Review Detail
9.2 5 10
Overall rating
8.7
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Narrative
8.0
Enjoyment
8.0
April 24, 2011 @ 10:12 pm
Video: 10/10
The Picture quality of this release is on par with the original DVD presentation. No discernible loss of picture fidelity throughout.
Audio: 10/10
The audio presentation of this film is, likewise, on par with the original DVD. No noticeable pops or hard cuts in the audio track during the edit.
Edit: 8/10
This edit is fairly successful in realizing the editors intent. The film is much more streamlined and focused than its meandering original. The story does not suffer from the cuts made while the emotional content is greatly enhanced by this new focus. The original film had a number of threads and themes it was working with, and it can be argued that because of this it never truly delivered powerfully on any of them. By focussing in on the core of the story, Bob has created a version of the film that will connect with the audience in a much more profound and emotional way.
That said, there are one or two places in this edit where too much information may have been excised. The final confrontation between the Postman and the leader of the Holnists will likely leave some audience members scratching their heads as the characters make references to things the audience never saw. I imagine this won’t be a major hurdle however and most people will merely assume the characters to be referencing a shared history that we are not and don’t have to be privy too. Lastly, the ambiguous nature of the postman is never resolved, and while this won’t bother most viewers, it doesn work against one of the central themes of the film on both versions, the exploration of the “noble” lie. Much of that still remains in the film with Ford Lincoln Mercury amd in the final confrontation when the Postman declares to Bethlehem that they are both frauds.
Technical errors:
In the opening title cards there’s a typo: Goverment instead of Government.
I noticed from Bridgetown through the end of the film that the lip synch seemed to go off. I found it especially noticeable when Tom Petty was about to send the Postman across the damn on that basket zip line thing. I tested the disc on 2 different PS3s, my computer drive and a standard DVD player and found this issue on all of them.
Final score:
8.5/10
A highly enjoyable edit I would happily reccommend to anyone.
Video: 10/10
The Picture quality of this release is on par with the original DVD presentation. No discernible loss of picture fidelity throughout.
Audio: 10/10
The audio presentation of this film is, likewise, on par with the original DVD. No noticeable pops or hard cuts in the audio track during the edit.
Edit: 8/10
This edit is fairly successful in realizing the editors intent. The film is much more streamlined and focused than its meandering original. The story does not suffer from the cuts made while the emotional content is greatly enhanced by this new focus. The original film had a number of threads and themes it was working with, and it can be argued that because of this it never truly delivered powerfully on any of them. By focussing in on the core of the story, Bob has created a version of the film that will connect with the audience in a much more profound and emotional way.
That said, there are one or two places in this edit where too much information may have been excised. The final confrontation between the Postman and the leader of the Holnists will likely leave some audience members scratching their heads as the characters make references to things the audience never saw. I imagine this won’t be a major hurdle however and most people will merely assume the characters to be referencing a shared history that we are not and don’t have to be privy too. Lastly, the ambiguous nature of the postman is never resolved, and while this won’t bother most viewers, it doesn work against one of the central themes of the film on both versions, the exploration of the “noble” lie. Much of that still remains in the film with Ford Lincoln Mercury amd in the final confrontation when the Postman declares to Bethlehem that they are both frauds.
Technical errors:
In the opening title cards there’s a typo: Goverment instead of Government.
I noticed from Bridgetown through the end of the film that the lip synch seemed to go off. I found it especially noticeable when Tom Petty was about to send the Postman across the damn on that basket zip line thing. I tested the disc on 2 different PS3s, my computer drive and a standard DVD player and found this issue on all of them.
Final score:
8.5/10
A highly enjoyable edit I would happily reccommend to anyone.
P