Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Q2 Edition

A really fun experience. This film will always be a slightly sillier version of the already-silly Last Crusade, but it's far from the embarrassment of the original cut, and the characterizations (which are missing from Temple of Doom, the real black sheep of the franchise) are allowed to shine here. All excisions are done with the precision I except from Q2. There's a small bit of rough editing I noticed in the sequence in the truck, in which there are mini-remnants of cut shots, but that's a small quibble compared with the massive rescue effort performed on this film.

What can I say that hasn't already been said? Q2 is my go-to editor. You're guaranteed a quality, thoughtful improvement on the original source.

The original film is an abyss of Shia comedic not-so-much relief and pacing problems. It feels less like Jones and more like Over the Hedge. I was hesitant to watch because I despised the original cut, but I have to say I'm quite impressed with the changes.

No one could save this mess entirely, but Q2 nearly manages the impossible. There are a few moments of discontinuity, but hardly worth mentioning. The pace is improved, the tone more serious and the ultimate reveal more in line with original expectations. This has taken the original's spot in my Jones collection forever more.

October 25, 2010

*This rating was given before reviews were required*

September 1, 2010

Indy 4.. Why George? Why?. No need to recount the colossal FAIL that this movie turned out to be despite it’s insane Box Office receipts. If you’re reading this, you know the history.

Q2 has done an admirable job of improving the worst of the Indy franchise, a worth wile watch for anyone that wants to watch a more tolerable version of Crystal Skull.

Technical Quality
I watched the Single Layer DVD 5 on a 52″ Plasma. The image quality was overall very good, I noticed no artifacting or outrageous compression. For a SL presentation, it was right where you’d expect it to be. Audio quality was fine, I didn’t have to fuss with the volume for adjustment purposes of correcting sudden level changes. Well done.

Editing/Entertainment
The Good: Q2′s handling of the Nuclear Test sequence was simply fantastic. It flowed wonderfully and if you ‘d never seen the original, you’d never have noticed anything was missing, it goes to show just how useless this sequence was. Likewise, I love the truncated motorcycle chase. It was over-the-top silly and out of place in the Indy Universe in my opinion. Mutt/Tarzan is also deftly handled, more kudos for how this was handled. The worst of the most offending dialog has been removed and again, as a viewer we are none-the-wiser.
The Bad: Most glaringly there were a few flash-frames in various places. Some have been noted by previous reviewers, and I also noticed two in the back of the transport as our heroes are beginning their escape. Beyond that, I simply wish Q2 would have been even more aggressive in his edit. As much as was removed, much more could have been taken out without detracting from the narrative.

Overall Enjoyment
Q2′s edit is a definite improvement over the original. The movie still suffers from serious flaws, many far beyond the reach of editing for correction. But if you want to watch Indy 4 as part of an Indy marathon, well, this far superior to the original and cuts out the worst excesses of the original.

Overall Rating
8/10

August 23, 2010

What else can I say that hasn’t already been posted? A very solid edit, Most of the other reviews here hit the nail on the head. I only noticed two or three cuts. The first one was the library, which was a memorable sequence in the original (for better or worse). The second and third cuts I noticed were to the start of the jungle chase sequence while Indy and company were taking over the truck. This was due to a couple “flash frames,” or single frames from shots that had been cut out. In no way a deal breaker, There was also the ratio discrepancy that white43 pointed out above.

Still, great piece of work and very highly recommended.

8/10