to bridge these two scenes, but it still feels rather abrupt. Otherwise, this is a superb edit that turns an unwatchable epic into a fun little adventure movie. I give it my highest recommendation.