Review Detail
8.9 22 10
Overall rating
7.3
Visual Editing
6.0
Narrative
9.0
Enjoyment
7.0
Review from 17 June 2011
Watched this last night and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I’ll start off with the negatives:
1. The gun barrel sequence doesn’t work, I’m afraid. It looks strange, the “barrel” needs anti-aliasing, and the shot it opens into is near the end of the movie – and then it suddenly cuts to the intro sequence. If you *must* have the barrel, open directly into the opening shot of the film.
2. A natural place for the credits is “Bond, James Bond”. Where you’ve put it feels off, and it breaks the action.
3. The Opera sequence doesn’t quite work. I see what you’re trying to do, and I REALLY like the Vesper callbacks the whole way through, but the abrupt segue into Vesper was jarring. Perhaps if you put the shot of her in the mirror when he looks up in the bathroom after putting the Quantum earpiece in? I think the callback needs to start in a non-action part – and then maybe carry on into the action. Maybe also put back more of the opera – the opera dealing with death leads nicely into thoughts about Vesper – and revenge, which makes him brutal (which is what I think you were going for, which I really liked).
4. The explanation of the fuel cells (which I also thought was unnecessary at first) is actually required – otherwise the hotel just starts ridiculously blowing up for no reason whatsoever, and becomes an 80′s throwback!
5. The sudden cut to Camille in a Vesper-type dream sequence felt really off. It didn’t work at all, in my opinion. I liked the way you cut the action, but I think putting the Vesper chased/trapped sequence in juxtaposed with Camille’s fight would actually work much better.
6. You need the interaction with Greene saying “I told you all I know” – because that leads to Russia. Otherwise Bond just magically appears in Russia!
If you could address some of the issues above this film would replace the original. It is far stronger than the original!
And now the positives:
1. The opening sequence was FANTASTIC. It was jaw-droppingly good. The concept and execution – brilliant! (And then I read how much work it took! Kudos to you. And it was worth it!)
2. The movie as a whole is really well paced, hangs together nicely. What you’ve removed is hardly noticeable.
3. Technically very, very strong. I could detect once or twice where you’d edited the music, but nothing jarring. Picture was superb.
4. Fonts replacement – yes!!
5. Title song. Hm, original didn’t bother me, but replacement was flawless. Nicely done.
6. I liked the Bourne-type action – but liked yours equally well. The whole idea of revenge flashbacks in the action was great.
Well done, Last Survivor. If the issues mentioned are dealt with, this edit would be a solid 9, 9.5. As it stands I think the edit is a well-earned 7.
Thanks for a great hour and a half!
Watched this last night and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I’ll start off with the negatives:
1. The gun barrel sequence doesn’t work, I’m afraid. It looks strange, the “barrel” needs anti-aliasing, and the shot it opens into is near the end of the movie – and then it suddenly cuts to the intro sequence. If you *must* have the barrel, open directly into the opening shot of the film.
2. A natural place for the credits is “Bond, James Bond”. Where you’ve put it feels off, and it breaks the action.
3. The Opera sequence doesn’t quite work. I see what you’re trying to do, and I REALLY like the Vesper callbacks the whole way through, but the abrupt segue into Vesper was jarring. Perhaps if you put the shot of her in the mirror when he looks up in the bathroom after putting the Quantum earpiece in? I think the callback needs to start in a non-action part – and then maybe carry on into the action. Maybe also put back more of the opera – the opera dealing with death leads nicely into thoughts about Vesper – and revenge, which makes him brutal (which is what I think you were going for, which I really liked).
4. The explanation of the fuel cells (which I also thought was unnecessary at first) is actually required – otherwise the hotel just starts ridiculously blowing up for no reason whatsoever, and becomes an 80′s throwback!
5. The sudden cut to Camille in a Vesper-type dream sequence felt really off. It didn’t work at all, in my opinion. I liked the way you cut the action, but I think putting the Vesper chased/trapped sequence in juxtaposed with Camille’s fight would actually work much better.
6. You need the interaction with Greene saying “I told you all I know” – because that leads to Russia. Otherwise Bond just magically appears in Russia!
If you could address some of the issues above this film would replace the original. It is far stronger than the original!
And now the positives:
1. The opening sequence was FANTASTIC. It was jaw-droppingly good. The concept and execution – brilliant! (And then I read how much work it took! Kudos to you. And it was worth it!)
2. The movie as a whole is really well paced, hangs together nicely. What you’ve removed is hardly noticeable.
3. Technically very, very strong. I could detect once or twice where you’d edited the music, but nothing jarring. Picture was superb.
4. Fonts replacement – yes!!
5. Title song. Hm, original didn’t bother me, but replacement was flawless. Nicely done.
6. I liked the Bourne-type action – but liked yours equally well. The whole idea of revenge flashbacks in the action was great.
Well done, Last Survivor. If the issues mentioned are dealt with, this edit would be a solid 9, 9.5. As it stands I think the edit is a well-earned 7.
Thanks for a great hour and a half!
D