Riddles of the Lost Gods

Updated
 
8.7 (11)
7463 1 1 0 6

User reviews

11 reviews
 
55%
 
45%
5-7 stars
 
0%
3-5 stars
 
0%
1-3 stars
 
0%
Overall rating
 
8.7
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.6(11)
Audio Editing
 
8.6(11)
Visual Editing
 
9.1(11)
Narrative
 
8.2(11)
Enjoyment
 
8.3(11)
Back to Listing
11 results - showing 1 - 5
1 2 3
Ordering
Overall rating
 
8.6
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
9.0
Visual Editing
 
8.0
Narrative
 
7.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
It's been a couple of years since I watched TM2YC's take on Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The Covenant Edition immediately replaced the theatrical cut for me and I've done my part to spread the word for people to at least give it a shot. Lo and behold, I come back after a long while to find Riddles of the Lost Gods! How does this take on the fourth Indy adventure fare?

One word: WOW!

Firstly, the new opening sequence is a revelation and, for me at least, completely changes my outlook on everything that follows. Something along these lines is how KotCS should have started in the first place! From then on I love all the ideas TMBTM approached this cut with and tries to implement, and many of them are accomplished fantastically.

Unfortunately, this cut isn't perfect. As much as I like the mission statement, at times it feels as if the Editor was a bit too eager to trim and many parts of the film - particularly in the first half - feel rushed. The Area 51 sequence and the Camp sequence in particular could both have been drawn out a bit more. In the latter's case, while I understand the logic of the rearrangment to have Marion introduced before Indy is subjected to the skull, I think a slower-paced version more like the theatrical cut might've been better - as it stands, Marion's introduction is really abrupt. And while I see what the Editor was trying to accomplish with redubbing some of the lines, they're quite noticeable and, outside the last line, IMO kind of unnecessary.

That said, I really REALLY enjoyed this version of the film. I think my perfect version of KotCS is somewhere in between Riddles of the Lost Gods and the Covenant Edition, and together I'm fully convinced that not only could KotCS be saved (both cuts, IMO, do so) but a really enjoyable Indiana Jones film CAN be coaxed out of this magic lamp.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Overall rating
 
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
Wow.

Well that was a surprise. You know, I've seen this movie enough times via edits to where I thought I knew what I liked in the film, and what SHOULD have been kept, but this edit proved that I don't know crap. Because while I was waiting for what I thought were the stronger parts of the film to come, they never did and I realized I didn't really miss them all that much....especially in such a lean cut of this movie. Even the stuff that was horribly annoying in the other cuts wasn't annoying here...and that's pretty crazy.

My only complaint is that maybe the beginning stolen from The Fountain could have been trimmed a bit... maybe only show the guy holding the dagger up to the sky and stop there, and pan down into the present. I dunno. Something just felt a little off about it. Other than that, I got nothing but praise.

And that ending...my god that ending. I almost stood up and applauded. I couldn't imagine it was fixable...seriously, amazing!

What more could I want? HD....give me this brilliant cut in HD!!!!

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
DVD
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
(Updated: February 13, 2014)
Overall rating
 
9.0
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
8.0
Visual Editing
 
8.0
Narrative
 
9.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
This Indy 4 moves at a cracking pace, with the dead weight removed. At its best, this edit feels like it belongs with the original films, as opposed to the sore thumb it truly is. The opening is superb and fits so well that it's almost like a director's cut. Some of the audio dubs don't work quite so well, and the edit whips along so quickly that you barely have time to breathe, but overall it's a great Indy 4 fix without the groans. (I still dislike that Indy is saved with a snake (!) but doubt that anyone can reasonably do anything about that.) Well worth a watch. Cheers.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
DVD
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 1 0
Overall rating
 
9.8
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
9.0
I watched this one after The Covenant edition. While the covenant edition is the action cut this is more of a riddle clue finding mystery cut of Indiana Jones, which is a different take but a very welcome version to have in the collection. The pace is really cool, although not too sure about the opening scene from the fountain...did not really feel like it belonged but it is simply a courageous take and approach I do enjoy seeing done in fanedits so it did not bother me at all that you tried to make it stand out from other cuts that have been done. I had a lot of fun watching this cut from start to finish and will watch it more than a few times in the future. Thanks for your hard work and obvious creativity :)

Enjoyment: Original: D+
Enjoyment: Riddle of the Gods: B+

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 1 0
(Updated: May 23, 2014)
Overall rating
 
9.6
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
9.0
Enjoyment
 
9.0
This was so good! I easily prefer it to the theatrical release. There is no contest there. The only small contest, in my mind, is between your edit and njvc's. Surely njvc's montage during the Indy-stares-at-the-skull scene was probably better, and a very smart way to use removed footage.

There is one thing that has been bothering me about both edits, and it seems to me, as an outsider, an easy fix. I'm talking about the awful quicksand scene. njvc managed to "remove" the embarrassing snake aspect, and you removed the reveal of Indy's son, but why not cut the whole pointless scene? Moronic character Mutt instigates a pointless escape that goes nowhere and they are recaptured immediately. Why not go from Indy looking at the map with Cate Blanchett, describing where they should be going and fade into the trucks cutting through the jungle?
That would wipe out the stupid snake scene and the reveal about Mutt.
Of course this would only work in a cut such as yours, where you are removing Indy's parentage. (Which I applaud!)

The way you edited the scene inside the back of the truck was perfect. And I was fine with the last line dubbed in of "you're not my dad". I loved it in fact. It was the point of the whole cut. No, Indy wouldn't have a whiny annoying son like you. lol.

The final shot did feel a little like the end of a sitcom, but I am not sure what anyone can do there.

Overall, fantastic. Truly, you took a movie I hated, with a character I loved, and repaired it. Even with the aliens/ufo nonsense, you made this movie, to me, on par with Temple of Doom for sure.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
DVD
Owner's reply May 23, 2014

Glad you liked this edit. I appreciate the review.

About the sand pit scene: In fact I liked this scene, that's why it's still in this edit. I like the "professor's speach during a dangerous moment". What I did not like was the pacing of some lines (so I cut some lines) and a shot of Indy being pulled by with the snake that looked not right (that I also partialy removed. Or Entirely, can't remember). In short: it's the same scene but rearranged. And since my edit is mainly about making Mutt not Indy's son, I thought it was fun to keep THE scene when the audience knows he is Indy's son in the original (and this edit is already a bit too short for my taste so this is now a nice little scene that does not bother me and it gives more screen time with Indy and Marion.
These are my reasons for keeping that scene.

About the "stare at the Skull" moment: I wanted to link that scene with my opening scene and with the end. So it's not the same goal than NJVC's edit. You can prefer NJVC's edit of course, but I guess his edit of this scene in my edit would not work as good (for the goal of my edit) and vice versa.

Report this review Comments (1) | Was this review helpful? 2 0
11 results - showing 1 - 5
1 2 3