Review Detail

9.1 39 10
FanFix February 08, 2013 25893
Overall rating
 
8.8
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
9.0
Visual Editing
 
9.0
Narrative
 
8.0
Enjoyment
 
8.0
Before I say anything else, I want to clarify the scores I've given: I've assigned Severian's edit a score of 8/10 for both Narrative and Enjoyment. These should be taken in the context of the scores I would assign the theatrical release (5/10 for Narrative and 6/10 for Enjoyment). Severian has done an excellent job in using the available material to make the best presentation possible of a promising but substantially flawed film, and I want to stress that while I think flaws remain in the film, they remain despite his efforts rather than as a result of them.

I'm very impressed at the new opening sequence; while it doesn't have the breathtaking visuals of the theatrical release, it introduces the film's narrative in a much more cohesive fashion and crucially gives us an introduction to Peter Weyland's character. Given that we're talking about a home viewing, the visual impact of the theatrical opening sequence is limited (at least in contrast with the experience of seeing it at eg an IMAX screen in 3D), so I applaud the decision to focus on the narrative.

I haven't watched the theatrical release since it was at the cinema, but I still recall its numerous distressing faults. Severian has done as good a job as I believe is possible, given the material, to address these issues - the somewhat clunky pacing is improved, the number of instances of Idiot Ball Behaviour is substantially reduced (though sadly the phenomenon is not eliminated entirely), and some of the action sequences are improved through the use of additional material.

I would be lying if I didn't say that there are a couple of moments where the editing leads to abrupt transitions, but these are abrupt in narrative terms and cannot be helped given the available footage.

All in all, there's only one thing I'd change about Severian's edit - personally, I would have removed the epilogue scene with the proto-xenomorph. That tiny issue aside, this is now my preferred cut of the film and I highly doubt I'll ever watch the theatrical release again.

I thought I should also note that I watched this with my OH who generally pays no attention to the fanedit scene outside of what I explicitly bring to her attention; her opinion was that the edit was substantially better than the theatrical release.

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