Review Detail

Live and Let Die is my second favourite Moore-era Bond movie, but I still find it something of a mixed bag, and probably no more than a mid-tier Bond movie. I'm glad to say this edit does a near-perfect job of cutting out the things that bug me - especially Sheriff Pepper and Rosie Carver, whose combined absences are not missed in the slightest. The only minor downside of removing these scenes is the pacing: it all flies by now in a way that is so fast it doesn't quite feel Bond-like.

The video and audio editing changes were faultless. I've recently seen the original film so there were moments where I was aware of the edits being made, but I suspect a first time viewer wouldn't be able to tell where the fan editor had intervened. So I feel it deserves a 10 on the technical ranking.

For enjoyment I've given it a 9. It's clearly better than the theatrical cut of the film, but I wish there were a few minutes added back in - especially during the New York sequence, where I have no issue with some of the lines of dialogue that were cut. I wonder if the film might have played marginally better with a little less editing in that first hour.

And thanks for removing the ridiculous blow-up Yaphet Kotto balloon!

Overall: great work. If you're a Bond fan who prefers the serious tone of the Connery, Dalton or Craig eras give this a watch. It's well worth the effort.