Review Detail
9.5 38 10
Overall rating
9.6
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
9.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
9.0
Enjoyment
10.0
I have to start off by first saying that I was blown away by this edit, and that it is a much deserving of the Favourite Edit of the Month win. The way that these two narratives have been interwoven is phenomenal, and it shows just how talented of an editor JobWillins is. I applaud you!
I watched the film in 1080p, and the attention to quality is perfected in terms of video and audio; it is as crisp and clear as I would have expected from the editor of Derelict.
In terms of visual editing, there is little evidence of any jarring cuts throughout - the only moments you pick up on are the time jumps, which are expertly edited around so they do not feel rushed. The inclusion of the deleted scenes/marketing material is just brilliant, and are used to reinforce the themes well. A particular favourite of mine was the deleted scene of the Prometheus crew, where the inclusion of 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' is added to setup the next scene and create a stronger connection between the two films. The initial usage of titles to aid jumping between the two time frames is done well, and sticks around just long enough to reinforce the narratives. As many have already mentioned, the intercutting during the Infection scene was flawless and easily one of the high points of the editing; it just works visually as well as thematically (Shaw and Oram's grief running parallel made so much sense). Overall, the editing has great pace and the rearranging of scenes has strengthened the narrative.
The audio editing is incredible, with the scores of each film playing off each other very well. JobWillins has edited it in a way that weaves between the leitmotifs seamlessly and manages to ensure both stories have their own identity. Adding music to scenes where there initially was none assuredly amplifies the emotion in those moments, and takes a lot of the awkwardness out of the original films (Covenant most of all). Similar to what some have mentioned, the main issue I have with the audio is the choice of The Beatles in the soundtrack - however it is only with the closing song. Their appearances for the most part are used very well (I would've believed they were always there if I hadn't seen the original films), and I loved how the shower scene is edited. As we hear The Beatles play for the first time whilst Walter is on screen, for some reason I began associating it with his character (as I associate the classical music with David), so when another of their tracks is played by David at the end it felt somewhat out of character to me. Especially since the setup of the Wagner track didn't pay off. This is just a personal gripe though. During the final scene, the background effects from the audio (Bluray extras) seems to be distracting somewhat; I think this could be fixed if you intercut more of the clip with the last scene, like how it started.
Narratively, the circularity of starting and ending the film with David watching over the cryo pods was a stroke of genius - something I only picked up on when flicking through quickly a second time. The intercutting of the white room conversation with Weyland is perfectly used at key moments; I feel like they set up the themes of the following acts clearly. It is done so well that it feels like this is how they should have been edited in the original cut. JobWillins cuts out all of the spectacle and Hollywood fluff, leaving only essential scenes. This helps the pace move along so that the story doesn't drag. The only criticism I have of the narrative is what carries over from the original films. Primarily some of the goofy unrealistic CGI effects (Covenant especially); I feel like there are moments where we could see even less of the Alien and other creatures to leave as much to the imagination as possible. There are some moments that work very well, such as the added cut of Walter seemingly killing David, although I feel like it could be strengthened by the removal of the shot where he leaves the temple and looks back. There are a few moments like this but it is nothing that ruins the film; these are tiny smudges on a masterpiece.
Overall, I am hugely impressed by the film. It feels like it does justice to David's character and Michael Fassbender's performance(s); we get to see his motivations and what impact they ultimately have. JobWillins re-structures the film into what feels more like a character study and I love it. I enjoyed it so much that I am preparing to watch his previous edit 'Man of Tomorrow', which is a big deal considering I dislike the original films it combines. Great job! I can't wait to see what is next.
I watched the film in 1080p, and the attention to quality is perfected in terms of video and audio; it is as crisp and clear as I would have expected from the editor of Derelict.
In terms of visual editing, there is little evidence of any jarring cuts throughout - the only moments you pick up on are the time jumps, which are expertly edited around so they do not feel rushed. The inclusion of the deleted scenes/marketing material is just brilliant, and are used to reinforce the themes well. A particular favourite of mine was the deleted scene of the Prometheus crew, where the inclusion of 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' is added to setup the next scene and create a stronger connection between the two films. The initial usage of titles to aid jumping between the two time frames is done well, and sticks around just long enough to reinforce the narratives. As many have already mentioned, the intercutting during the Infection scene was flawless and easily one of the high points of the editing; it just works visually as well as thematically (Shaw and Oram's grief running parallel made so much sense). Overall, the editing has great pace and the rearranging of scenes has strengthened the narrative.
The audio editing is incredible, with the scores of each film playing off each other very well. JobWillins has edited it in a way that weaves between the leitmotifs seamlessly and manages to ensure both stories have their own identity. Adding music to scenes where there initially was none assuredly amplifies the emotion in those moments, and takes a lot of the awkwardness out of the original films (Covenant most of all). Similar to what some have mentioned, the main issue I have with the audio is the choice of The Beatles in the soundtrack - however it is only with the closing song. Their appearances for the most part are used very well (I would've believed they were always there if I hadn't seen the original films), and I loved how the shower scene is edited. As we hear The Beatles play for the first time whilst Walter is on screen, for some reason I began associating it with his character (as I associate the classical music with David), so when another of their tracks is played by David at the end it felt somewhat out of character to me. Especially since the setup of the Wagner track didn't pay off. This is just a personal gripe though. During the final scene, the background effects from the audio (Bluray extras) seems to be distracting somewhat; I think this could be fixed if you intercut more of the clip with the last scene, like how it started.
Narratively, the circularity of starting and ending the film with David watching over the cryo pods was a stroke of genius - something I only picked up on when flicking through quickly a second time. The intercutting of the white room conversation with Weyland is perfectly used at key moments; I feel like they set up the themes of the following acts clearly. It is done so well that it feels like this is how they should have been edited in the original cut. JobWillins cuts out all of the spectacle and Hollywood fluff, leaving only essential scenes. This helps the pace move along so that the story doesn't drag. The only criticism I have of the narrative is what carries over from the original films. Primarily some of the goofy unrealistic CGI effects (Covenant especially); I feel like there are moments where we could see even less of the Alien and other creatures to leave as much to the imagination as possible. There are some moments that work very well, such as the added cut of Walter seemingly killing David, although I feel like it could be strengthened by the removal of the shot where he leaves the temple and looks back. There are a few moments like this but it is nothing that ruins the film; these are tiny smudges on a masterpiece.
Overall, I am hugely impressed by the film. It feels like it does justice to David's character and Michael Fassbender's performance(s); we get to see his motivations and what impact they ultimately have. JobWillins re-structures the film into what feels more like a character study and I love it. I enjoyed it so much that I am preparing to watch his previous edit 'Man of Tomorrow', which is a big deal considering I dislike the original films it combines. Great job! I can't wait to see what is next.
A