Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Covenant Edition

Like most - KoTCS - I try to make believe it doesn't exist. There's no fourth film in my world. I'd watched a couple edits and they were still full of issues I hated. So I noted the film was on last night and thought, isn't there a new edit out there? Which is getting the hightest ratings?

Turns out it's TM2YC.

Had high hopes for this edit and I have to say, overall, this is a great improvement over the original film. Massive sequence removals just go to prove that they weren't needed at all. (I've always hated Boomtown) - but the removals of interrogation and university were the most bold and totally not missed.

I completely forgot about the goafers. Didn't even notice!

Edit wise, I noticed nothing abrupt or jarring. Picture is good. There may have been a few audio transitions that were a little notable, but then I'm looking for those things.

The film does feel a little short now and moves at quickened pace, perhaps a little faster than the first three Indy films. There's no pondering moments or pause for reflection, but then that wasn't the editors intention. I enjoyed it, but it won't get more than an 8, as I don't like the story that much. I will say that I though the ending was a little abrupt and of course because it's not standard for post credits sequences in Indy films - I didn't know it was there. (BTW - why does Jim Broadbent get a credit???)

If you're looking for an edit of this 4th installment of Indy that you won't hate - you can't go wrong here. Well done.

My wife and I really enjoyed to watch this edit. It's no more a pain to look at it. All the things that were too much or not funny are removed. It's now a really good Indy movie. Thanks a lot for making this edit. I enjoyed the movie so much that I made a french 5.1 soundtrack for it. If someone is interested, please go to the discussion forum.
The video quality is good, but I found that it miss a little bit of colors.
Audio is good, but only in 2.0.

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.

A classic example in which "less is more". You brought Indy back to its original roots. Gone are the ridiculous CGI effects. Gone is the pointless Cold war subplot. By removing the over the top sci fi elements in the end you have indeed produced a worth while finale that reminded me of the Ark finale in the original Raiders of the lost Ark. I do agree with Pkmatrix that the transition to the train station and Mutt's intro seems a bit rushed but upon a second viewing it didn't bother me much. Excellent Visual and Audio editing. This edit is highly recommended for what it accomplishes... it feels more in tune with the other Indiana films' atmosphere and pacing and removes the Computer Gaming CGI nightmare-look that I hated so much on my initial viewing when it premiered on theaters. Kudos for a job well done.

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has always been one of those movies where I've not followed the popular opinion, since I never HATED the movie but was merely disappointed by it. IMO, the biggest flaw with the Theatrical cut was that while a great idea for an adventure movie, it just didn't feel like the sort of adventure Indy would actually be on. Topping it off, Indy felt more like a sidekick in his own movie! You spent a good chunk of the time wondering why he was there at all. So, needless to say, I've been waiting a long time for a fanedit that really thoroughly addressed the problems with this movie.

IMO, the Covenant Edition is that fanedit.

The movie is now brisk and exciting! It not only feels like an Indiana Jones movie now, Indy is now unquestionably the hero and the protagonist just as much as in previous films. The over-the-top goofiness is gone, the annoying McCarthy/Cold War subplot is gone, and the straight Sci-Fi elements have been HEAVILY redacted. Overall, this is a GREAT cut of this movie and has permanently replaced the Theatrical cut in my collection

Now, I do have some issues with this cut, but in general I think they're nitpicks:

- The most minor one first, and something that won't be a problem for anyone else, but I never like when editors alter the title of the movie's title card. Again, super minor.

- I'll need to look at it again, but movie feels like it starts VERY abruptly. Looking at the cut list, I think this is because you cut the CGI gopher at the start and, as a result, the Elvis song cuts in wrong. It feels like something is missing. Again, maybe I'm wrong and you did do this, but I'd recommend at least keeping the audio for that shot and playing it behind the Paramount logo.

- I love how you tie up the Nevada sequence! That said, it again feels VERY abrupt transitioning from there to the train platform and Mutt's introduction. We don't get any sort of establishment for Indy back in the city at all. Perhaps it works on multiple viewings, but the first impression is that we need something there.

Otherwise, great job! ^_^